It seems like a very difficult task to find the truly useful educational apps in 2023, when I think about how many there are (over 567,000 to be exact). It’s been hard for me to sort through this huge number of apps to find the best educational ones that really make teaching and learning better. As part of my own journey, I’ve spent a lot of time researching and testing apps that teachers, parents, and other students have said are great.
Most apps for tablets and smartphones that are used in the field of education technology help students and teachers learn better. There are tens of thousands of education apps in the App Store and Google Play Store. These apps cover everything from math and English to science and history. Education apps are making learning more interactive, immersive, and interesting, both inside and outside of the classroom.
These carefully chosen apps for kids’ education cover a wide range of topics for kids of different ages and learning styles. These apps will help you meet your learning goals, keep your classroom motivated, and reach every type of learner. Educational apps can make children more interactive, more engaged and better performing. Keeping teaching methods fresh is key to keeping students engaged in their studies, and educational apps are a great way to achieve this goal. Below we have mentioned some of the best educational apps.
Best Educational Apps
Google Classroom
Google Classroom is part of the G Suite for Education, which includes Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar and other apps. It is targeted at teachers and students in K-12 and higher education. One of the major advantages of Google Classroom is that it is easy to use and encourages collaboration between students and teachers.
Teachers can create a classroom and register teaching applications, such as assignments, with just a few clicks. They can add students by name or send them a code to register. Students can view assignments that need to be done, participate in discussion forums or send messages to the teacher. It allows teachers to create forms, quizzes and surveys to collect and analyze responses using machine learning.
Khan Academy
From preschoolers to high school students, there are few educational apps that can compete with Khan Academy in terms of the wide range of courses offered to students of all ages. Khan Academy’s YouTube videos cover most subjects at various levels: math, science and engineering, arts, humanities (which include history and social studies), business, AP courses, and test preparation. English language arts (ELA) seems to be a weak point in Khan Academy courses, although offerings in this area are growing.
There are no foreign language courses, although Khan Academy’s courses are available in dozens of languages, with a varying number of offerings. Khan Academy is popular with students, parents, and teachers because its videos are engaging and appeal to visual learners, using photos, maps, and other visualizations, and because it allows students to work at their own pace.
The lessons include quizzes to test students’ understanding. Khan Academy has also moved toward developing Common Core-aligned materials. Another advantage is that it is a flexible program that can be used on a desktop/laptop computer or on a mobile device. A youth version, Khan Academy Kids, is aimed at young learners ages 2 to 7. It is a mobile app that covers math, ELA, logic, and social-emotional learning using books, games, songs, and videos.
Evernote
Evernote is a free note-taking and organizing application widely used in the business world. It is particularly useful for project management and improving executive skills, which is why it has become popular with students. It allows students to take notes and lists, collect images and links, and easily share and sync them across various platforms and devices. Users can create separate notebooks for each subject area and tag notes for easy access. The minimalist interface helps students who tend to get distracted stay focused and features editing tools such as color coding and highlighting.
The microphone feature is especially helpful for students who struggle with verbal memory. Although the basic Evernote package is free, it does not provide access to all of the app’s organizational and sharing features. For example, with the Basic plan users can only work with two different devices and the monthly upload limit is limited. The personal version costs about $8 per month and can be a good investment for students who use the app daily. There are also more advanced versions for professional use.
Speech Blubs
Speech Blubs is a speech therapy app, created in collaboration with speech therapists, that uses speech and video technology to develop speech articulation in young children with or without speech difficulties. The app contains thousands of activities to help practice speech sounds in a fun and engaging way. Improve your child’s speech in a fun and engaging way! Interactive videos, face filters, stickers, puzzles, mini games and tons of fun facts are what will keep your child engaged while improving their language skills.
Learn all about animals, dinosaurs, stars, vehicles, emotions and more with this great app. Want to play guessing games? Practice language through song? Speech Blubs has undergone major improvements: a new look, a useful section for parents, new savable face filters and access to the “READING BLUBS” reading app. Parents can now customize the app so that the child becomes the main hero of his/her language journey.
Seesaw
Seesaw is an online platform that teachers can use to offer meaningful feedback on students work. For example, teachers can make digital portfolios for their student and upload/create assignments, photos, videos and another files directly into each child’s portfolio. Teachers can also leave comments and recommendations for individual content in student portfolios.
