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Record of Reading

Record of Reading

Record of Reading by Clemson University is a FREE app that was just updated on April 2, 2013. The app provides an electronic form for taking running records (an assessment of oral reading developed by Marie M. Clay). The teacher still needs to do the coding and the analysis of the child’s reading. But… the app has formulas for accuracy and self-corrections embedded in it so that there is no need for a calculator!! The app also records the student’s voice as the teacher is taking the record. After the running record is completed, it can be saved and/or emailed! If you are an elementary school teacher who regularly uses running records, you are going to want to check this app out. 🙂

A fabulous tool for elementary teachers – thank you Clemson!!

Record of Reading - Clemson University

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SparkleFish

SparkleFish is a FREE app for iPhone/iPad that works like a digital version of Mad Libs. Five stories are included in the app with others available as in-app purchases. Kids are asked to provide words from a specific category (animal, body part, etc.) or a specific part of speech (adjectives, nouns, adverbs, past tense verbs, etc.). If the child cannot think of a good word, he/she can get suggestions from SparkleFish by touching the word. Instead of writing the words, kids record their choices in their own voice. Their words are played back in the reading of the story. Kids can save their recordings and listen to them later. This app allows kids to practice parts of speech in a fun way. Kids love Mad Libs because the results can be hilarious. I am sure they will feel the same way about SparkleFish. 🙂

Recommended!

SparkleFish - Whosagoodboy Partners

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Timbuktu

Timbuktu

Timbuktu is an iPad magazine for kids and their parents. Each day new content is added – bedtime stories, paper toys, recipes, activities, games, pictures, ask Auntie Rita, videos, math mysteries, and news of the week! The design of the app is very slick – kids can see the most recent 8 articles with a preview of what tomorrow’s article will be. Kids can also go to “All Stories” to see a selection of earlier articles and unlock premium stories by using bubble (available as an in-app purchase). There is a lot of good content in this app – fun activities that kids & parents can do together. There is an option for kids to login and collect badges on their Timbuktu passport. Unfortunately, the only choice for logging in is through Facebook. Hopefully an update will provide another login option. In the meantime, you can enjoy it without “setting a profile.” The idea of a digital magazine for kids is very exciting!

NEWS FLASH: I emailed the developers of Timbuktu with my concerns about the FB login and they have already submitted a new release to Apple that addresses the problem. Look for that update in the near future!

Timbuktu - Stories and games for parents and kids. - Timbuktu Labs, Inc.

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MathLands – Kids Logic Game & Brain Builder for Math and Critical Thinking

MathLands

All I can say is WOW! MathLands is a completely FREE math app that makes kids THINK! Kids have to use logic, problem solving skills, and critical thinking to solve 5 levels of 5 different puzzles. Each puzzle is timed, has hints available, and has a section that tells the history of the puzzle. Kids can choose to start over. They can try again to get a better score or they can try again to get the BEST score (the app tells what is the best possible score). I love that this app challenges kids to be the best!! There is also a Math Comics section – problems are written in comic strip form. Kids solve the word problems by using the interactive manipulatives on the page. In a word full of math apps that stress practice and drill, this app is like a breath of fresh air. LOVE it !!!!

MathLands - Kids Logic Game & Brain Builder for Math and Critical Thinking - Mamanijo

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Pick-a-Path

Pick a Path

Pick-a-Path is a FREE math game from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Kids help Okta the octopus reach a target number by choosing the best path from the top maze to the bottom of a maze. There are 7 different levels with 7 puzzles in each level. The puzzles start with basic operations then move to fractions, negative numbers, decimals, and other more difficult skills. Kids have to plan out a strategy to reach the target which can be a specific value, a minimum value, or a maximum value. This app provides a lot of good skills practice. And… as an extra added bonus, kids have to think of a strategy!

Pick-a-Path - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

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

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

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DIY Nano

DIY Nano

FREE – a newly released app called DIY Nano that teaches kids (and their adults) about the nanoscale. Funded by the National Science Foundation and developed by Berkeley’s Lawrence Science Hall, this app provides a series of activities and videos about nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. There are 12 hands-on activities in this app. Each one starts with a summary which gives an overview of the activity, the time it will take to complete (prep – clean-up), and the suggested age group. Next, there is a materials list. All items are inexpensive and widely available. Then there is a series of step-by-step directions – with pictures. Finally, there is an explanation of “what’s going on” in the activity. Related videos are at the bottom of the page so that your child can learn more. This app is very well-organized, easy to use, and provides a wonderful introduction to the world of nanoscale science. The best part about the app is that it gives kids and adults the opportunity to learn something new together and how exciting is that?!?

