School Skill Building for Kids

Sum m er School iPhone Apps , iPad Apps and Website s for Summer Skill B uilding

By Kimberly Carroll

{ To purchase apps, click on the url to connect to the app store or website }

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PRESCHOOL basics

a dva n c e d

Fish School HD Learn letters, numbers and shapes, matching and differences all while playing with these adorable fish. $1.99 iPad, http://bit.ly/fishschool

Telling Time: Jungle Time Help the under 7 set learn to tell time with 5 levels of difficulty. Tutorials help introduce concepts like half-past and quarter-to. $0.99 iPhone, http://bit.ly/timejungle $2.99 iPad, http://bit.ly/timejungle2

Build A Zoo Spelling, memory and matching games with a kid-appealing animal theme that also works fine motor skills. [+] $1.99, http://bit.ly/buildazoo

Cash Cow: Learn To Count Money Simple but lots of fun for little ones learning about money. Relaxed and challenge modes work for both new learners and drills. iPad version has extended functionality including link with the game center. $1.99 iPhone, http://bit.ly/cowcash1 $4.99 iPad Deluxe, http://bit.ly/cowcash2

Color and Draw HD 4 apps in one: letter tracing, coloring book, sketch pad and photo decorator with virtual stickers. $0.99 iPad, http://bit.ly/colordraw

Teach Me: Kindergarten Covering four Kindergarten-appropriate lessons, this app teaches addition, subtraction and spelling. Kids earn virtual coins for correct answers to get virtual stickers in the game.

Parental control over skill level creates a finetuned experience. [+] $0.99, http://bit.ly/teachk1

PianoBall Encourage kids to explore sounds, melodies and colors while developing creative, cognitive and motor skills. Learn a few instruments and their sounds as well as how to play 5 children’s songs. $1.99 iPhone only, http://bit.ly/pianoball

iLearnWith Poko : Seasons and Weather!

Learn about seasons, weather, how to dress for the weather, days of the week and months of the year. 3 levels of increasing difficulty. $1.99 iPhone, http://bit.ly/learnweather1 $2.99 iPad, http://bit.ly/learnweather2

Speech with Milo: Sequencing Designed by a speech-language pathologist to help children develop sequencing and storytelling skills, this app also works on time concepts such as first, next and last, and developing complex sentences. [+] $1.99, http://bit.ly/speechmilo

Highlights Hidden Pictures Remember Highlights magazine? The Hidden Pictures apps recapture the magic of the popular magazine game. Kids seek out designed objects, working on vocabulary in a fun way. $1.99 iPhone, http://bit.ly/hiddenpic

ABC Clouds: Tracing Letters A robust app for learning letters, recognizing words, and letter tracing. Great for the word-curious or those already in the process of learning to write. $0.99 iPhone, http://bit.ly/abccloud1 $1.99 iPad, http://bit.ly/abccloud2

Chinese for Munchkins The kiddos around our house are crazy for foreign languages, and delight in learning new words. This content-light app is adorably illustrated and is a fun parent-child activity, too. $1.99 iPhone, http://bit.ly/chinesem Lite Version (Free), http://bit.ly/chinesem2

[+] Apps marked with this symbol are universal, meaning they will work on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch

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MATH SKILLS on the web Scholastic The Scholastic site has a lot of content to choose from, but the navigation is tedious, so be prepared. Two math games that passed the kid-test were Dude’s Dilemma and Around the World.

