Best Educational Apps for Kids

Advancements in mobile technology and the rise of tablet usage have revolutionized the way that students learn, connect in the classroom and complete assignments. Long gone are the days of worksheet stacks and laborious hours spent drafting the perfect paper by pen. Now, even elementary school students are seen tapping and swiping their way through the school year. While many schools still prefer or rely on the time-tested traditional methods of teaching, if tech-adoption trends are any indication of where things are headed, the current generation of students will spend significantly more time using tablets than their predecessors.

This means, with so many online options to choose from, parents should take an active role in guiding their children to the best educational resources. Below are some of the top mobile apps for learning currently on the market:

Preschool/Elementary

For numbers and counting, Fish School HD ($1.99, Apple devices), Math Easy HD ($1.99, Apple devices) and Kids Numbers Math Lite (free, Android devices) use fun, interactive games, such as counting hot air balloons and pin the tail on the donkey, to teach students the fundamentals of math. For English basics, check out Scout's ABC Garden ($3.99, Apple devices), Kids ABC Letters Lite (free, Android devices) and Kids ABC Phonics Lite (free, Android devices), with interactive matching games that allow kids to have fun learning about letters, sounds and how words go together. 

Middle School

Flashcards get an upgrade with apps like Flashcards (free, Apple devices) and Flashcards+ Free (free, Android devices), where users can create their own flashcard sets or access hundreds of quiz-focused sets to practice for an upcoming test. Khan Academy PreAlgebra (free, Apple devices) prepares growing minds for the more challenging math courses with sample problems and practice tests. Finally, geography becomes even more visual with Countries of the World (free, Android devices), where students can learn about countries, capitals, languages and religions practiced around the globe.

High School

High School students typically require help getting organized, because many juggle course work, sports schedules and employment independent of parental support. Apps like iHomework ($1.99, Apple devices) allow students to input course syllabi, homework assignments, teacher and classmate contact information and sports and work calendars in one convenient place. Evernote (free, Apple and Android devices) is a fantastic solution for taking notes remotely, syncing notes between your PC, laptop, tablet and phone and importing information into Word or similar programs. For easy access to classic reads, Stanza (free, Apple devices) offers free downloads of more than 50,000 classic novels, allowing students to read on the go.  Finally, to support students who are taking a specific foreign language path, babbel (free, Apple and Android devices) offers a series of apps for learning and practicing foreign languages of all kinds.

Consider some of these suggestions for your own family’s educational needs and transform homework time into a fun and productive opportunity to bond with your children. 

Overland Park mom Brenda Hill is the public relations manager of the Kansas/Missouri region of Verizon Wireless.