Smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices used to be considered as distractions for learning. However, things are different now. Nowadays, they have become a place where students are having classes and communicating with their teachers and classmates; a very useful tool that benefits learning in a more interactive and effective way.
E-learning is an irresistible trend, and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this process. During the school closing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, you, as a parent, have to arrange your kids’ learning from home. Thus, what kind of educational apps you should choose or even pay for has become an issue you’d better think about seriously. In this article we thoughtfully selected some educational apps with different purposes for kids of all ages, with hope that it would help you in this special situation.
Google Classroom is essentially a virtual classroom. Think about what students do in a real classroom: having classes, talking to teachers and classmates, submitting assignments, etc. Google Classroom offers a platform to realize all these virtually.
To use Google Classroom is quite simple. Teachers set up a virtual classroom and get a code to share with their students. Students can join a classroom by entering the code.
Cost: free.
Classdojo offers a school communication platform that teachers, students, and families use every day to build close-knit communities by sharing what's being learned in the classroom home through photos, videos, and messages. It is adopted in 95% of pre-kindergarten through eighth grade schools in the United States, as well as in further 180 countries.
Cost: free.
Similarly, Remind also offers a solution for students, teachers and parents to stay connected with each other. You can join this school community by entering a unique school or class code.
Cost: free.
ABCmouse offers learning programs which include reading, math, art, music, and more for kids ages 2 to 8. Your kids can learn through using these learning programs, while having fun and staying occupied.
Cost: regularly a subscription costs $9.95/month ($79.99/year). During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a 30-day free trial which gives you access to all its programming. You can at first try out ABCmouse and then decide whether you’d like to pay for the subscription.
Epic! is a digital library for kids under 12. Its content includes more than 40,000 high-quality books for kids, learning videos, reading quizzes. Epic! is the best tool to help your kids nurture a love for reading and learning.
Cost: regularly a subscription costs $7.99/month. Epic! also provides a 30-day free trial.
Khan Academy Kids is a learning program designed for kids between the ages of 2 and 7. It provides courses for all core subjects, including early literacy, reading, writing, language, and math. Its ultimate aim is to inspire a long lasting desire and love for learning and discovery.
Cost: free.
Duolingo is a learning platform especially for foreign language learners. It covers main languages like English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Latin, etc. The process of learning a new language could be quite challenging and boring. That’s exactly why many turn to Duolingo. Duolingo offers multiple interactive methods, including pictures, games, to maintain focus and interest for language learning.
Cost: free but with ads. An ad-free version is also available for $9.99/month.
Photomath specializes in mathematical learning. If mathematics happens to be a puzzling subject for your kids, then Photomath is the right choice, which helps your kids learn to solve complex math problems easily and efficiently.
The way to use Photomath is quite simple. Just upload a picture of the question, Photomath will recognize the question automatically and give you detailed step by step explanations and instructions.
Cost: Photomath is free to use. But you can also upgrade Photomath to Photomath Plus using a paid subscription for more exclusive content. Good news: during the COVID-19 pandemic, Photomath Plus is free for everyone through May 31, 2020. What are you still waiting for?
Quizlet provides several study modes such as learn, flashcards, write, test and match, etc. Here we want to emphasize the mode “flashcards”, which is one of the most mentionable features of Quizlet. Flashcards benefit learners by promoting the so-called “active recall”. Beside millions of readymade flashcards, users can also create their own flashcards and share them with others.
Cost: Quizlet is free to use. But you can also upgrade Quizlet to Quizlet Plus using a paid subscription for $1.99/month ($23.88/year). There is a 7-day free trial. Be careful, your account will be charged $23.88 for a one-year subscription when free trial ends.
Kahoot! mainly uses interactive quizzes for learning and is thus especially ideal for those who prefer learning with quizzes. Kahoot! already has a lot of readymade quizzes on any topic. Users can also create their own quizzes and invite their friends to compete with them.
Cost: Kahoot! is free to use. If you wish more, you can use Kahoot! Plus for $9.95/month/user (annual subscription) or $14.95/month/user (month-to-month subscription).
