Engaging & Educational Applications for Children
Learning A-Z provides literacy resources for teachers, children, and parents. Users can access more than 1500 ebooks at 29 different reading levels. Many classrooms have levelled book bins with about 15 books in each bin. A lack of options can discourage children from wanting to read, therefore having a variety of levelled books can lead children to discover new literature. The program also includes lesson plans, worksheets, and quizzes for every levelled book. Teachers and parents can track and assess children's progress, as well as leave notes of encouragement. Since this is a digital resource, it can be used 24/7, making it perfect for parents that are homeschooling. Learning A-Z also has an app that specializes in science for children in kindergarten to grade six. The app provides literature, activities, and lesson plans that specifically focus on science curriculum, The only downfall to this app is that it's not free. Most of their packages are priced at $80- $150.
Seesaw is an app that everyone can use; children, teachers, and parents. On Seesaw, children are able to document, share, and revisit their own work, in class or outside of school. They are able to log on anywhere, and can share photos, videos, links, notes, etc. with other classmates, parents, or teachers that are connected. Think of it as an educational, appropriate version of Facebook. Users can like/comment on shared posts. It is such a great way to share information with each other. This app can encourage ongoing learning; children can revisit concepts they've learned at school, when they are outside of the classroom.
Splice is an app that sparks creativity. This app allows users to capture and edit videos, using smartphones, iPads, tablets, etc. Users can trim videos, add titles, transitions, and music, and record their own audio. This might seem a little advanced for young children, but I have seen grade one students using it to document and explain their work. Once they have completed their video, they can upload it to Seesaw to share it with others who are connected.
