May 2014 App of the Month

Cherry Hill Public Schools

By Parlant Technology Inc.Updated: Jaunary 14, 2014Version: 3.5.400
Free

The Cherry Hill Public Schools' new app provides an abundance of information about what is happening at the district and schools. The app serves as a portal to all school calendars, with regular updates on events, holidays and important dates. Users can find information on school closings and schedule changes, breaking news around the district, and event reminders. User can also receive emergency notifications through the app. Interested in what’s happening with the Board of Education? Subscribers can access Board of Education meetings and the Superintendent’s Message. The School Directory provides the address, driving directions, phone and fax numbers, websites address and principal name for each school. In what is perhaps the most useful feature, subscribers to the app can get personalized information such as access to ProgressBook to check grades and to MySchookBucks link for account information. This free app is a useful resource for Cherry Hill parents of school age kids! The app is available through iTunes, and Google Play. 

April 2014 App of the Month

Going Places 2
By Model Me Kids
Updated: September 6, 2012
Version 3.3
Free

This month, we are honoring Autism Awareness Month by featuring an app designed for kids on the spectrum! Going Places is a free app that contains six basic social stories with photographs, audio, and text. For those unfamiliar with the concept of social stories, you can read more about them here.

The stories in Going Places have practical information about day-to-day activities, such as going to the doctor’s office—and they also highlight some unspoken social rules such as “I keep my hands to myself” when playing at the playground.

This app is a great introduction to social stories, and could even serve as guidelines for those looking to create their own stories for their child for daily routines, school, or more specific outings! Another app to look out for is Social Stories byTouch Autism, which offers users the ability to make 2 free social stories of your own—you must upgrade to make more and share with other devices.

March 2014 App of the Month

Oh No! Fractions
By Curious Hat
Updated: Feb. 21, 2014
Version: 2.40
Free
Oh No! Fractions is a great app for elementary age kids that allows for visually comparing, adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying fractions.  The interface is very basic and flashcard-like.  Given fractions to compare the user must swipe the big white “less” or “greater” to pick your answer.  Progress can be tracked by clicking on “stats” at the bottom of the screen. This app was the recipient of the 2013 Children's Technology review Editor's Choice award. Definitely download this free app if you are looking for simple, easy to use fraction practice with a pleasing interface. 

February App of the Month

Funbrain Jr.
By Pearson Education
Updated: November 7, 2013
Version: 1.0
FREE

Funbrain Jr. is a collection of 5 educational games for preschoolers and kindergarteners. The app is recommended for ages 2-6, but is probably most useful to children 3 and 4 years old. The games in Funbrain Jr. help kids with basic early literacy and math skills. "Balloon Blowup," allow kids to practice their number skills by popping the balloon with the largest number set.  Other games have them practicing alphabetical order and shape and pattern recognition.  If you’re looking for educational games that are big on kid appeal and easy to use and navigate, this app is worth downloading. 

January App of the Month

Rosetta Stone Kids Lingo Letter Sounds

By Rosetta Stone LTD
Updated: November 19, 2013
Version: 1.0.2
FREE


Open Rosetta Stone Kids and you are immediately greeted by an adorable animated “lingo” holding a bubble.  To the lower right is a sign for the Parents Corner where parents can provide an e-mail address and get additional information about their child’s progress.  There are two games that make up this app, Bubble Letter Sounds and Spanish Speak and Learn. Bubble Letter Sounds requires the user to match letter filled bubbles with the toy that begins with that letter.  Spanish Speak and Learn uses voice-recognition software that encourages kids to practice speaking Spanish words as the lingos follow their directions.  Of the two games Spanish Speak and Learn is the more innovative.  The voice-recognition aspect really takes interaction to the next level.  Finally the app has a section labeled Toy Shelf where kids can view the toys whose first letters have been identified.  This is probably beyond the interest of a two or three year old, but slightly older users will enjoy tracking their progress with the Toy Shelf.  There are better English reading apps out there (like Endless Alphabet and Endless Reader) but the Spanish portion of the app is a great introduction to learning a new language and makes it a worthy download! This app is best for children ages 2-6.  (Reviewed by Alia)

December App of the Month

GazziliShapes
By GazziliWorld LLC
Updated: October 2, 2013
Version 1.0.8
$0.99

GazziliShapes is the shapes app in GazziliWorld’s line of multi-sensory early leaning apps for preschoolers. The app is comprised of six different activities that support shape recognition. In each activity kids have a certain number of shapes to find and success earns them a shape that helps complete a picture. The graphics are cute and the activities make practicing newly acquired skills fun. GazziliShapes is best for ages 3 and up. Younger toddlers may have difficulty following the directions recognizing the shapes in everyday objects. Unfortunately, the app is not entirely ad free as there is a Twitter icon on the activity pages. (It can be turned off by going into the app settings.) Kids also may be able to get out of the app by hitting the prominent menu button and clicking on links to social media. GazziliWorld uses educational experts from some of the country’s top schools in the production of their apps and you can see that in the finished product. This one is worth trying out though parents will want to stay close to supervise younger users. (Reviewed by Alia)

