15 Smart and FREE (or Inexpensive) Back-to-School Apps for Kids and Parents
/
A popular guide to finding and using educational apps for kids! KinderTown’s team of parents and educators pick educational apps by age and subject so parents don’t have to. (FREE) (Apple only).
A top-rated app with trusted reference content from Dictionary.com & Thesaurus.com. Includes nearly 400,000 definitions and a thesaurus. It also WORKS OFFLINE – with no Internet. ($2.99)
3. Duolingo
Learn Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, and English. It’s totally fun and totally free with Duolingo, Apple’s 2013 App of the Year!
4. Easy Bib
Create accurate MLA, APA, and Chicago style citations in seconds by scanning a book bar code or by typing the name of a book. (FREE)
Designed by teachers for early childhood and elementary classes, Easy Blog Jr. is the easiest blogger uploader available. Children as young as four are able to easily post photos, video and voice-over-photos to Blogger. ($1.99)
2013 App of the Year Runner-Up. Kids will have a blast learning their ABC's and building vocabulary with this delightfully interactive educational app. The company also offers similar games for reading and math. ($6.99)
A wonderful app that allows parents to disable their child’s phone if he/she refuses to answer calls from home. Note: The child is still able to call the parent or 9-1-1. ($1.99 per phone that you want to install it on). (Android only).
Register your kids’ cell phones (even if they are not smart phones) and this app will find them on the map. It also has a panic button. (FREE)
9. myHomework
Replace your paper planner with the leading cross-platform student planner
by myHomework. The app syncs across devices so you can easily access your class schedules, upcoming assignments, etc. anytime and anywhere. (FREE)
10. Penultimate
A great app for parents to share the process of writing and spelling with their kids. Perfect for taking notes, keeping a journal, sketching, etc. Described by publisher Evernote as “the most natural digital handwriting experience.” (FREE) Available on the iPad.
11. Porkfolio Smart Piggy Bank by Quirky
Porkfolio is the world’s smartest piggy bank. It wirelessly connects to an app on your mobile device so you can track your balance and set financial goals from afar. Its nose lights up in celebration every time a U.S. coin is inserted and it holds up to $100 in quarters. It’s a Wi-Fi connected piggy bank designed to keep track of spare change and also help kids learn how to set goals and save. (BANK: $34.99/FREE APP)
Promotes reading practice by encouraging reading every day and most importantly, makes it fun! This is a fun and functional reading timer that puts the power of reading in the palm of kids’ hands and also allows parents to give their young readers timed reading tests to help improve reading efficiency. (FREE)
13. School A to Z
This digital tutor helps parents answer their child’s homework head-scratchers as well as project suggestions on a variety of topics. (FREE)
14. StudyBlue
Make studying easier and better, and get the grade you want with StudyBlue’s virtual flashcards, study guides, and quizzes. (FREE)
15. Wikipanion
Designed for easy, search, navigation and display of Wikipedia entries. Search and bookmark articles in this massive open-source encyclopedia. (FREE)
Additional Sources
http://www.parents.com/parenting/technology/free-apps-for-school/#page=12
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1919378,00.html
