Author Topic: Learning Apps for a 4 year old and an Ipad  (Read 2989 times)

aceyou

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1669
  • Age: 40
    • Life is Good - Aceyou's Journal
Learning Apps for a 4 year old and an Ipad
« on: December 11, 2016, 08:17:59 PM »
I have a 4 year old Ipad that my son has never seen because we don't really use it.  My thought is to clear all my old stuff off it, put some fun educational apps on it, and wrap it up for his christmas present.  So, what's out there that a 4.5 year old boy would find cool?  Some topics I'd like to hit include but are not limited to:

-math
-geography
-basic science?
- learning words/sentences (he knows his letters and can sound out basic short word and simple sentences)
-memory
- anything else you find cool

Please share your thoughts. 

(Disclaimer: he will not be given free reign of this device.  Learning with this will be a reward.  His access will be limited, however we think this is a way he can continue to grow/learn, and grow up viewing electronics as a means to learn things, not consume garbage.)

marty998

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7372
  • Location: Sydney, Oz
Re: Learning Apps for a 4 year old and an Ipad
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2016, 12:07:17 AM »
Blackjack is good for arithmetic skills :D

Ok, that being said, who remembers the Magic School Bus? I used love it when I was a kid... it was a TV series, but they had heaps of spin-off computer games. I remember one in particular about the solar system where the bus would take you to different moons and planets and you'd have to solve problems to move to the next location.

Age appropriate from 5-10 of course...

MEJG

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 276
  • Location: Northeast US
Re: Learning Apps for a 4 year old and an Ipad
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2016, 06:57:54 AM »
We're getting our first tablet this Christmas - here is what we'll be loading on for our kids 3.5 and 6.5.

Khan academy- 6.5 yr old can do the early math sections and enjoys the videos
Both Logic of English apps- more on this below
The free Reading eggs app
Reading eggs &  mathseeds (we have the full version for the 6.6 yr old, our 3.5 is not ready for it yet)
LexiaCore5 - educational online account requires by 6.5 ur olds school
A simple sudoku app- 6.5 yr old got hooked by grandma

We have a friend that SWEARS by the "endless" series - she got the full versions free, we have the free partial versions on my phone. It's not our kids cup of tea but I can see how it would be good for most typical 3/4/5 yr olds.

Logic of English- ok so this is NOT an app- it's a curriculum I'm using for our older kiddo right now.  I'm not fond of how his school is teaching reading. They are using a kind of phonics, sight word hybrid and encouraging memorization. I don't think older kiddo is getting the skills for full decoding.  I looked for a long time for a supplement- reading eggs is/was good as a step by step phonics supplement but still doesn't teach all the sounds or rules. I found the Logic of English Foundations program this summer and it is amazing. I wish I had stared the older kiddo when he was 4. It's short and games based and he loves to do it. Younger kiddo like the games too and I'll be using the lessons with younger kiddo probably starting this summer.  Younger kiddo won't be using the other reading/ English type apps until we used with older kiddo until much later.  We only do it in 15 minute segments unless older kiddo asks to do more. 

So we'll be using both the Logic of English apps with our new tablet.  You can use them in isolation too so I'd encourage you to check them out.  If you have any inclination to teach reading skills at home outside the tablet - other than reading with you kiddo :) - take a peek at the Logic of English Foundations curriculum.   * I  am NOT in anyway affiliated with LOE, have not reviewed it anywhere but in this post, and paid full price*

Freedomin5

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6483
Re: Learning Apps for a 4 year old and an Ipad
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2016, 07:30:45 AM »
I really like Leo's Pad -- developed by Stanford researchers for preschoolers, and the activities are based on reasearch.

sokoloff

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1191
Re: Learning Apps for a 4 year old and an Ipad
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2016, 11:46:33 AM »
My 5 and 7 year old really enjoy Lightbot (there's a limited, free version available to try) for basic logic/programming and DreamBox for math. Dreambox is probably slightly advanced for a 4.5 year old, but not much and they claim to modulate the difficulty based on the student's actual performance.

They also watch PBS Kids and BrainPop videos on the device, which is basically watching TV, so we limit that a fair bit. We don't limit the educational games quite as much.

They also got into scratchjr (from hour of code, sort of) recently. It's unclear how much "legs" that will have as it seems fairly simplistic to me, but it also is fairly open-ended and allows them to do some creative expression and storytelling with programming as a backbone. The programming part is frustrating to them at times, because it's so fiddly. I'm a (n ex-) computer programmer and it would drive me nuts, but the kids stick with it and get little stories/skits made on the iPad that they're then extremely proud to share with us.

aceyou

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1669
  • Age: 40
    • Life is Good - Aceyou's Journal
Re: Learning Apps for a 4 year old and an Ipad
« Reply #5 on: December 12, 2016, 11:52:23 AM »
Thanks to all who replied.  I won't be able to comment on which apps appeal to my kiddo till a while after Christmas.  My plan is to only load a few of these apps at a time...too much choice = not good IMO.  I've got some rock star neighbors who are going to give me a list of what their rock star 6 year old has liked.  I'll share those when they pass the info my way. 

tonysemail

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 718
  • Location: San Jose, CA
Re: Learning Apps for a 4 year old and an Ipad
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2016, 04:24:52 PM »
my kids really liked:
- Dino Digger
- Flow
- Foos
- Tynker

khan academy videos were generally too boring for my kids. 
But they liked this one about cave men and watched it multiple times.
« Last Edit: December 13, 2016, 11:34:30 AM by tonysemail »

Tiger Stache

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 114
  • Location: NOLA
Re: Learning Apps for a 4 year old and an Ipad
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2016, 12:03:57 AM »
We use PBS kids and Netflix. My kids LOVE the Storybots. We've been watching the videos on YouTube for a couple of years, so now the Netflix shows are on repeat it seems. We also use ABC Mouse.

i don't recommend YouTube kids, tried that and their filter is awful. My daughter kept pulling up videos of other people opening or playing with toys.

hunniebun

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 491
Re: Learning Apps for a 4 year old and an Ipad
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2016, 08:04:07 AM »
Monkey's lunch box is good for letters and reading basic words!