Category Archives: FREE apps (for a limited time)

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What Will I Be?

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What Will I Be?

FREE for a limited time (during the London Book Fair), What Will I Be? is another delightful story from Digital Leaf. A father answers his child’s questions about the future in a story that encourages children to dream big! Before the story starts, the app permits you to choose the gender of the child. The story is cute and written in rhyme. There is interactivity throughout  – sounds and things to move. Kids are encouraged to find “the dog” hidden in 19 places throughout the story. If they do, a bonus game is unlocked. This app is a perfect example of  what a digital story should be – a great story with interactivity that enhances the overall reading experience. And… as an extra added bonus, the story send a positive message to kids! Don’t miss out on this one – perfect to read in the classroom when talking/writing about careers!

What Will I Be? - Digital Leaf

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Sail Through Math

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sail through math

Ahoy there!! FREE again (normally $1.99), Sail through Math from McGraw Hill – a fun way for students to practice their math facts/skills. There are 3 levels of play for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. Other areas covered are addition equations. subtraction equations, multiplication equations, two-step equations, names for numbers, patterns/factors/multiples, and compare numbers. This app provides of great practice built around a pirate theme – complete with music and firing cannonballs! At the end of each game, the child can see what problems he/she missed as well as a percentage score. What a fun way to learn basic facts – in the classroom, at home, in the car on a way to an evening activity. I used to tell my students to practice during commercials – 10 to 15 minutes a day works wonders. This app provides a fun way to accomplish that goal 🙂

Common Core Standards met:

  • 1.OA.6 – Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10.
  • 2.OA.2 – Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies. By end of Grade 2, know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers.
  • 3.OA.7 – Fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies such as the relationship between multiplication and division or properties of operations. By the end of Grade 3, know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers.

Sail Through Math - McGraw-Hill School Education Group

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PlaySquare

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FREE for a limited time – PlaySquare is billed as Touchable Television. Children (ages 3 – 6) play and learn words and letters as the play in Word World. In the first episode, “Happy Birthday Dog”, Dog thinks that everyone has forgotten his birthday. Kids are engaged in the story as they help gather things for a birthday party to surprise Dog.

There are so many wonderful things about this app. It is colorful and engaging. Early literacy skills (letter recognition, letter sound, word building, word recognition) are developed throughout the story. The characters are funny and lovable. But the best part is of the app is how the developers (media experts from Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, LeapFrog, and MIT) have used the letters of the word to form the object being spelled – very clever! I LOVE this app!!

Watch the video from the developers @ http://playsquare.tv/

Highly recommended

PlaySquare presents WordWorld's Happy Birthday Dog - PlaySquare, LLC

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Find the Synonym

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FREE again – Find the Synonym is an app designed for the iPhone/iPad. It is listed as a game app rather than an educational app but it would be great for kids in upper elementary school/junior high. A word is shown with its part of speech and definition. You are directed to create a 4 – 7 letter synonym of that word using the letters provided. Points are awarded based on the length of the word, the time involved, whether clues are used, and/or if any mistakes are made. Badges are earned as the game is played. It’s simply designed  – not a lot of bell & whistles but it is heavy on content. There are a total of 1600 synonyms in the app. After you find 250 of them, the antonyms are unlocked. There are 700 antonyms in the app.

I realize that this app was not designed for kids per se but it is educational. More flexibility in the settings would make it more suitable for classroom use. I could not find a way to restart the game. The game picks up where it left off & points are cumulative, so only one person can play. Also, having access to both synonyms and antonyms would be a plus. I am sure that teachers will come up with creative ways to use this resource 🙂

Recommended!

