7 Powerful iPad Literacy Apps for Children
Guest Post by: Joan Selby
Both parents and teachers encounter a point when
reading seems to be a child’s greatest enemy. Children of all ages are
disinterested in reading, any kind of literature, especially with all the
technology that’s surrounding us. There always seems to be something more fun
on the iPhone then in the classroom. Who could blame them? Before they even
start walking, children know how to use iPads and iPhones, and books become
irrelevant.
According to Daniel Stevens, a professional
writer for BestEssays ‘’It’s not just children. Students
aren’t very fond of reading at all, making them drop out of their schools and
limit their academic achievements.’’
Here’s an idea. Instead of trying to
avoid technology in your classroom altogether, try working with it. iPhones
aren’t just for fun and social media, they can also be used for learning. In
fact, a large majority of schools have implemented the use of computers and
tablets in the classroom. By using downloadable applications they merge the best
of both worlds for children – technology and fun while making it a fun learning
process.
As teachers, we have to get on board with the
technological advances and help the children establish a learning pattern
through the means they are used to the most – iPhones, iPads and apps. Below you will
find some of my favourite ones, simple and easy to use in the classroom.
Want to reach into your children’s brains and help them pull out every ounce of their imagination? The FriendStrip Kids is an app developed by professional comic artists, and it’s designed to bring out the storyteller in children. The children are able to take photos through their phones and form stories around the photos they take. Why settle for a typical essay or a writing task, when you can make it fun and interactive?
Introduce word learning games in the classroom through an app that never gets boring. The app includes six different games, like bingo and memory games, and it is suitable for children of different ages. It’s adjustable so you can choose male or female voiceovers for the spoken instructions that ease the kids in into using the app.
Ideal for children aged 3-7; this app encourages reading, without you as a teacher having to force the reading upon them. The Reading Raven allows children to take one step at a time and take their own pace, and move on with reading exercises once they are ready for it. Other perks of this app is that it comes with games, which children obviously adore.
This app is ideal for teaching reading, and not
just in English. It also has options for teaching reading in Chinese, French,
Vietnamese and Spanish. Stay tuned for more languages that the app developers
have announced! Also, it’s one of the most popular learning apps when it comes
to reading, which speaks a lot about its success in the classroom.
Phonics is very popular in today’s classrooms to
teach children the alphabet, and the number of apps available to aid you in
that task is on the rise. Marbleminds Phonics focuses on the sounds, instead of
the letters themselves, by developing understanding of the each sound. If
you’re just getting started with the alphabet and want to teach your kids in
the classroom the basics, this is a great app to do so.
Medieval Math Battle
The Montessori method has been applied to this
app so that you can teach reading, writing and spelling, and still have fun
with the kids at the same time. It caters to parents as much as it does to
teachers, as parents can easily export reports on the child’s progress. It
consists of 320 puzzles, and kids can easily tap the screen to hear the words.
Teaching the
basics can sometimes be a very frustrating task, especially if you don’t
utilize the power of technology that’s right in front of you. Combine your
teaching powers with a medium that interests children, and helps them make a
little room in their hearts for learning.
