Jul 9, 2015 by Yolanda Fontanez-Coleman | Reading, Science, Technology
If your child had to choose between reading a book or playing on their electronic devices, what would they choose? Nowadays more and more children choose to put down books to play video games. It is our job as parents to help promote literacy and make it engaging for our children. Luckily, there are many apps designed to promote literacy and make learning fun all at the same time. Here are some recommended apps that are geared for kids ages 3 through 12 years.
Reading Raven:
Reading Raven is an educational app that uses an easy interface for parents and children to use. The app is programmed to help improve the reading skills of children ages 3-7, and does so through voice-over instructions and mini-games.
ABC Spy:
ABC Spy is an app designed for children in grades 4-6. This app is great for children interaction because it allows the child to take photos of anything that relates to that specific letter in the alphabet. Children can also choose the photo’s frame and gets to name it. With all the photos, the child can put it into a movie and share it with the rest of the family.
Crack The Books:
Crack The Books Interactive Science Books combine literacy growth with child interaction through science books. Crack The Books cover a variety of topics, including earth habitats, geography, weather, physics, human body, US government, explorers, US history, US states and the solar system. The reading levels are adjustable from 1st- 8th grade curriculums. The app includes images and videos for readers and also maps. There are also built in tests/quizzes in order to track the child’s growth.
Super Why! – PBS Kids:
Super Why!- PBS Kids is designed for children 3-6 years old and allows them to read along with the actual PBS Kids show, which is both entertaining and educational. There are 4 different games for the children to play. The app also allows children to do everything from tracing letters to choosing the best word to finish a sentence.
Knowji Vocab 7-10:
Knowji Vocab 7-10 is an app designed for students in grades 7-10. The primary focus is to develop vocabulary skills. This program is a wonderful tool to help students increase their overall vocabulary as well as help them prepare for high stakes entrance exams such as ACT and SAT.
What apps would you recommend that promote literacy and keep kids engaged?