the iPad is iMazing!

The iPad serves so many great functions. As teachers we all know that the iPad can help enhance curriculum and help teach skills. It keeps students engaged and excited about learning. It can also be used to enhance communication skills, adapt to situations, promote social skills, and used as a reward. I'm so excited to share some of my favorite iPad/iTouch apps. I have compiled a list of apps that are either free/relatively cheap that I have found to be extremely beneficial for the primary/elementary age group. I have classified them by subject/skill.

Phonics

• Hooked on Phonics ($49.99/Free) Hooked on Phonics is a FABULOUS program that has multiple levels of reading. It is normally $49.99 but during teacher appreciation week they give it away for free! So keep a look out during the next teacher appreciation week if you don't want to spend on a bundle on this GREAT app. 
• Starfall ABC's ($2.99) This app is great because it focuses mainly on letter sounds. Once students have mastered single letter sounds, it moves on to letter combinations/digraphs! Not only is this app great for emerging readers, my kids also LOVE it as a reward!
• ABC Wow! (Free/$1.99) This app hones in on letters and letter sounds. The free version comes with an alphabet song, and letters d-e. The extended version contains all the letters. I purchased the version and it is awesome! You can use the free version just for the alphabet song though. 

Reading

• Starfall Learn to Read ($2.99) This is an extension of Starfall letter/sound recognition. It sets the stage for emerging readers. I love this app!
• Word World (Fun with Friends) ($1.99) This app disseminates from from the PBS show Word World which incorporates words into pictures. It includes common/everyday words that kids will see. Students practice sight word reading, phonics, and spelling skills. This app lets students play games to earn their favorite episodes of Word World. 
• Learn with Word Friends (Free) The free app contains three sections to access that address common words. This app teaches kids how letter formation and sight recognition through the use of pictures. 

Math

• Monkey Math($1.99): This app focuses on emerging math skills including number recognition, associations, sets, writing numbers, patterns, sequencing, counting, and even basic addition. As the students start to master these skills you can personalize and increase level of difficulty and topics covered. The best part about this app is that the questions/presentation vary so the kids never get bored of it!
• TouchMath Pro ($2.99) This is an introductory app to Touchmath. I have found the touch-point system to be extremely effective with my students with disabilities. This app introduces the touch-point system, where the touch points go, and includes lots of activities to practice incoporating the touch points. Touchmath is coming out with TouchAddition and TouchSubtraction, so stay tuned for those!
• Animal Math (Free) This free version of the app covers counting and sequencing numbers up to 10. It also covers introductory patterns, and single digit addition to 5. There is an extension of this app to purchase, but I prefer to just use the free activities. 
• Drive About (Number Neighborhood) ($1.99): This app is similar to Monkey math. It also focuses on emerging math skills including shapes, matching, counting, sequencing, number identification, and patterns. Awesome app! 
  

Writing

• iLearn with Boing Ocean Adventures: ($1.99) This app focuses on three main skills Vocabulary, Listening Comprehension, and Sentence formation. I mainly use this app for sentence formation. It uses silly/nonsense words to help students build a sentence using a noun, verb, ect. Its a great tool for kids to help understand how to construct a contextually and grammatically appropriate statement. 
• Abitalk Sentence Builder (FREE) This is another sentence building activity. This app helps students create sentences about pictures using word bank words. This app ALSO comes with a special needs edition to help break down the construction of a sentence even further. I have found over the course of my teaching, students with disabilities tend to struggle in the area of sentence building. 

Life-Skills

• Kid Weather ($1.99) Its never too early to start teaching kinds (especially students with disabilities) those functional life skills. One of those major skills is identifying and choosing appropriate clothing based on the weather. Kid Weather is an AWESOME app that I wish I had when I was younger to help me determine what to wear based on a certain temperature. My kids struggle with identifying/relating to temperature numbers so we start with just cold, cool, warm, and hot and work our way up. I would highly recommend this app. 

Overall Awesome Apps! These apps cover multiple subjects and are just awesome overall. 

• Preschool and Kindergarden Learning games ($2.99) This app is a student favorite. It covers multiple concepts in language arts, math, writing, spelling and is a hit with the kids. For the price, it is definitely worth it. It is available in first and second grade versions as well! I incorporate this into centers and whole lesson activities! 
• PBS Kids (FREE) I use this app for centers, to teach specific concepts, but also as rewards. My kids love the different shows and activities that PBS Kids app offers. The best FREE app out there. 
• Sprout (FREE) Similar to PBS Kids.. again another awesome app that serves a variety of different purposes. 
• LEAP Frog Learning App (FREE) an app that allows you to personalize the age/education of the students. LEAP from creates awesome products and their apps are great as well!