Tag Archives: apps for kids

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Montessori Numberland HD

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Numberland

Montessori Numberland HD – FREE today. This educational app helps young children (ages 3 – 5) learn the numbers from 0 – 9. The app consists of 10 interactive scenes which are meant to be explored. For instance – the number 7 is a beach scene with 7 umbrellas, 7 palm trees, 7 shells, 7 balls, 7 crabs. As they explore, kids learn the name of the number, how to write the number, and how to count to that number. The app uses number rods to help kids understand the concept of quantity. There is also an opportunity for kids to practice writing and counting numbers on their own. And… kids can create artwork, practice numbers, etc. in the “draw” section of the app then take a photo to share! Ready to learn the numbers in a different language? The app can be switched to English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, or Spanish. Featured in Apple’s “New & Noteworthy”, this educational app is well designed and it does a nice job of helping young kids learn and understand numbers. Don’t miss it! 🙂

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/montessori-numberland-hd/id388154228?mt=8&uo=4

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Toca Boca Apps – $.99 sale

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LOVE Toca Boca apps!! They makes learning what it should be – fun, creative, and joyful!

toca 2

Toca Hair Salon, one of my favorite educational apps for toddlers! Kids go into the salon to groom 6 different characters. They can use the tools in the salon to style their hair – cut it, comb it, make it grow, shave it, color it, etc. Great sound effects are also included in this fun app. Kids or parents can take a photo of the finished creation and save it to their camera roll. If parents wish, creations may be posted on the Toca Boca Facebook page. The developers have also built-in options to turn off sounds, pictures, and news. What a great springboard for creative writing – give a character a whole new look and write a story to go with it. What a fun writing activity for a Wacky Hair Day!!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toca-hair-salon/id426382105?mt=8&uo=4

toca band

Rock on… with Toca Band. This educational app for the iPhone/iPad encourages kids to explore music as they mix beats & sounds together to produce a hit song. The 16 characters in this app each have their own sound and rhythm. Kids drag different combinations of performers on stage to create their own musical band. How a character plays depends on where he/she is placed on the stage. Characters can also be chosen to give a solo performance. Even the names of the characters are fun: Bang Bang Chef on the drums, Dancy Nancy on the piano, Shaky McBones on the maracas,etc. Another great educational app from a developer that makes learning what it should be – fun, creative, and joyful!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toca-band/id521640648?mt=8&uo=4

toca mini

Toca Mini, another creative app from Toca Boca. With this app kids can create silly monsters, imaginary animals, or playful friends. Toca Minis can become whatever you want them to be. To start, kids add colors to the mini’s body, arms, & legs. Then they add details using a wide variety of stamps – bows, hats, buttons, polka dots, etc. Next, kids add facial features which brings their minis to life – they, ooh, ah, sneeze, smile, blink, and more. Kids can also add hair, eyebrows, beards, mustaches, etc. With 60 different colors and 78 different stamps, there are thousands of possible combinations. When kids finish creating their own unique mini, they can take a snapshot and save it to the camera roll. Then they can print it, share it, pull it into a story writing app, and more. Creating a mini could be a great springboard for creative writing – descriptive paragraphs, a story about their created character/creature. Toca Boca has created another open-ended, creative app!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toca-mini/id718082838?mt=8&uo=4

toca doctor

Also on sale – Toca Doctor HD, another fantastic app for toddlers from Toca Boca. Kids get to be a doctor for the day with this app that introduces kids to the medical field. There are 21 puzzles/mini games in all. Kids will love the fun sounds and animations that accompany the tasks! If your child likes the other Toca Boca apps, you’ll want to add this one to your collection today because these apps do not go on sale or free that often. This is another great app from a developer that makes learning what it should be – fun, creative, and joyful!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toca-doctor-hd/id430807533?mt=8&uo=4

Toca House

Toca House, another fantastic app for toddlers from Toca Boca. Kids help 5 friends do household chores – iron, sweep, sort mail, plant the garden, etc. There are 19 mini games in all. Kids will love the fun sounds that accompany the tasks! If your child likes the other Toca Boca apps, you’ll want to add this one to your collection today because these apps do not go on sale or free that often. This is another great app from a developer that makes learning fun.

