Especially for kids with learning differences, technology offers an effective alternative to traditional learning and its challenges. In the spirit of helping parents find the most useful applications for their children, Kids Enabled will highlight several apps that complement our monthly theme/diagnosis. Our resident technology expert, Ann Leverette (at4learning.com), recommends the apps below to help kids build reading skills. Costs will vary, but many companies offer free versions.
Apps in My Pocket: appsinmypocket.com ABC Pocket Phonics
- For iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
- Ages preschool to 7 year
- PocketPhonics uses animated graphics, sound and touch to teach children their letter sounds, how to write their letters, and how to “blend” letter sounds together to make words.
- The free “lite” version contains the first six letter sounds, but apart from that it’s fully featured.
Grasshopper Apps: grasshopperapps.com Little Reader Series
- Contains over 70 words in each of the three and four letter apps
- Customizable so you can add your own words and audio
Alligator Apps: alligatorapps.com
- Library of apps include flashcard features, memory cards, learn to read games, and mor
Reading Comprehension Level I – by Angela Reed:
Twenty short passages with comprehension questions after each.
Mobile Education Tools: http://mobile-educationstore.com/ipad-apps
These are being used by educators to help kids who are struggling with syntax or narrative skills, healthcare professionals working with special needs children, teachers in ESL classrooms and parents of kids who just need a bit of extra help. All the apps engage the visual, audio and tactile senses, helping students learn faster and retain what they’ve learned.
Preschool University: preschoolu.com
All of these programs use Accelerated Learning Techniques and Montessori principles. The website is under construction, but still contains important information about each app.
Apple’s Tools for reading: apple.com/accessibility
With updates, iPad software accessibility features allow users to read any text, which can then be selected to be read aloud. For older students, iBooks has numerous books and textbooks available, as well as the ability to import .pdf files.
And there’s more! The Kids Enabled staff found a couple of great lists below that offer parents even more apps.
Reading Comprehension: readingrockets.org
Structured as a slide show, this site highlights 12 comprehension apps for readers in all grades. A skill level, price, and age level is given for each app. These apps provide practice with specific comprehension skills, including sequencing, differentiating between fact and opinion, developing word awareness (through antonyms, synonyms, and homophones), as well as several mind mapping apps. Mind maps are visual diagrams that help students represent words or ideas and can be used in reading and writing. Apps include:
- Aesop’s Quest, based on Aesop’s Fables, is a learning game where the student must remember elements of a story to complete a level. At the end of each story segment or level, the student is rewarded with puzzle pieces.
- The Opposites app helps children learn vocabulary and the corresponding antonyms by challenging them to match up pairs of opposing words in increasingly difficult levels.
- In Same Meaning Magic students help Luna and Leo, young magicians at magic school, toss word stones into the wishing well to earn gold coins and jewels by choosing the best synonym.
- Speech with Milo: Sequencingis a sequencing and storytelling game. Slide the three picture cards into correct order (first, next, and last), then watch the story come to life.
General Reading Apps: athome.readinghorizons.com
A general list including some of the most popular apps to teach reading skills
- WordUs2. A fun word game that is part word ladder and part mastermind. The quick start game has you guessing a 5 letter word, but go into select-game mode and you can set the options for words as small as 3 letter words. Also in game mode, you can play Calm and Collected where you guess the word in your own time.
- SUPER WHY! – PBS KIDS. This app follows along the same lines as the PBS kids show, entertaining and educating young kids about words and reading. With 4 different games within the app, there’s everything from tracing letters to picking the best word to finish a sentence.
- LetterWriter Oceans. An imaginative app that will teach your preschooler how to write letters. The letters float below the ocean’s surface, and when your child taps on a letter, the guides for the letter strokes appear. A small fish will swim to the beginning of a stroke; this is where your child should place their finger. Now, they need to follow the stroke directions and write the letter on the screen. The little fish will follow their finger as long as they are writing correctly.
- GEOWALK – 3D WORLD FACTBOOK. GeoWalk provides a trip around the globe where your child can learn about different landmarks, historical figures and animals. As they spin the globe on the screen, dots will appear, scattered about in different locations. Depending on the category that your child has selected, the dots will represent places, people, flora or fauna. Your child can then tap on the dot to pull up a larger picture and facts about their selection.
These are just a few of the learning/reading apps that are available. In upcoming articles, Kids Enabled will highlight more apps that can help turn the technology in your house (and car and at school) into a great teaching tool!
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I love this! Thanks for the great information!
Comment by Beth — February 15, 2012 #