Every time we prep up to do homework, my little one has to go pee. After five minutes or so, he starts feeling hungry and then thirsty and then tired. It is donkey work to make him sit and study for fifteen minutes straight. I wonder how his teacher handles him at school!
Scan parenting forums, and you will find one query repeatedly emerging – how to spike my kid’s interest at school?
It is natural to wish that your child studies hard and flourishes in academics. But sometimes parents raise their expectations too high. They fail to give their child a margin to mess up. You have to let your child act like their age and not be a robot.
Apart from following this motto, parents should also play an active role in their child’s education. If a child’s apathy towards studies continuously persists then you should look deeper into the matter. If the learning process is seemingly monotonous, you must adopt strategies to make it fun for the child.
How are Apps Changing the Education Sector?
Neuroscientists agree that every brain is unique. So the learning style will not remain the same for every student. Apps are a distinguished way to drill concepts and disclose further learning avenues. Unlike traditional learning methods where a child has to carry a backpack full of books, learning through apps is an entirely new experience.
According to a Grunwald Mobile Study, 85% of parents with kids in Kindergarten through grade 2 agree that mobile apps make learning fun for their children. Unlike textbooks, apps have the potential to breathe life into stories. Another finding in this study states 32% of parents think mobile apps should be mandatory in the classrooms.It is a fact that students today are increasingly replacing textbooks with tablets.
So keeping the advantages in mind, let’s look at the apps that help your kids in their learning process.
4 Apps to help your kids perform better at school
It’s about time you snap your little ones out of the mental fuzz. Help them ace at school with the aid of the following apps:
ClassDojo
ClassDojo claims to “connect teachers with students and parents to build amazing classroom communities.” This app allows students, parents, and teachers to interact easily. Students can communicate with their teachers and express their educational needs.
According to the San Francisco-based company, 70% of UK schools have used this app so far. Last year, Forbes estimated it was worth $100m.
Through this app, parents get a chance to stay in touch about the progress of their child. This keeps the kid engaged as the parents and teachers know which of their skills need further polishing. There is an option to award students for their exceptional well performance in some areas. These virtual points motivate them to improve and enhance their learning.
Overall, this app enriches the classroom experience without replacing it. It also provides positive reinforcement and a smooth communication portal among parents, teachers, and students.
DuoLingo
Instead of creating a classroom-style app, DuoLingo took cues from the gaming world to enhance the experience of learning a new language. Luis von Ahn, the app owner, has made it free and accessible for everyone without subscriptions or pay-per-hour demands.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2014, he stated:
“There are 1.2 billion people learning a foreign language, and two-thirds of those people are learning English so they can get a better job and earn more. The problem is that they don’t have equity, and most language courses cost a lot of money.”
It is easy-to-use, fun, and works quite well. There are various languages for aspiring learners, including Spanish, Danish, French, German, Irish, Italian, and English.
The best part is, this app separates itself from other language-learning apps by deploying data to its benefit. There are regular tests to find an optimal way of designing a course. They test how quickly users can learn a portion of the course and modify the formula to smooth the learning experience.
DragonBox
DragonBox is a company from Norway that emerged into the app scenario a few years ago. It is an educational game that teaches Math fundamentals in a fun and exciting manner. There are five learning apps under this title, all about different mathematical domains.
The first chapters inside each app are accessible to introduce concepts to middle school children and assess prior knowledge of the students. All five games in this app require upfront payment but don’t have in-app purchasing options.
The online reviews of DragonBox are positive, and the rating goes above four stars. So a quick suggestion here would be to look into the app reviews before you opt for an app. For example, if you are planning to download an app from airG, looking into airG Reviews will give you an insight into the app’s functionality and usability. This will definitely expedite your decision-making process.
Science360
Science360 is a fantastic app from the Science360 Knowledge Network and sponsored by the National Science Foundation. It is exclusively designed for tablet users, showcasing advanced videos, science and engineering news for the children. All content available is high-quality, authentic, and upgraded weekly.
The hand icon in the grid provides access to four main options: pinch grid, tap anywhere, two-finger tap, and drag grid. You can scroll through the resources by sliding and tapping your finger in almost any direction. It moves like a sphere when you slide your finger across the screen. The feature-rich app probably contains all factors necessary for app success.
NSF is responsible for content production with scientists from different universities collecting the data. It is a great place to find STEM resources. One way to use this app is to allow students to explore various resources to research and inspire when trying to choose a research topic.
Parting Thoughts
Right now, there is more focus than ever on learning at home. It allows a child to continue education and use the Internet as a glorious information tool. Although not every app in this list will help every child, we hope it turns out helpful for your kid. It might be tricky to get some children to use these devices, but the results are worth a shot.
Audrey Throne has an ongoing affair with the words that capture readers’ attention. Her passion for writing dates back to her pre-blogging days. She loves to share her thoughts related to business, technology, health and fashion.