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toca-house/id495680460?mt=8&uo=4

toca kitchen

On sale  – Toca Kitchen, another fun educational app from Toca Boca. Kids take to the kitchen to cook for four lovable characters. In the frig they will find 12 different foods that they can prepare 180 different ways. They can slice, blend, boil, fry, microwave, and/or mix the foods together. They can also add seasoning to the food; but they need to be careful not to add too much. Once the food is prepared they plate it up, serve it to the character, and wait for a reaction. Kids will learn which foods each character prefers in a fun creative way. I love the questions and conversations that Toca Boca apps inspire. It’s no wonder that this app was a Gold Winner of the Parent’s Choice Awards in 2012.

Teachers – use this app to inspire creative writing. Write stories or poems about being a cook and the preferences of your consumers. Or, you could have kids compare and contrast the food preferences of the different characters on a graphic organizer. This app also inspires conversation about healthy eating. There are lots of possibilities for learning while having fun!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toca-kitchen/id476553281?mt=8&uo=4

toca store

Toca Store turns your iPhone or iPad into play store for your preschooler and a friend with this app. This app permits your child to choose which items to sell (34 choices), set prices for the items, invite a friend to shop, count money, bag the items, etc. It’s a very cute simulation that teaches: taking turns, cooperation, and basic counting. Toca Boca apps are very popular and usually sell for $1.99 – 2.99. Toca Store is on sale today 🙂

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toca-store/id442705759?mt=8&uo=4

Also on sale:

Toca Pet Doctor: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toca-pet-doctor/id808108897?mt=8&uo=4

Toca Train: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toca-train/id521640355?mt=8&uo=4

Toca Cars: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toca-cars/id689936776?mt=8&uo=4

Toca Tailor: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toca-tailor/id556430416?mt=8&uo=4

Toca Tea Party: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toca-tea-party/id424174500?mt=8&uo=4

Toca Birthday Party: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toca-birthday-party/id469933147?mt=8&uo=4

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Vocabulary Apps

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There are several good vocabulary apps on the market – great for students who trying to boost their vocabularies. I wish some of them would have been around when my kids were studying for the SAT. 🙂

world's worst petFREE & fabulous – World’s Worst Pet-Vocabulary, an educational app for kids in grades 4 – 8. Snargg, a cute blue pet needs kids to use their vocabulary skills to get him out of trouble. The app’s four games teach context, word sorts, synonyms, & antonyms as they expose kids to over 1000 words across 5 levels: grades 4 – 8. Words are taught in sets – 10 conceptually related words per set. Kids are encouraged to replay each word set to improve their scores. Other features of the app include: clearly explained definitions with examples of how the word is used, multiple exposures to words, writing prompts, and… a really fun narrative with rewards. The app allows multiple players which makes it perfect for the classroom. Teachers can use it to differentiate instruction, as part of a center, for individual or group assignments, as homework, etc. There are so many great things about this app – meaningful content, a fun interface, and it meets CCSS. It’s fantastic, wonderful, remarkable, tremendous, amazing … 🙂

Common Core Standards met:

  • 4.L.5 – Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. c.Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).
  • 5.L.5 – Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. c. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/worlds-worst-pet-vocabulary/id730540095?mt=8&uo=4

bluster

Recently updated for iOS 7, Bluster is a FREE app for the iPad developed by McGraw-Hill. This educational app was designed to teach vocabulary and word development to students in grades 2 – 4. Topics covered are rhyming, prefixes & suffixes, word roots, synonyms, homophones, and adjectives. There are 3 modes of play – single, team, and versus. Team mode permits collaboration with a friend. Versus mode allows head-to-head play with the ability to disrupt your opponent by causing weather related attacks. Kids start by choosing their mode of play, grade level, and word match type. They then swipe through the list to match 3 words with the same meaning, rhyme, prefix, suffix, or word root. There are 10 groups of 3 to match in each round of play. Bluster presents 800+ vocabulary words in a fun way!

Common Core Standards met:

  • 2.L.4 – Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell). Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., addition, additional).
  • 3.L.4 – Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat). Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., company, companion).
  • 4.L.4 – Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).
  • 4.L.5. Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bluster!/id416160693?mt=8&uo=4

Words to Learn By

Words to Learn By by McGraw Hill has 300 words to study. It was offered for FREE when I downloaded it but it is currently $.99. The words are grouped into 3 levels – building, expanding and advancing. Each word includes a definition, an audio pronunciation, and a synonym. There are 4 options in the quiz mode – flashcards, definitions, fill-in-the-blanks (GREAT for teaching context clues), and a synonym shuffle game. This app is not too difficult and could be used with upper elementary and junior high students.

