Whether we like it or not, education has become digitized. In fact, it’s hard to find a school that hasn’t moved completely to a digital platform, meaning that kids are not only exposed to, but required to use technology for everything from homework submission to schedule keeping. So, while it’s easy to lament the loss of school as we knew it, it’s also necessary to stay up with the times. And to be honest, while too much screen time has been proven to impact overall brain development and learning, there’s a lot to be gained from technology.
Fortunately, in today’s screen-centric world, it’s still possible to use technology to your advantage by utilizing special apps and web-based programs that are specifically designed to help, rather than hurt, your children’s ability to learn, focus, and develop.
Of course, with all of that being said, if you’ve ever taken a glance at the app store on your phone or tablet – or done a web search for anything – then you know that it can be overwhelming when it comes to searching for the right programs. With LITERALLY millions of options and an “app for everything,” it’s hard to know where to start. So, while not every app or program will work for every child, we took a look at some of the top-rated apps for students and found some that are definitely worth checking into.
To help you get started, we’ve broken our top picks down by preschool, elementary, and middle/high school. While not all of the following apps will be right for your family, we hope you’ll find some that will help make the school year more manageable, and perhaps even more enjoyable (!), for you and your kids.
Apps for Preschool and Early Learning
Khan Academy Kids
If you have older kids, you may have already heard of Khan Academy, an online classroom that provides access to world-class educational resources on virtually every subject. Khan Academy Kids takes the same founding principles and applies them to early learners with easy interfaces, interactive characters, and thousands of activities for kids ages two to six. Aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and Common Core Standards delve deep into topics ranging from math to motor development.
Ages: 2 – 6 years
Cost: Free
Available on Apple App Store (iOS), GooglePlay (Android), and the Amazon App Store (Kindle Fire).
PBS Kids
PBS Kids is more than just a single app, it’s a portal to exploration, adventure, and learning for kids who are just starting their educational journey. In addition to countless videos, e-books, music albums, and games available online at www.pbskids.org, you’ll also find dozen of downloadable apps available for all portable device platforms, including iOS, Android, Amazon, and more. PBS Kids offers an entire Parents portal that provides parenting tips, resources, activities, and more. In addition, Super Vision is an app that allows parents to monitor their children’s activities and progress on pbskids.org in real-time. Best of all, PBS Kids is backed by the decades long reputation of dedication to early childhood learning and research.
Ages: 4+
Cost: Free
Available on online and on the Apple App Store (iOS), GooglePlay (Android), the Amazon App Store (Kindle Fire), the Windows Store, and the Windows Phone Store.
Duck Duck Moose Learning Apps
Now a part of Khan Academy, Duck Duck Moose provides a wide range of apps categorized by subject and age. Designed for learners as young as two years old, Duck Duck Moose cover topics from math and reading to creative expression and play, allowing you to customize your child’s experience. The apps are all designed based on research with educators and play-tested to ensure an experience that is fun for little ones without frustrating them – or you! Since 2008, Duck Duck Moose apps have been recognized with dozens of both parents’ choice and educators’ choice awards.
Ages: 2-12
Cost: Free
Available on the Apple App Store (iOS) and GooglePlay (Android).
Phonics Ninja
Kids love video games. It’s a simple fact. So Phonics Ninja takes the fun of “gaming” and turns it into an exciting, educational activity that keeps early learners engaged and helps them learn letter sounds, blends, and digraphs by sight, sound, and touch. The easy-to-use interface adjusts difficulty automatically based on the player’s skill and advancement to ensure that kids stay challenged without getting bored. While this app is more specific to a single subject than some of our other picks, it’s a great way get children ready for reading or to build confidence for beginning readers.
Ages: 4+
Cost: $0.99
Currently only available for iOS devices in the Apple App Store.
ABC Mouse
As one of the top-rated preschool program’s out there, ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy offers a full preschool curriculum online, complete with a personalized avatar that your child can create to help them identify more completely with the lessons. With more than 9,000 activities, ABC Mouse focuses on four main subjects: Reading, Math, World Around Us (beginning science and social studies), and Art & Colors, establishing a foundation of knowledge for young children that they can build upon with confidence and success. Starting at a preschool level (age 3+), ABC mouse creates games that help children establish learning skills to include letter sounds, numbers, and shapes. And because all games include voiced instructions, even the youngest learners can play independently. However, while most of our other apps are free or have a minimal one-time cost, ABC Mouse does require a monthly subscription fee of $9.95. But, many special offers are available including a one-month free trial, a 49% off annual subscription, or the first two months for only $5. You can also cancel your subscription at any time.
Ages: 3+
Cost: $9.95/month or see special offers listed above
Available online at www.abcmouse.com, or in app stores including Apple, GooglePlay, and Amazon.
