One of the best things I learned from being an educator is to be humble in the presence of technology. According to one of my mentors, we cannot deny that children can better understand a topic through a five-minute video or an interactive game than they would from a teacher’s one-hour lecture.
Because of their accessibility, learning apps are efficient in monitoring a child’s progress in learning a skill. Kids can also learn literally anytime and anywhere!
If you’re looking for an app that kids will love and enjoy while they learn the knowledge and skills needed in school and beyond, here is a list of some of the best!
Learning a language is ineffective with plain memorization, but with a game, it can be twice or thrice as fun! Duolingo has 43 languages to choose from, with top “enrollees” for Spanish, French, Japanese, German, and Korean. There are badges to reward a player’s hard work and a periodic update of who’s in the lead for some friendly competition!
Kids learn concepts better in context. This is why “tapping the first in line,” “choosing the animal that makes that sound,” or “determining who wears a blue hat” are great learning opportunities for kids who are otherwise just passing time! Khan Academy Kids allows its users to create a profile, participate in an adventure, and learn math, reading, and writing along the way! Songs and quizzes enhance the kids’ focus and enjoyment of their own learning adventures.
Writing is a skill that takes time for kids to learn. Spelling, grammar, and word forms can even make the whole process taxing for them! Kids will have fun writing stories with an app like Night Zookeeper, as it also involves them in their own adventures! Every adventure will have them earn skill points, collect orbs, and battles where they can win, which are worthy targets to have alongside polishing their writing.
Like a teacher, this app provides a starting point for students who are not sure where to start, leads them step by step in playing a song, listens and corrects them as they play, and cheers for them when they complete courses! This app is a great supplement for learning the instrument. Although the app’s name suggests that it’s exclusively for playing the piano, it also offers guitar, singing, and drawing lessons, not only for an individual but also for the entire family! Every member of the family can track their progress, so this is a good challenge and bonding activity for the family as well!
YouTube with parental controls? Yes, please! This app filters shows, music, and learning according to the indicated age of kids, allows for a “secret code” so nobody else uses your kids’ profile, and has an easy search history button for parents’ easier monitoring. With the repertoire of videos on YouTube minus the stress of exposure to unwanted videos, parents will have peace of mind letting their kids use this app for learning different skills.
If your kids have some tough questions for you, TED can help you give them compelling responses in the form of recorded speeches from experts. Podcasts that shed light on different topics that can be tackled in school such as artificial intelligence, extreme weather conditions, and sustainability are also offered in this app. Older kids will benefit from this more, but TED-Ed, educational videos with a more kid-friendly format are available on this platform, too!
What apps for learning are your kids using? Share them with us in the comments below!