Seesaw is a best way to keep student engaged in their learning, as they can see the progress they have made over time. It is also a valuable platform for communication between teachers and students. Students can select pieces from different subject areas and combine them into unique presentations, allowing them to record audio or video to express their work and purpose, a great method for self-assessment by peers and students.
DragonBox
While Khan Academy does a better job with math, the various DragonBox apps specialize in learning math, using games to make it fun. Some reviews call the app “engaging.” The DragonBox Algebra 5+ and DragonBox Numbers apps are designed for younger students, ages 4 to 8. The special feature of Algebra 5+, one of the most popular apps, is that no prior knowledge of algebra is necessary, as it is simply learning a type of puzzle. The Numbers app introduces young learners to addition and subtraction.
DragonBox Big Numbers is designed for kids aged 6 to 9 and is based on Numbers, giving kids more complex problems with transfers and bonds. DragonBox Algebra 12 plus is the most advanced app and deals with algebraic equations. None of DragonBox apps are free, although they can be purchased with a one-time payment instead of a monthly payment. Algebra 5+ costs about $5, while the other apps mentioned cost about $8.
Prodigy
The Prodigy Math Game is a great way to practice math concepts and skills in a fun and engaging way; the Prodigy Math Game allows students to progress at their own pace and provides immediate feedback on their performance. The game is also tailored to each student’s level, making it an effective tool for differentiated instruction. Students can log into Prodigy with a Google account or other common username and password, and teachers can plan based on the current learning of their class.
The Prodigy Math Game is a great way to practice math concepts and skills in a fun and engaging way; the Prodigy Math Game allows students to progress at their own pace and provides immediate feedback on their performance. The game is also tailored to each student’s level, making it an effective tool for differentiated instruction. Students can log into Prodigy with a Google account or other common username and password, and teachers can plan based on the current learning of their class.
The program is adaptive; therefore, if a student struggles with one pattern after another, as they progress through the program new problems will continue to appear for them to practice. Prodigy is a game, so children enjoy playing while learning math problems. It is also an activity that can be done at home and features their avatars and peer battles. The Prodigy math game is a popular choice for elementary school teachers looking for an engaging and interactive way to teach math concepts. It is available on iOS, Android and the web.
Duolingo
Duolingo is by far the most popular app for learning a language, partly because it’s free. It is a game-based language learning tool that can be used by a wide range of ages, from high school students to adults. Users are guided through learning activities covering all four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. They receive immediate feedback on errors and an explanation. Duolingo offers courses in 37 languages for native speakers of English. Teaching is much more comprehensive and varied in the more widely spoken languages, such as Spanish, than in the rarer dialects.
Duolingo is particularly attractive to teenagers, as the app has a reward system for users who reach the daily limit. There is also a social networking element to the app that encourages younger users to invite their friends and compete with them to see who can go faster. Of course, for all foreign languages, cultural immersion is the only thing that can really drive fluency, but when it comes to language learning apps, Duolingo is the gold standard.
Flipgrid
Flipgrid is a video chat platform that allows teachers to create connected learning communities. Students can record and share short videos about topics of interest to them and respond to each other’s videos in real time. Students are divided into groups and have access to different discussion topics. The topic area is an interactive whiteboard where teachers can ask questions and students can submit responses to videos displayed on a viewing grid.
Visitors can also be invited to participate via a link and password. Student privacy is protected through configurable security settings. Various filters and platforms are available for text, stickers, screen captures, and other features. Flipgrid is a great way for the students to express themselves and connect with each other. It is also a valuable tool for teachers to see how their students think and feel about what they are learning.
Kids Academy
The Kids Academy app is one of the most innovative and attractive programs for young learners. Its unique gamified learning program combines the most advanced adaptive technologies, artificial intelligence, personalized learning and gamification to help children perform at their best and get the education they deserve.
Kids Academy features more than 5,000 learning activities that include educational games and videos, interactive and printable worksheets, songs, puzzles and flashcards. The activities cover the main subject areas: math, reading, language arts, science and social studies. Parents can monitor children’s progress, identify and develop their talents and work on areas that need improvement.