Apps for Elementary Age Students
Khan Academy
While Khan Academy Kids is designed for early childhood education, Khan Academy has your kids covered for the rest of the academic career – from the elementary years through college. With lessons and activities available online at www.khanacademy.org or on a mobile app, your kids will learn with practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that allows them to study at their own pace. Subjects including math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more are broken down by grade so that you and your child can study the specific skills needed for mastery of their current grade – or to refresh previous concepts and/or explore advanced concepts in areas where they excel. Get a complete list of available subjects and topics by visiting their home page and selecting the “courses” drop down menu at the top of the page.
Ages: K-12
Cost: Free
Available online at www.khanacademy.org or in the Apple App Store (iOS) and at GooglePlay (Android).
Vocabulary Spelling City
For elementary-aged children, reading is the foundation of much of their learning. Learning how to spell, improving reading comprehension, and gaining a better vocabulary serves to build their confidence in all subject matters. Vocabulary Spelling City is a great app for making vocabulary and spelling fun. Students of all ages can use the free app to play nine games with 10 of the app’s most popular word lists. You can even upload a customized word list to Vocabulary Spelling City’s website for your child to use in the app, allowing them to study for in-school tests in a creative and fun way. For families looking for a broader range of learning activities and skill development, a premium version of the app with five student accounts is available for a yearly subscription of $34.95.
Ages: 5+
Cost: Basic app is free, but a premium family version is available for up to five students for $34.95/year.
Available in the Apple App Store (iOS) and on GooglePlay (Android).
Dragon Box Math Apps
Dragon Box Math apps include a suite of award-winning math-based apps designed to teach basic to advanced math principles starting as early as 4 years old. Each app is customized to a specific age group and skill set, allowing you to customize you children’s experience. With everything from basic addition to algebra concepts for kids as young as 5, you can help your kids develop a strong math foundation from the start. The apps are bright, colorful, and make math fun for any age with creative conceptual puzzles and games. You can choose from single apps that are age/grade appropriate or math “packs” including a starter pack, an advanced pack, and a complete pack including all of the apps. While these apps are not free, they are relatively inexpensive with a cost that ranges from $4.99 – $7.99 per app.
Ages: 4-9; 9+
Cost: $4.99 – $7.99; Math packs – $9.99 – $24.99
Available in the Apple App Store (iOS), GooglePlay (Android), and the Amazon App Store (Kindle Fire).
Epic!
While many of us would agree that nothing can replace the value of a hard copy book, we would also agree that the most important thing is that our kids are reading – however that happens. In a world that has become increasingly mobile, Epic! provides instant and continuous access to one of the most comprehensive online libraries with more than 35,000 e-books, learning videos, quizzes, and more. Books are broken down by age (starting with preschool through 5th grade) and include categories such as popular books, award-winning books, non-fiction books, audio book, and even Spanish books. With colorful images and an interactive interface, Epic! makes reading fun, even for timid readers. Plus, as a parent, you can track your child’s progress, set goals, and enjoy their confidence as they earn special badges and awards.
Ages: 5 and under; 6-8; 9-12
Cost: Unlimited access, $7.99 month (no ads or in-app purchases, cancel anytime); FREE for teachers and librarians.
Available on the Apple App Store (iOS) and GooglePlay (Android).
Fact Monster
Filled with colorful characters, fascinating facts, and a seemingly endless supply of answers and resources, Fact Monster is a one-stop shop for homework help. Choose from dozens of topics in categories like Science, Math, Language Arts, The World, The U.S., People, and more. You can also discover daily trivia facts, play games, and access online resource materials including a dictionary, atlas, thesaurus, encyclopedia, almanac, and historical timelines. With no required sign-up, kid-friendly graphics, and a user-friendly computer-based layout, Fact Monster is ideal for elementary to middle school-aged learners, but can still provide fun for the whole family.
Ages: Grades 1 – 8
Cost: Free
Available online at www.factmonster.com.
Grammaropolis
Most kids would agree that learning grammar is NOT their favorite educational activity – and let’s be honest, it can be downright boring. But as we all know, grammar is essential to both writing and reading comprehension. Grammaropolis sets out to turn grammar into a fun, interactive experience and does so with their innovative approach. From School House Rock-like videos and songs to games, quizzes, and mobile apps, Grammaroplis teaches the basics of grammar in such a way that kids won’t even realize how much they’re learning. Check out their available apps, or register online at https://edu.grammaropolis.com/.
Ages: 4+
Cost: Apps – $1.99 – $5.99; Membership (includes unlimited online access for a year, up to 10 students, and a 30-day money back guarantee) – $29.
Available online at www.grammaropolis.com, in the Apple Apple Store and GooglePlay. (Not all apps are available in both stores. Check your preferred store for availability).
