Five Apps for Elementary Classrooms
Why use apps?
Rainbow Sentences
This app could easily be used to do learning station in Language Arts. This app on an iPad could be one of the stations in a grade one classroom since it does not require much (if any) teacher scaffolding. Students who are English Second Language (ESL) would benefit from this app as well.
(Source: http://www.education.com/slideshow/ipad-apps-elementary-school/rainbow-sentences/)
Five Apps for Elementary Classrooms
Socrative
This app provides the teacher the opportunity for immediate student feedback which means it is a perfect tool to use for formative assessment. A teacher could use this app during a lecture-style lesson that is introducing students to new material (so the teacher can figure out what the students already know and what they need to learn) or could be used right before a test so students can know where they need extra studying and what areas they are competent in.
(Source: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/50-fab-apps-teachers)
Brainzy
"This game program for kids 3 to 7 is an excellent choice for parents who want to encourage good math and reading skills from a young age. With over 300 games and 30 essential skills covered, Brainzy is the perfect computer and iPad program for kids in preschool to first grade. Kids learn about each math and reading skill through a teaching video, song, or read-along story before practicing through arcade-like learning games."
This app is perfect for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. Since the app introduces new math and reading skills with a video, song, or read-along story, the student is taught the lesson, and is then given the opportunity to play a game that will utilize the new skill. This is a great app to use for English Second Language (ESL) learners, as a station in Mathematics or Language Arts.
(Source: http://www.education.com/slideshow/ipad-apps-elementary-school/brainzy-app-kids/)
Awesome Upstander!
"Bullying is a sensitive subject and can be tricky to navigate; however, this app successfully gets their anti-bullying message across while remaining engaging and fun—it's not too preachy or too complex for third-graders. The main idea is simple—kids are asked to run, leap and dash around the school to save their friends from a mean-spirited bully."
This app is a great way to have students start the anti-bullying conversation. Bullying and cyberbullying is a huge issue in schools across Canada and teachers are encouraged to talk to their students about what bullying is, what we can do about it, and what a bystander is. This game is a fun way to have kids learn about bullying, and what to do about it. Having your class play this game and then having a think, pair, share activity to have them discuss what they understood.
(Source: http://www.education.com/slideshow/ipad-apps-elementary-school/awesome-upstander/)
Toontastic
"Storytelling is a tried-and-true way of sparking creativity and building an understanding of story elements such as set-up, conflict, challenge, climax and resolution. With Toontastic, kids are presented a detailed explanation of what makes a good story using a step-by-step guide to create cartoons."
This is the perfect app to use instead of pen and paper for story writing in young students. The app builds the story based on the major elements (set-up, conflict, challenge, climax, and resolution) of a story. This could be used instead of a worksheet. Since it uses cartoons, it also makes story-writing more accessible for visual learners or students with difficulty writing because of fine motor, or development issues.
(Source: http://www.education.com/slideshow/ipad-apps-elementary-school/toontastic/)