November's App of the Month

Dinosaurs: The American Museum of Natural History Collection
By The American Museum of Natural History
Updated : May 09, 2011
Version 1.4
Free
 

Dinosaurs is a wonderful app for young dino enthusiasts brought to you by The American Museum of Natural History.  Kids can learn all sorts of interesting trivia about dinosaurs and browse a huge mosaic of dino-related photos. In the stories section users can read about the science and personalities behind the Museum’s fossil collection. It’s a bit like holding the museum exhibit in your hand and you could actually use the app as a guide if you were lucky enough to visit the museum in person. It should be noted that the language is also museum-level, so it may go over the head of younger children. But even the very youngest will get a thrill out of the picture of these giant lizards.  Best for ages 4 and up.  (Reviewed by Alia)

October's App of the Month

Super Stretch Yoga
by The Adventures of Super Stretch, LLC
Updated: April 20, 2012
Version 1.2
Free

Super Stretch Yoga is a fun, how-to yoga app that teaches kids basic yoga poses through a series of instructional videos.  There’s a cute cartoon introduction to each pose and then a child demonstrates the pose.  The instructions are very simple, making it easy for even a very young child to copy them.  It also allows users to choose which pose they want to practice. Kids will definitely enjoy moving along to the videos.  However, the app itself is not particularly interactive. Watching the videos is the only way for children to use the app. There are no games or incentives for practicing the pose. Overall, Super Stretch is a solid beginning for youngsters who are interested in yoga, though once they get the hang of it they may want something with more substance.  But for the price tag, why not try it! (Reviewed by Alia)

September's App of the Month

Sago Mini Forest Flyer
by Sago Sago
Updated: May 23, 2013
Version 1.0.1
$1.99

This adorable app will appeal to the very youngest iPad users.  Toddlers love to explore and Forest Flyer lets them do just that. Touching the screen guides a cute little pink robin around an enchanted forest.  With a tap of the screen kids can make the robin play, sing, and dance (and even poop!) There are more than 20 animations to find and the app is circular so that it can be explored endlessly.  However, there are no directions written or spoken, which older children may actually find frustrating.  There is a letter to parents that can be accessed by taping on the home button and then scrolling upward with two fingers.  Overall, this is a simple, super cute app best for babies and very young users who will be delighted by the bright colors, bold shapes, and sweet little sounds.  Reviewed by Alia

August's App of the Month

PBS KIDS Video
by PBS KIDS
Updated: May 29, 2013
Version 2.0.5
FREE
 PBS KIDS Video is a fabulous free app that allows kids to watch video clips from PBS favorites like Curious George and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and dozens more. But what makes this app great is that it is child centered so that even very young children can navigate from clip to clip on their own. The play button and arrow buttons are large and very visible in the bottom center and children can browse clips based character icons. There is also a "parent resources" section that can only be accessed by sliding the I-bar to the right, making it very difficult for a child to accidentally make unwanted purchases. PBS Kids Video is a video player and there are not any interactive games or activities included in this app but it is a safer and more child friendly alternative to YouTube.  Reviewed by: Alia

July's App of the Month

Another Monster at the End of this Book...Starring Grover & Elmo

by Sesame Street

Updated: May 15, 2013

Version: 3

$3.99

This book app will be a big hit with Sesame Street fans. Lovable, furry old Grover is back and this time he's trying to prevent his curious pal Elmo (as well as the audience) from getting to the end of the book and the monster that is waiting there. The animation and puzzles are easy enough for a very young child to master and add an additional level to a great Sesame Street story.  Reviewed by Alia

June's App of the Month



Endless Alphabet

by Calloway Digital Arts Inc.

Updated: May 06, 2013

Version: 1.3

Free

Endless Alphabet is one of the cutest educational apps out there. Children learn their ABC's and develop their vocabulary through adorable word puzzles. It's very simple -- select a word from the glossary and then drag letter cartoon monsters to their correct spot then watch a short animation of the word -- and yet it is entertaining for a wide range of ages. The monsters are hilarious and children will delight in them while parents will appreciate that the vocabulary words go beyond basic, ("demolish" and "gargantuan" are favorites). Reviewed by Alia

 

May's App of the Month

Pocket Penguins by California Academy of Sciences.

2011. Version 1.0. Free

For every kid (and adult) who has ever wanted to carry a penguin exhibit around in their pocket, now there’s Pocket Penguins, an app by the California Academy of Sciences that provides a real-time view of their African penguin exhibit.  The app lets you switch between above ground and underwater cameras as you watch the penguins swim, dive, eat and play.  It’s a great educational app that will entertain a wide age-range.  The app is free but a Wi-Fi is needed and data rates may apply.  Still, it’s a great way to add to what students are learning in school or just to pique a child’s interest in the natural world.

Reviewed by: Alia