News-O-Matic
As parents, we all struggle with wanting our children to be aware of current events while still protecting them. That’s where News-O-Matic comes in. News-O-Matic is a daily newspaper for kids that features 100+ new articles each month covering a range of high-interest topics including science, sports, world news, technology, arts, and entertainment. Every story is written at multiple literacy levels for ages 6 to 14 and is reviewed by a child psychologist to ensure emotionally safe and age-appropriate content. Every weekday, five new articles are published at three different reading levels, complete with colorful pictures, maps, and images. Plus, daily quizzes help kids test their critical thinking and reading comprehension, while kid-friendly audio definitions are available for challenging vocabulary. Kids even have the chance to draw, ask questions, comment, and vote on the topics that most interest them. Because of its innovative approach to teaching current events and global citizenship, News-O-Matic has won numerous awards, including Digital Media Award North America Winner, 2018 – “Best Innovation to Engage Youth Audiences”; Tech and Learning Award of Excellence, 2018; and Parents’ Picks Award Winner, 2018.
Ages: 6-14
Cost: Free (in-app purchases available)
Available in the Apple App Store (iOS), GooglePlay (Android), and the Amazon App Store (Kindle Fire).
Apps for Middle and High School
Khan Academy
As with the other age groups we’ve discussed, Khan Academy is a must-have for every age group. To repeat our previous assertions, Khan Academy offers an endless array of practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard for individualized learning in subjects including math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Get a complete list of available subjects and topics by visiting their home page and selecting the “courses” drop down menu at the top of the page.
Ages: K-12
Cost: Free
Available online at www.khanacademy.org or in the Apple App Store (iOS) and at GooglePlay (Android).
Quizlet
One of the most important things are children can learn in middle school and high school is the act of studying itself. While that might sound rather simplistic, it’s learning how to study properly that sets kids up for success in college and allows them to continue to self-educate throughout their lives. Quizlet is an online platform that provides more than 300 million study sets covering almost every subject imaginable. Using flashcards, games, and other learning tools, Quizlet helps kids prepare for upcoming tests and exams in a fun, unique way. Teachers can also use Quizlet to build their own customized study sets and share with students to help with test prep and strengthen learning outside of the classroom. Quizlet can also be used on any device and any browser for learning on the go. Best of all, it’s free!
Ages: 10+
Cost: Free
Available in the Apple App Store (iOS) and GooglePlay (Android).
Forest
As kids get older, their dependence on technology only seems to grow and phones and tablets provide an endless source distraction. This is concerning for parents and educators alike, because we sometimes see a loss of ability to concentrate and focus when it comes to schoolwork. But as we know, sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire, which is why Forest is an app that actually encourages kids (and adults!) to stay away from their phones. Anytime your child needs to focus on an assignment, reading, or studying, they can plant a tree. If they do not leave the app to view messages, texts, or other sites on their phone, tablet, or computer for 30 minutes or more, the tree grows – if they do leave, it withers. With enough sucessful uses, they can grow a forest and earn coins that can then be used to plant actual trees through the Forest app’s partner, Trees for the Future.
Ages: All ages
Cost: $1.99 (in-app purchases are available); free Google Chrome extension
Available in the Apple App Store (iOS) and GooglePlay (Android); also available as a Google Chrome extension for desktops and laptops.
Socratic
Socratic uses AI (artificial intelligence) to provide a revolutionary new way for students to get help on homework, projects, and assignments. With a simple photo (taken with the Socratic app), Socratic can analyze and interpret questions, then provide simple, easy-to-understand explanations that will guide students to the answer they’re looking for rather than just providing it for them. Designed primarily for upper school students, Socratic covers dozens of topics in science, math, humanities, history, and more; and allows students the option of taking a photo with the Socratic mobile app, or manually entering a question on the website. Learn more or take a look at a list of sample questions here.
Ages: All
Cost: Free
Available in the Apple App Store (iOS) and GooglePlay (Android).
Photomath
Ok, before we get too far into this app, let us offer the disclaimer that it’s not intended to be misused! Like the Socratic app listed above, the Photomath Camera Calculator allows you to take a picture of a challenging math problem or equation, then automatically receive a detailed step-by-step explanation of the answer. With that being said, this app is especially valuable for parents helping their kids with homework (i.e., parents who might need a slight refresher on middle school or high school math) or for kids are particularly stuck on a certain problem or concept. Once again, it’s not to be used as a replacement for learning, rather as a valuable tool in understanding concepts when an experience educator is not accessible. Considered one of the best math apps of its kind currently available, Photomath has won numerous awards for its easy-to-use interface and advanced technology.
Ages: All ages
Cost: Free
Available in the Apple App Store (iOS) and GooglePlay (Android).
DuoLingo
While some of our kids’ school subjects may seem like another language to those of us who have been out of school for awhile but still need to help out with homework (I’m looking at you calculus), what happens when our child is actually studying another language and needs some help? DuoLingo has been named one of the top apps for learning language fluency, and as such, can be a homework helper for the whole family. With fun games, interactive lessons, and creative activities, students can earn virtual coins, unlock new levels, and improve fluency with new words, phrases, and grammar. Plus, all lessons can be customized to meet your student’s individual learning styles and needs. You can even use DuoLingo to master a new language as a family!
Ages: All ages
Cost: Free
Available in the Apple App Store (iOS) and GooglePlay (Android).
