If you have small children, one of your primary tasks is to find ways to keep them occupied when you have important business to do or during long trips in the car. During these times, a tablet is a useful tool to entertain and educate the kids so they will not encroach on that precious downtime.
Here are some of the best educational apps currently on the market that will keep your little ones engaged for hours:
- Social Quest by Smarty Ears
In addition to parents, teachers and speech therapists can also employ this app as a learning tool. The app is centered on building knowledge about different environments. The child’s photo or avatar enters a room that teaches the child a different lesson. The child answers questions that deemed expressive or receptive. For example, in the bathroom, children are taught what items they should never touch, how to tell their parents that they want a haircut and the importance of sharing.
Concepts are reinforced and the experience is made more real by the inclusion of actual photographs of environments the child will encounter. A castle, the mall, the supermarket, the doctor’s office, the neighborhood, a restaurant and a movie theater are some of the environments that are available. Each location teaches specific lessons that pertain to it. The app can be used by up to four children at one time.
Download here.
- Reading Raven by Early Ascent
This app was created by a parent who was concerned about the early learning experiences of his child. Scott White wasn’t thrilled with the reading apps that were available to teach his five-year-old son how to read, so in response he created one of his own. It is a phonics-based app; however, unlike other apps that teach children how to read, this app is specially designed to start children with foundational pre-reading and reading skills.
Then it will slowly build up to reading sentences. Finally, the child will be reading very short stories. This app is designed for children ages 3-7.
Download here.
- Geography Drive USA by Spinlight Studio
Unlike many other geography apps on the market, this app does not force the child to memorize facts and study boring maps; instead the child embarks on their own cross-country road trip. Children will be able to learn geography in a way that is both exciting and fun. There is a section called the visitor’s center that contains information about each of the states. There are three questions to answer for each state.
The child gains money and fuel by answering additional questions, slowly making their virtual journey across the United States. Every state can be tried multiple times, with questions that have varying levels of difficulty. Questions focus on both historical and current events.
Download here.
- Letter School by Boreaal
This app is designed to help children practice and implement fine motor skills. It also aids in begining the process of creating a strong foundation for math and reading skills. Children are kept engaged for long periods of time because of the variety of surprises that this app has for every upper and lower case letter, as well as a variety of numbers. Children will tap, trace and eventually write the letters to life.
Download here.
- Tense Builder by Mobile Education Store
Teaching children the various tenses of words can be difficult to explain. This is because the concept of tenses is very abstract. Irregular verbs that do not follow traditional rules of tenses only make things more difficult. This app has turned what used to be a difficult task for teachers into a fun and engaging learning experience for children.
Download here.
- Ansel & Clair: Paul Revere’s Ride by Cognitive Kid
The folks at Cognitive Kid have done it again. One of the most difficult subjects to keep children interested in is history. We have all seen children’s eyes glaze over at the first mention of history. However, this app turns learning history into fun games that will keep children busy. Using stunning visuals and amazing animations, the app succeeds in bringing history to life for the child. It is designed for children in kindergarten to sixth grade.
Download here.
These educational apps will all prepare your child for a bright future in the world of education. By teaching them at an early age to associate technology and knowledge in their lives, they will be better fit to use
innovations as tools for education
rather than merely as modes of
entertainment.
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Alex Faubel enjoys writing about topics related to business and technology in
career-focused education programs.