Words to Learn By - McGraw-Hill School Education GroupWord a Day

Word a Day was offered for FREE when I downloaded it but it is currently $1.99. This app takes a fun approach to expanding your vocabulary – one day/one word at a time! This app features a new word every day – each word has a humorous illustration and a narrated audio which pronounces the word, defines it, and uses it in context. If you feature a vocabulary word of the day in your classroom, you may want to look at this app – it’s a cute one!

Word A Day Pictures & Audios by VocabAhead - Lafazi, Inc

Vocabology

Vocabology – Word of the Day was offered FREE the day I downloaded it but is currently $.99.  It offers words of the day from several sources on the internet: foreign language words (Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, French, Latin), Dictionary.com, Wiktionary, Merriam-Webster, TheFreeDictionary.com, Yahoo  Education, Common SAT words, Urban Dictionary, and WordSmith.org. The app also includes a quizzes. In-app purchases are available for SAT words, Latin words, and more. BEWARE – some of the words from the urban dictionary are explicit and NOT suitable for the classroom. You have the option of disabling this word source within the app. You need to do so before you put this app in the hands of kids! I appreciate that the developer has included this option.

Vocabology - Word of the Day - ThatWith.Me, LLC

Cultiwords

Currently $.99 – Cultiwords, an educational app for systematically building your vocabulary. The app comes with a 40-words set which includes definitions, anecdotes, and review questions. There are 3 additional sets of words available as in-app purchases. The app introduces each new word by posing a multiple-choice question with 3 possible answers. After you answer, it tells you if you were correct, gives the word’s definition, and provides additional clarifying information about that word. Words are then added to your personal dictionary. The review mode quizzes you on words in your dictionary. Review questions test a deeper understanding of the word – synonyms/antonyms, contextual settings, etc. Once you answer 3/3 questions about a word correctly, that word moves to the Acquired List. Well-organized and simple to use – this app would be great for kids in upper elementary and beyond. My only wish is that it had more words!!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cultiwords/id585437267?mt=8&uo=4

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Summertime Apps

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Apps for fun in the sun – some FREE, some were free but are now regular price. Follow my blog and find out when great apps are offered for FREE. 🙂

sand drawing

Sand Drawing by Timbuktu is currently $2.99. It was FREE when I downloaded it. Kids can relax on the virtual beach by drawing in the sand. The app comes with 3 drawing tools and 12 decorations that kids can choose to use. Decorations can easily be mixed, rotated, and resized. Waves clear the beach so to make way for new creations. Simple to use and fun!

I wish the app had a save feature built-in – perhaps that will be an option in an updated version. The good news is that you can save your child’s sand drawing by taking a screen shot of your iPad. Here’s how: 1. Have your child’s creation open. 2. Find your Sleep/Wake button (top right of the iPad). 3. Find your home button (centered on the bottom your iPad’s screen). 4. Hold down both buttons together – it only takes a second. 5. Release them and you should hear a camera shutter sound and see a white screen. 6. Check your Camera Roll – the image should be there!

Now the fun begins… use your creations to as illustrations in story apps, as backgrounds for photo albums of your vacation, as postcards to grandma & grandpa, etc. Get creative!!

Sand Drawing - by Timbuktu - Timbuktu Labs, Inc.

Ice Cream Truck Game

A cute educational app that was FREE but is currently $1.99 – Ice Cream Truck Game. Kids utilize their math skills while operating an ice cream truck in this game. They begin by purchasing the right amount of ingredients (cones, ice cream, and toppings) for each day. All ingredients are sold in metric measurement – liters or grams. Then, kids choose a cone size  and set a price for the treats. Sales are affected by price and by the popularity of the treats. At the end of each day, the child sees a graph of liquid assets and a graph of customer satisfaction. They can assess what is working or not working and make the necessary adjustments for the next day. Kids have 10 days in each city. The goal is to make enough money to move to the next city (level). The levels get progressively more difficult. Lots of math skills are woven into this game – money, measurement, estimating, reading a graph, etc. I could see third, fourth, & fifth graders having fun with this one!

Ice Cream Truck Game - Hooda Math

PH Summer Reading

PH Summer Reading from One More Story is currently FREE. One More Story is an online library high quality children’s picture books that are professionally narrated and with music/sound effects. Benjamin D. Bookworm is the host for the stories – kids can listen and follow the highlighted text or read the book themselves. Right now, the app is FREE. You will need internet access to use it because it streams large multimedia files. This educational app currently has one book  – How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long and illustrated by David Shannon. I love this book – it is one of my favorites! It is about a young boy named Jeremy Jacob who learns the finer points of pirate life from Captain Braid Beard and his crew. Very cute story – a perfect summer read!