Arithmetic: Dude’s Dilemma Use addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division skills to save Dude the dog. http://www.missmaggie.org/scholastic/dilemma_ eng_launcher.html

o n t h e i p h o n e & i pa d Math Bingo Combine correct math answers with a bingo board and you get Math Bingo. Practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division skills at 3 different skill levels. The scoreboard could spark a little friendly family competition! [+] $0.99, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ math-bingo/id371338715?mt=8

Arithmetic: Around the World in 80 Seconds Quick addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division tasks to help Maggie fly around the world. Two levels to choose from, and a chance to keep besting your last score. http://www.missmaggie. org/scholastic/roundtheworld_eng_launcher.html

Multiplication.com This site houses more than 15 games supporting different levels of multiplication skills. Each game lets you choose the factors you’d like to practice and the themes are varied enough to keep up interest, such as racing babies in walkers, ye olde town farming and sketch world adventures. http://multiplication.com/interactive_games.htm

Math Board This app is spendier than others in the category, but its wide age appeal (4-13) means it works for several kids. The familiar chalkboard interface is beautifully illustrated. Practice drills, customized quizzes, and many personal control options. $4.99 iPad, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ mathboard/id373909837?mt=8

Academic Skills Builders The Arcademic site is also filled with learning games that cover 11 academic categories. One standout game in the Math category is Penguin Jump Multiplication. Play in single or multi-player mode, helping your penguin jump to the ice float with the correct answer and racing to the finish line. http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/games/penguin-jump/ penguin-jump.html

MathGirl Number Garden A speed counting game for younger girls who love flowers, gardens and all things pastel. Earn stars for speed and accuracy, used to “purchase” décor items for your garden. $1.99 iPhone, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ mathgirl-number-garden/id379873064?mt=8

Exploratorium.edu Mission not-so-impossible: have fun with geometry. This site houses downloadable lessons, activities and ideas including a geometry scavenger hunt and a trick for shrinking anyone into tiny pants. Lessons available for K-8. We’re already thinking up new ways to use the tiny pants trick. http://www.exploratorium.edu/geometryplayground/resources.php

Chisenbop This is a cool counting game using the Chisenbop Method, similar to abacus counting. Place your hands on the iPad and bob your answers with your fingers. Designed by a parent to teach her elementary school kids. iPad only.

Free iPad, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ chisenbop/id429339367?mt=8

*Tech Mama says: Send us your tiny pants pictures! info@makeitbetter.net

[+] Apps marked with this symbol are universal, meaning they will work on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch

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geogr aphy skill s on the web

o n t h e i p h o n e & i pa d

Sheppard Software Learn continents, countries, capitals and landscapes with this large selection of onine games. Start by choosing which region of the world you’d like to explore, then choose a type and difficulty. http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.htm

123 World Geography Both a guided coloring exercise and a great introduction to geography. Color a wide range of maps, save or share your colorful creations with friends. Built in demo explains the app well. $1.99 iPad, http://itunes.apple.com/us/ app/123-world-geography-hd-coloring/id370436504?mt=8

Lizard Point This collection of geo quizzes is basic but useful. Choose your quiz from the list, and the interactive quiz starts right away. Clues and tips can be accessed when you’re stuck and a short report card is generated at the end. http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/

Ansel & Clair’s Adventures in Africa An educational adventure game that teaches kids about three major regions of Africa: The Nile, The Sahara Desert, and The Serengeti.

Learn the ecosystems, animals, nature and cultural elements in an interactive story about Ansel (the alien) and his pal Clair (the robot). Ansel’s curiosity often gets him into trouble, but also gives rise to good questions about Africa.

As kids explore, they help gather lost space ship parts that were scattered over Africa when they arrived. $4.99 iPad,http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ansel-clairs-adventures-in/id433593765?mt=8

Geography Games Flags, national anthems, famous explorers, photo-hunt and even the solar system are topics on this geo-focused game site. http://geographygames24.com/

Britannica Kids: Rainforests An accessible reference guide for information about the world’s rain forests, including rain forest ecosystems; the animals, plants and people who live there; and environmental threats and challenges. In addition to text, photos, and videos there are also a handful of rain forest-themed interactive games including a quiz, jigsaw puzzles, and memory match. [+] $4.99, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/britannica-kids-rainforests/id419396614?mt=8

Playfish Geo Challenge Geo Challenge takes you on a tour around the world as you put your geography knowledge to the test! Connect up to facebook and see which of your friends knows the most countries, flags and cities of the world, get your own Geo Challenge ranking, collect trophies and compare high scores! http://www.playfish.com/?page=game_geochallenge

Google Earth Hold the world in the palm of your hand. With Google Earth you can fly to far corners of the planet with just the swipe of a finger; think of any world wonder and access it in seconds with the same global satellite and aerial imagery available in the desktop version of Google Earth. High-resolution imagery available for over half of the world’s population and a third of the world’s landmass.

