here are so many great learning apps out there for kids! It can be tough to decide which ones to download. My son and I explore a lot of apps together. Here are some learning apps that we have found to be great for kids.

Reading App for kids- 

EPIC 

We came across this app recently. This app allows you to assign the books for kids or get a book expert to assign books for your kids.

I have started using this for Adi, he is in grade 4. I assign books for him. I also get all the reports of his reading activities etc.

If you would like me to suggest books to your kid, they can join Epic with this code to be in my classroom. unc4986

Mail me your child's Name and Age so that I can curate books for them.

Mail- priyankamodi.optm@gmail.com

Epic has diverse range of books for all ages.

When you sign up for Epic you get access to a catalog of books, you can create an account for your child, set age, select books, and you are ready to use the app. 

Kids can choose topics they like ranging from fiction, non-fiction, award-winning books, etc.

Children get the option to choose books in languages other than English, such as Spanish, Chinese, and French, which is pretty useful for multilingual families or kids learning a second language. 

Kids reading activities can be easily tracked, they are awarded badges and achievements as they go along. I have noticed this encourages their reading.

Considering there is a wide variety of books in Epic’s library including classics and modern titles in both fiction and non-fiction children never run out of options. It has books for everyone-  adventure lovers to science lovers.

Coding App for kids

Scratch

Adi has been exploring Scratch to code for quite some time now. It is a free programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games, and animations.

Scratch is developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. It is designed especially for ages 8 to 16 but is used by people of all ages. Millions of people are creating Scratch projects in a wide variety of settings, including homes, schools, museums, libraries, and after-school clubs.

There are different ways to code in Scratch. We can use block coding or we can use javascript to code in Scratch. I would suggest you start with block coding as it is easy for beginners.

Once you are comfortable with the interface, you can start creating your projects or try out projects created by others.

There are a lot of resources available online to learn scratch coding. There are programs and games created by others and children can learn front their code to create their own.

Adi generally enjoys making stories with visuals on the app. He uses the desktop version.

He learns from others by seeing their code to create his version.

I would also say that Adi had some background in coding so he was comfortable using Scratch. So start your kids on code.org to get hang of how this works.

It provides a gaming environment where kids get opportunities to think creatively and critically. The best thing is the community scratch provides where kids can discuss, share, and get inspired.

Gaming App for kids -

Roblox

My son has recently started playing Roblox, we have it on the android phone. It looks similar to Minecraft.

I think it's scary for parents when they are not aware of these games but we need to be supervised a little for their safety.

Roblox is a game creation platform that allows players to create their games using building blocks.

Adi has not yet started creating anything as yet, he is still exploring and playing. The games on Roblox is Roblox is created mostly by “amateur” game creators.

Prison Escape, Work in a Pizza Place, Shark Attack, etc. are some of the available games on Roblox, kids love these because it is a playful way to experience adult-like scenarios in quick competitive rounds played socially.

Another reason that makes Roblox popular amongst children is it is an ever-changing and expanding library of games. The platform has millions of other players to compete against in challenges, no wonder kids love it. 

You must be wondering why I have added a gaming app to the list of learning apps. Yes, playing games can be considered learning. It develops problem-solving skills, social skills, and logical reasoning. 

Apart from the benefits I have mentioned above, it also helps in developing motor skills, visual processing, and attention span.

Thank you for reading! I hope you found this post helpful. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Language App for kids

Duolingo app-

Adi had taken French as a third language in his school but he wasn't enjoying it much and then someone on Twitter suggested Duolingo.

We downloaded the app and we loved the app.

Duolingo is a free language-learning platform that includes a language-learning website and app, as well as a digital language proficiency assessment exam.

The service offers 84 different language courses across 23 languages, including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Ukrainian, Esperanto, Polish, Turkish, Hungarian, Norwegian, Hebrew, Welsh, Vietnamese and English.

Duolingo can be enjoyed by younger kids as well- they can practice phonics, handwriting, sight words, vocabulary, etc.

Adi learned some really basic sentences in French like- Je m'appelle Adi.

It also has a lot of mini-games to practice what you have learned.

The awards in the game help Adi to stay motivated as he moves from one level to another.

The features are kid-friendly, and children generally tend to enjoy the different levels.

But you should check in to see their progress and learn along with them, I feel it is a great learning activity to participate in together.

I love to learn along with Adi and he loves to show off his language expertise with me.

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‍Class Dojo

This one is my favorite. This app is used by teachers to connect with parents and share how their kids are doing in the class. But the app has some amazing learning materials that you must explore.

You must check out Conundrums- "Conundrums," a series of critical thinking problems that will be available to instructors and students, they are designed to promote the sort of critical thinking advocated by Ad Astra.

Conundrums present students with ethical dilemmas where kids are required to choose between the options provided. Their answers and reasoning will amaze you. you must check this out.

I have written about Conundrums in length here - https://www.educationnext.in/posts/how-to-use-conundrums-at-home-to-develop-critical-thinking-in-kids

conundrums have a very interesting tagline that says " Not all problems have a clear right answer. Check out the newest episode designed to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills!"

So these are some of the apps that Adi uses to learn.

Ed-tech is enabling us to look at learning in a very interesting way. Kids love apps to study and learn there is no denying there. So I believe that we should make the best use of technology to aid in learning.

Responsible use of gadgets is important I understand therefore parents involvement is important. I am always on the lookout for interesting tools such as those mentioned above to make learning interesting for my kid, it is better to route them to tools that give them a creator mindset instead of becoming random media gobblers.