PH Summer Reading - One More Story, Inc

I Like Summer

Another FREEBIE – Preschool Books – I Like Summer from Grasshopper Apps. Written for preschoolers, this book is 1 of 20 books in the “I Like” series. Kids will enjoy listening to the story that highlights the joys of summer. They will also love looking at story’s photos. The best part of this educational app is that it can be customized. You can record the existing story in your child’s voice (or your voice). Or… you can completely change the text and record the new story in your child’s voice/your voice. How fun  – have your child make up a story to go with the pictures!

Preschool Books - I Like Summer - GrasshopperApps.com

Mount Rushmore 2 FREE interactive books about U.S.Landmarks – ABC Mouse Search & Explore: Mount Rushmore & ABC Mouse Search & Explore: The Grand Canyon. Both books can be read in 3 modes – read to me, read with pause, or read myself. Geared towards young children, these books present fun facts about their respective locations. If you are planning a trip to either place this summer, you may want to take a look at these apps.

Mount Rushmore link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/abcmouse.com-mt.-rushmore/id605640045?mt=8&uo=4

Grand Canyon link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/abcmouse.com-grand-canyon/id409716293?mt=8&uo=4

Stella adn Sam Storypack

4 out of 5 of these stories are about summer!

Now only $3.99 – Stella and Sam Story Pack, a wonderful educational app that was selling for $6.99. The story pack contains 5 Stella and Sam apps (Into the Snow We Go, Rainy Days and Rainbows, Backyard at Twilight, Go There Square, and Cocoons & Caterpillars). They are also sold individually for $1.99 each. Stella and Sam apps are based on the television show and book series by Marie-Louise Gay. The Stella and Sam books have been translated into 15 languages and have sold over a million copies. All Stella and Sam apps are also supported in French.

I love how all of the stories focus on getting kids outside to enjoy the beauty of nature. They are beautifully animated, creatively presented, and such fun for preschoolers!

Into the Snow We Go: In this adventure, kids join Stella and Sam to make pictures in the snow, decorate a snowman, and discover what’s hidden under the snow.

Rainy Days and Rainbows: Once again, kids join Stella, Sam and their dog Fred. They paint with Fred, dig through leaves looking for treasures, and have a pine cone race across Puddle Lake.

Backyard at Twilight: In this adventure, kids play along with Stella, Sam, and their dog Fred as they spend the night camping out in the backyard. They look for bugs, learn about shapes from fireflies, and discover the constellations.

Go There Square: Stella and Sam find magical places with the help of their go-there-square. Kids go along to pop musical bubbles, collect dandelions and build a bridge out of flowers.

Cocoons & Caterpillars: In this adventure, kids play along with Stella, Sam, and their dog Fred to discover the joys of nature – butterflies, birds, and clouds.

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stella-and-sam-story-pack/id441939700?mt=8&uo=4

torii

Now $1.99 – Torii’s Summer Adventure, a cute interactive book written by an elementary school teacher. Torii is a lovable & curious golden retriever who loves exploring – especially when her family takes her to the lake! Kids will enjoy reading about her adventures. They will have fun discovering the interactivity & sound effects on every page. The book has “read to me” or “read by myself” options. It also has a choice of reading levels – a very cool feature. Kids can search for Torii’s bone throughout the story and the app keeps track along the way. The app also includes additional activity/coloring pages at the end of the story. Who wouldn’t love a dog in pink sunglasses? 🙂

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toriis-summer-adventure-interactive/id579935507?mt=8&uo=4

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Toddler Tap!

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FREE from June 30 to July 6 – Toddler Tap!, an educational app for your youngest iPad user. The app is very simple to use. Kids tap an object and the object is named. There are 8 categories of words – colors, numbers, shapes, letters, vegetables, fruits, pets, vehicles, instruments, and home. The app is visually appealing – uncluttered pages of simple and colorful drawings. The voice can be turned on/off and the language can be switched from English to Spanish. There is also the option to print the pictures. Parents/teachers can create magnets or stickers for sorting and classifying activities. Check it out while it is FREE. 🙂

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toddler-tap!/id579523195?mt=8&uo=4