With Google Earth, you can: • Show the Panoramio layer and browse the millions of geo-located photos from around the world • View geo-located Wikipedia articles • Use the Location feature to fly to your current location • Search for cities, places, and business around the globe with Google Local Search [+] Free, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-earth/ id293622097?mt=8#

[+] Apps marked with this symbol are universal, meaning they will work on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch

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science SKILLS on the web The Science of Cooking Cooking is fun and our mini tech mamas love to help out in the kitchen. This site from Exploratorium brings ideas and tricks for exploring science as you cook up some fun. For example, learn how to remove an egg shell without cracking it, how to use physics to tell hard boiled eggs from raw, and how to grow your own salt sculpture. http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/index.html

How the Body Works This site has interesting, interactive content about different systems within the human body, taught in an accessible and entertaining way. Content is organized by age group: kids, teens and parents. http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/htbw_main_page.html

HISTORY o n t h e i p h o n e & i pa d Manual for the United States of America Learn about and read the Articles of Confederation, Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, biographies of Supreme Court justices, and a lot more. You’ll wish American history was this fun when you were in school. [+]$4.99, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/manual-for-united-states-america/id290560026?mt=8

Oregon Trail This classic game is now available on the iPad and helps children of various ages practice problem-solving and decision-making skills as they learn about history and try to survive the great trek West. [+] $0.99 iPhone, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-oregon-trail/id307519882?mt=8

Civilization Revolution Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution teaches kids about world civilizations, including Japan, Germany, China, Spain, America, and others, as they lead their people to victory. [+] $6.99, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/civilization-revolution/id324563544?mt=8

On This Day Help your student learn more about history with this trivia-like game that lists important events each day.

Free, iPhone, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/on-this-day.../id317064309?mt=8

[+] Apps marked with this symbol are universal, meaning they will work on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch

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RE ADING & LE ARNING TO RE AD on the web RIF: Reading Is Fundamental Leading to Reading This site focuses solely on learning to read. Content is divided into age 0-2, age 3-5 and parent content. http://www.rif.org/kids/leadingtoreading/en/leadingtoreading.htm Reading Planet Reading Planet continues the RIF mission of growing the world’s readers, focused on ages 6-15. http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet.htm

Scholastic Clifford the Big Red Dog Phonics fun for early readers with a familiar red friend. http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/ Starfall This learn-to-read site is arranged in four different modes of play, based on where your child is on the spectrum of reading readiness to independent reader. There is no advertising on this site, although supplemental educational materials may be purchased at the online store. And there’s also a new “premium” paid version of the site called more.starfall.com. http://www.starfall.com/

o n t h e i p h o n e & i pa d Cat in the Hat The Cat in the Hat has always been a classic, and it’s only gotten better on the iPad. The iPad version will read to you, or let you read and explore the story yourself along the way. Really, the magic here is the story – but the occasional convenience of having the book read itself and the fun of being able to interact with story elements gives this version fresh life. [+] $3.99, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-cat-in-the-hat-dr.seuss/id353473931?mt=8

StoryBuilder Improve paragraph formation, integration of ideas, and higher-level abstractions by inference with this story building game that kids just think of as FUN. They can build their own storybooks, narrate the audio, save and archive their stories and more. $3.99 iPad, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/storybuilder-for-ipad/ id377631532?mt=8# Tech Mama Tip: Books on the iPad There are many kid-friendly books on the iPad that can be accessed from the iBooks app or by browsing the app store. http://itunes.apple.com/us/genre/ios-books/id6018?mt=8

[+] Apps marked with this symbol are universal, meaning they will work on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch

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