DIY Nano HD - The Lawrence Hall of Science

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3 FREE Virtual Math Manipulatives

Geoboard by The Math Learning Center (a nonprofit organization dedicated to K – 12 education) is a FREE app that turns your iPhone/iPad into a virtual geoboard. Geoboards can be used as tools to teach mathematical concepts such as polygons, perimeter, area, line segments, angles, congruent shapes, symmetry, fractions, etc. Shapes are created by stretching bands on the geoboard’s pegs. There are 5 colors of bands in the iPhone version and 8 in the iPad version. There is also a tool to fill in shapes. On the iPad version, you can switch from the standard 25 peg board to a 150 peg board to create more complex shapes. This is a great app with the potential to be used in so many ways.

Highly recommended for your virtual math tool kit!

Geoboard, by The Math Learning Center - Clarity Innovations

FREE for the iPad, Virtual Manipulatives contains math manipulatives for teaching fractions, decimals, and percents. Included are tiles/circles divided into halves, thirds, fourth, fifths, sixths, eighths, tenths, and 12ths AND their corresponding decimals and percentages! The manipulatives are color coded across the settings so that 1/2 is blue as is .50 and 50%. Kids drag tile pieces onto the work area to compare fractions/decimals/percentages. In the settings you can change from tiles to circles, make the pieces transparent, and hide the numbers on the pieces. Completed work can be easily saved to photos. Finding equivalent fractions has never been so slick – WOW!!

Common Core Standards

  • 3.NF.3 – Explain equivalence of fractions in special cases, and compare fractions by reasoning about their size. Understand two fractions as equivalent (equal) if they are the same size, or the same point on a number line.
  • 4.NF.1 – Explain why a fraction a/b is equivalent to a fraction (n × a)/(n × b) by using visual fraction models, with attention to how the number and size of the parts differ even though the two fractions themselves are the same size. Use this principle to recognize and generate equivalent fractions.

Highly Recommended!

Virtual Manipulatives! - ABCya.com

equivalent fractions

From the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics comes a FREE app called Equivalent Fractions. Kids create equivalent fractions by dividing and shading squares or circles. Circles can be divided into 24ths. Squares can be divided into 144ths. In the play mode, a fraction is shown and kids must create 2 additional fractions that are equivalent. All 3 fractions must have different denominators. The app also places the fractions on a number line – a great visual for comparing! There is also a “build your own” mode which would be fabulous to use for guided exploration & practice. Kids could also use this section as a virtual manipulative when working independently. This app is an excellent resource for the classroom !!

Common Core Standards met:

  • 3.NF.3 – Explain equivalence of fractions and compare fractions by reasoning about their size. Understand two fractions as equivalent (equal) if they are the same size, or the same point on a number line. Recognize and generate simple equivalent fractions, e.g., 1/2 = 2/4, 4/6 = 2/3). Explain why the fractions are equivalent, e.g., by using a visual fraction model.

Highly Recommended!

Equivalent Fractions - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

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Psychobabble

Psychobabble

If you love crossword puzzles, you may want to check out Psychobabble, a game of connectionsThe first few puzzles are FREE . After that you can earn or buy credits to purchase additional puzzles within the app. To play you need to make word associations – cigar makes you think smoke, smoke makes you think fire, and so on. Keep thinking – dog to bark, bark  to tree, tree to trunk, trunk to elephant – the connections change as you go. A friendly psychologist named Dr. O’Babel reveals words then encourages you to make word connections. The developers teamed up with New York Times crossword contributor David Liben-Nowell to create puzzles full of twists, & turns! This word game is definitely a challenge – suited for older students/adults.

Psychobabble - Ultralingua, Inc.

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Agnitus – Games for Learning

Agnitus

Agnitus – Games for Learning is a FREE app for 2 – 5 year olds. In-app purchases are available to extend the skills introduced in the FREE version. Kids will enjoy helping to feed Icky – a lovable little character who eats the answers. The app has 9 game choices which help to develop skills such counting, color recognition, shape recognition, number  recognition, matching, etc. One of the nicest things about this app is the “report card”. Parents can see what skills their child has mastered in areas such as colors, food, 2-D shapes. They can also see the performance level of their child in areas such as memory, size comparison, visual scanning. Nicely done for little ones!!

Agnitus - Games For Learning - Agnitus