Find The Synonym - FreshLogo

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Grammar Wonderland (Primary) & Grammar Wonderland (Elementary)

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grammar primary

grammar

FREE again – the full versions of Grammar Wonderland (Primary) & Grammar Wonderland (Elementary). In both games kids lead their characters through different adventures as they practice  nouns, verbs, adjectives, and more. The primary version is for younger children – the words are read and some levels include pictures. The app does not teach the parts of speech but it provides lots of practice for kids in a fun game-like environment. After teaching a lesson about parts of speech, teachers can have kids show what they know with this app. Practice is provided for the following: common nouns, proper, nouns, concrete nouns, abstract nouns, singular nouns, plural nouns, possessive nouns, pronouns, action verbs, present-tense verbs, past-tense verbs, future-tense verbs, linking verbs, adjectives, articles, comparative/superlative adjectives, and more! Many parts of speech are taught in both apps – perfect for differentiating your instruction for a variety of reading levels. Both also apps permit multiple player – great for the classroom!

Recommended!!  – Download them today 🙂

Grammar Wonderland Primary       Grammar Wonderland (Primary) - McGraw-Hill School Education Group

Grammar Wonderland Elementary       Grammar Wonderland (Elementary) - McGraw-Hill School Education Group

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The Rocket Book

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Rocket Book

FREE for a limited time – The Rocket Book is an interactive version of a book by Peter Newell. The book was originally published in 1912 and it is written in rhyme. It tells the tale of Fritz (the janitor’s son) who lights a rocket in the basement of an apartment building. The book follows the rocket’s path as it travels upward through 20 flats causing some havoc along the way.  The 3D technology used in the scenes makes the old-fashioned pictures come alive. Ragtime piano music and a great narrator add to the charm of this app. Lots of great opportunities for comparing and contrasting with this story – 1912 vs now. This book is also rich in language and would also be great for a lesson on context clues. Very cool app to use in a one iPad classroom!

Rocket Book - Third Bird Party!

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Animal Game Show – Whose Toes are Those? – Matching Fun for Kids and Family – Ultimate Edition

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toes

FREE again – the full version of Whose Toes are Those, a very cute app for preschoolers. The app has a game show host, music, and an audience. Kids (contestants) have to identify which animal/person is behind the curtain by their toes. If the child chooses correctly, the animal/person does a silly dance – really cute and sure to bring some giggles! Little ones will have fun building their matching skills with this app!!

Animal Game Show - Whose Toes are Those? - Matching Fun for Kids and Family - Ultimate Edition - Eggroll Games LLC

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Lingo Zoo

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Lingo Zoo

Lingo Zoo is FREE for a limited time. Kids learn animal names in English and Spanish as they complete jigsaw puzzles. They also hear the animal’s sound as a reward for completing each puzzle. The animals are presented in 7 different settings (farm, ocean, forest, jungle, etc.) so that kids become familiar with where different animals live. As a child completes the puzzles in one setting, other settings are unlocked. Nicely done puzzle app for little ones!

Lingo Zoo - Mindshapes Limited

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Prancing Dancing Lily

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Prancing Dancing Lily

FREE for a limited time – Prancing Dancing Lily, an interactive story about a cow who doesn’t quite fit into her herd in Wisconsin. Lily loves to dance so she decides to travel the world looking for a dance that fits her perfectly. She eventually returns home and inspires her herd to dance in a conga line. Lily becomes the next lead bell cow – following in the hoofsteps of her Grandmoo and Mamoo. Very cute story!

Prancing Dancing Lily - Fat Red Couch, Inc.

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TED – TED conferences and TEDiSUB – Enjoy TED videos with Subtitles!

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Parents/Teachers – here is an app for you (and the kids)!

TED started in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, and Design. It is now a nonprofit devoted to ideas worth spreading. Here is information on 2 apps that will bring the world of TED to the device of your choice!

TED - original

Riveting talks by remarkable people, FREE to the world. Connect with the official TED app for iPhone/iPad to more than 1,400 talk videos with more added every week! Subtitled in more than 90 languages. A fabulous resource for lifelong learners!!

TED - TED Conferences

Ted

FREE for one day only – TEDiSUB – Enjoy TED videos with Subtitles!  This app enhances the TED experience with added control features. It also allows you to see two subtitles at once – great for a language classes. 

TEDiSUB - Enjoy TED videos with Subtitles! - semix2