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Water Cycle HD

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water cycle

FREE today only – Water Cycle HD, the 2014 winner of American Association of School Librarians Best Apps for Teaching & Learning in the STEM Category. If your child ever wonders about clouds, this is the educational app for him/her! It explores the 4 main stages of the water cycle through readings, photos, and videos. The videos are excellent. They were chosen from a variety of well-respected sources – Disney(Bill Nye), NASA, Carnegie Institution, and more. There is also a “Did You Know?” section which is full of fun facts such as… The heaviest hailstones weigh about 1.1 pounds. And, fog is a type of stratus cloud. The app can be used with different levels of kids. Older students can read & explore on their own. Younger students can turn on text narration with the “Read to Me” button. There is also a game for kids to play that tests their knowledge of the water cycle. This app is nicely done – great to add to your science collection!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/water-cycle-hd/id574353460?mt=8&uo=4

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My Incredible Body – A Kid’s App to Learn about the Human Body

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my incredible body

FREE again for a limited time – My Incredible Body – A Kid’s App to Learn about the Human Body. This educational app takes kids inside the body to see how everything works. Kids start by choosing an area to explore – brain & nerves, digestion, lungs & air, skeleton, kidneys & urine, senses, muscles, or circulation. Each of the 8 content areas provides information in a variety of engaging ways. Kids can watch short movies & animations that explain the different functions of the body. 3D models can be rotated or zoomed to allow kids to see inside the body and discover how body parts work together. Kids will spend hours reading and listening to all sorts of fun facts about their bodies. For example: extraocular muscles control eye movements and are the busiest muscles in the body. This app is fabulous – it’s easy to use, visually appealing, engaging, and full of information. Kids will LOVE it!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-incredible-body-kids-app/id853953105?mt=8&uo=4

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Solar Walk – 3D Solar System Model

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6 million users can’t be wrong!

FREE again, today only – Solar Walk – 3D Solar System Model for the iPhone/iPad. This educational app has you zooming through space to learn about our solar system and the Milky Way galaxy. Winner of a Parent’s Choice Gold Award and chosen by Apple as one of the Best Apps for 3 years in a row, this 3D model of the solar system will fascinate kids of all ages. This app features information about each of our planets (general information, figures, internal structure, & science missions), the planets’ moons (general information & figures), comets, dwarf planets and asteroids. Information and pictures of 8 satellites (such the Hubble Telescope and the ISS) are also included. 8 movies to explain some of Earth’s phenomena are included: Size Comparison, Earth’s Cycles, Solar Eclipse, Moon Phases, Tidal Phenomena, Major Circles of Latitude, Constellations, and Cassini-Huygens. The app permits you to zoom in for a close up view of each planet, moon, etc. or zoom out to get a view of our entire galaxy. If it’s in our solar system, you are going to be able to view it and learn about it with this app! Beautifully done. 🙂

Solar Walk - 3D Solar System model - Vito Technology Inc.

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MeeGenius

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meegeniusThis summer MeeGenius is partnering with the PBS KIDS Summer Learning Project to offer free weekly e-books all summer long (from 5/25 to 8/24)! Kids can join the weekly book challenge on the website: http://www.meegenius.com/pbslearning. Then they click on the book of the week and start reading/listening. Your child can check off his/her completed books on the free progress report and at the end of the summer, a certificate can be printed out to celebrate your child’s achievement. Check it out!!

Also… If you have the latest version of the FREE MeeGenius app, you can access a free book of the day – every day this summer! With the app you can also join the MeeGenius Reading Club which gives you access an 700+ title library of new and classic audio e-books for children. The full reading club subscription is $4.99/month but you can try it FREE for 30 days. After you download it, you register with your email address. Books can be read to you or read on your own. Words are highlighted as the narrator reads them in the read-along version. The books are nicely done – colorful, cutely illustrated, and age-appropriate.

Check out these two great opportunities to access FREE e-books and encourage daily reading. 🙂

MeeGenius! Kids' Books - MeeGenius!

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Spelling Star

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spelling star

FREE for  limited time – Spelling Star, an educational app for practicing spelling lists. The app is simple to use – just type in and record the words. You may also include sentences to clarify the words’ meanings. Kids must spell each word correctly three times to become a Spelling Star.  Words are presented in random order. As kids practice, they can get a hint – a quick look at the word spelled correctly. When they spell a word without a hint, they earn a star. Spelling Star provides feedback after each word is spelled with the option to “try again” when an error is made. This educational app is great for home and/or school. Parents can use it to input spelling lists for multiple kids. Kids may enjoy inputting their own lists at the beginning of the week which would be GREAT practice! Teachers can create lists on one device and share those lists with anyone who has the Spelling Star app. Simple to use, effective, and tracks progress – what more do you need? 🙂

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spelling-star/id557070660?mt=8&uo=4