FREE for the iPhone/iPad, Goodnight Safari is a sweet bedtime story. Kids (ages 2-4) help the animals of the savannah complete their evening activities in 7 interactive scenes – a giraffe eating dinner, a monkey climbing into bed, a hippo taking a bath, etc. Optional counting & color activities are available as an in-app purchase. Very sweet story for a peaceful end to your child’s day. 🙂
Recommended!
FREE again – Three Little Pigs – A Play for the iPhone/iPad for kids 4+. An updated version of the 3 Little Pigs is presented as a play starring Mitch, Clara, Ran, and Clarence Bear. The book is brightly illustrated and the characters respond when they are tapped. The background music and narration are nicely done. The book can also be read alone. The story generally follows the traditional tale – the first pig builds a house from straw, the second pig builds a house of sticks, and the third pig builds a house of bricks. All of the pigs get away (rather than the first 2 being eaten) and wolf runs away yelping in pain. The first 2 pigs learn the lesson: Take your time and do your best. The story ends with the first 2 pigs starting to rebuild their houses in the spring – this time with bricks, of course!
In my classroom I used different versions of the same fairy tale/folk tale for studying story elements as well as comparing & contrasting. This would be a good version to compare with the traditional tale of the Three Little Pigs since its setting is in modern times. Kids can look for evidence to prove that the story takes place in current times. They could also use Venn diagrams to compare the traditional tale to this version or other versions that they have read. This app could be used to reinforce several comprehension skills.
Recommended!
Happy Birthday, Reading Rainbow – 31 years old today, June 6, 2014!!
Reading Rainbow is a library of over 200 books and videos for kids ages 3 – 9. This educational app is FREE to download but requires a subscription ($9.99 per month or $29.99 for 6 months) for full access. Once you subscribe, your children (up to 5 per family) will have unlimited access to the interactive books and video trips. This app is similar to the award-winning Reading Rainbow television series that was on PBS from 1983 – 2006. It even features the same host – Grammy winner, LeVar Burton. In less than a year, over 2.5 million books/video field trips have been viewed with this app!
After installing the app, kids fill out their profile (name, age, kinds of stories they like to read) and may choose one free book from one of the 6 themed island in the sky. The books are professionally read and feature “Read to Me” or “Read on My Own” options. They are lightly animated and include interactive activities that add to the story. A sticker rewards program motivates kids to read. There is also an individualized tracking system so parents can see books selected and minutes read for each child.
I must admit, I downloaded this app because of nostalgia. My kids grew up watching Reading Rainbow and we all loved it.I am happy to say that the appeal of Reading Rainbow today is the same as it was almost 30 years ago – Reading Rainbow provides kids with quality authentic literature. If I had a child/ grandchild (ages 3-9) or if I were still in the classroom, I would subscribe without hesitation. What a fabulous resource!
Highly Recommended!
From the primary literacy specialists at Collins Education comes Collins Big Cat Story Creator apps and they are currently FREE for the iPad. Collins Big Cat is a reading series used by over 9000 schools in The United Kingdom. Titles included are: Playing Story Creator/Around the World/ Farmer’s Lunch/ In the Garden/ It Was a Cold,Dark Night/ My Bike Ride/ The Steam Train/At the Dump. These 8 apps normally sell for $3.99 each so take advantage of this great offer if you have young readers/writers in your life.
These educational apps, geared towards children ages 4+ or 5+, include an animated story (with hidden surprises on every page) and a story creator. The story creator allows the child to transfer what they just read into writing. Children can create their own story using the scenes, characters, etc. from the book. There is also the option to record the child’s newly created story. Nicely done for young readers/writers!! These apps were the winner of the BETT 2013 Primary Digital Content Award.
Highly recommended!
Playing Story Creator
Around the World
The Farmer’s Lunch
In the Garden
It Was a Cold, Dark Night
My Bike Ride
The Steam Train
At the Dump
FREE for a limited time – Little Red Riding Hood and The Ugly Duckling, interactive versions of two classic tales. Kidztory apps can be read in two modes – read to me or read by myself. The artwork is very appealing – simple, bright, & colorful. LIttle Red Riding Hood is narrated by a child with no grandmas or wolves harmed in this version of the tale. As kids read along they will enjoy finding the cute animations and sounds on every page. And, every Kidztory storybook app shares a gentle lesson for life. Add these two classics to your digital library today – you won’t be sorry!
Download links:
Little Red Riding Hood: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/little-red-riding-hood-kidztory/id444927406?mt=8&uo=4
Ugly Duckling: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ugly-duckling-kidztory-animated/id425599237?mt=8&uo=4
FREE again for a limited time, Everything Has a Home by Azawhistle Kids is the story of two friends who tackle the problem of a very messy room. Narrated by David Dayan Fisher, it is the story of Tejas who wants to clean up his room and surprise his mom. But… he is overwhelmed by the magnitude of the mess that “someone” has created. His best friend, Lollipop, helps him to organize his environment. Kids lend a hand as they place interactive objects in the correct place. Tejas and Lollipop use yoga & meditation as they inspire kids to tidy up.
Get ready for summer…
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 Grand Canyon
FREE again for a limited time – Leonard, a fun interactive story about a young boy with an excellent imagination. When Leonard’s family moves from the city to the country, he is met with the challenge of finding new friends. He searches everywhere – a bug-filled forest, underwater, outer space, a safari, even his sister’s tea party. Kids join Leonard on his problem-solving adventure and encounter interactive surprises along the way. The story has 2 reading modes: read it myself or read it to me. Leonard is a beautifully illustrated, sweet story that your kids are sure to enjoy!
Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/leonard/id508815860?mt=8&uo=4
Did you know that hippo’s lips are about two feet wide? Get ready to learn all sorts of wacky facts with this app. Just updated and FREE – Weird But True, an e-book from National Geographic Kids. Over 625 kid-friendly, wacky facts are presented in a fun & interactive way. Kids can swipe to move from fact to fact or shake their device to generate a random fact. Sound effects and surprises add to the fun! There is a fact finder which kids can use to locates facts by subject – animals, weather, space, etc. The app also includes a “Weird-O-Meter” which kids can use to rate the level of weirdness for each fact. Additional fact packs are available as in-app purchases – $.99 each. This app won the Spring 2012 Parents’ Choice Award and was chosen as New & Noteworthy, What’s Hot, & Staff Favorites by Apple. Kids will LOVE this app. 🙂
Highly recommended!
FREE for a limited time – Gorilla Band 3D, an adorable storybook app from the developers of Ten Giggly Gorillas. Kids enter a 3D jungle to interact with cute gorillas and learn about instruments in this musical tale about the formation of the Gorilla Band of Miss McCann. The story, told in rhyme, has “read to me” or “read myself” options. Readers play an active role as the tale unfolds. Every gorilla on every page has something to say. The more kids tap, the more the gorillas yap! Little ones will be delighted. The developers included 2 original soundtracks – 1 upbeat and 1 for bedtime. After reading the story, kids can enter the studio section to identify instruments by sound and name. There is also a link to the Gorilla Band Dance on You Tube for kids & parents to watch together. The link has to be held down for 3 seconds to prevent kids getting to You Tube on their own. Gorilla Band is loaded with kid-appeal. It’s no wonder that it was listed as New & Noteworthy by Apple.
Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gorilla-band-3d-story-book/id662788357?mt=8&uo=4
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