Oftentimes, families travel, lounge at the pool or beach, and visit their favorite amusement parks during summer vacation. It’s great that children are able to rest up and save their energy for a new school year, keeping in mind, that their minds are resting too. It can be quite tricky for kids to get back into the swing of things, given the excitement and first-day jitters, new teachers, and maybe even some homework! To help your children enter back-to-school mode, here are five apps that will ensure the process is as smooth and easy as possible.
Your child can jog their math skills from previous years’ lessons with Mathmateer Free
Mathmateer Free is a series of rocket and space-themed games (there are 56 math missions total) that deal with numbers, telling time, counting money, identifying shapes, and reiterating previous arithmetic knowledge.
Kids complete numerous missions after solving math problems and aim to keep their rockets in the air as long as possible by beating their highest scores (which, relative to space, is the highest altitude).
Read some of the classics, with stories like Cinderella, Peter Pan, Beauty & Beast, and Three Little Pigs at the forefront of a collection of thousands of picture books to sharpen your child’s reading and literacy with FarFaria Storybooks
They update the collection with new stories weekly, targeting children between the ages of 1-9. FarFaria Storybooks takes young readers through each story by highlighting word-for-word on the screen and alerting them with badges after completing a reading level.
Children are encouraged to read something that they enjoy on their own. When it comes down to reading material for school, they will be able to pick it up habitually without feeling forced.
Learn music technique from scratch or clear away the summer vacation rust with Piano Maestro
Piano Maestro is an app designed to help students of all ages learn how to play a musical instrument, requiring no previous instruction, using a game-like method that provides instant feedback as notes are being played.
It features a wide selection of songs, from classical piano to songs by top 40 artists including Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Avicii, and Wiz Khalifa. Kids earn a gold star for every correct note they play and unlock more songs as they advance through each level.
Identify favorite animals and learn about new ones with Animals Zoo
Animals Zoo is an interactive app that features numerous games and activities that will help your children identify different animals by name, sound, spelling, and pronunciation.
Kids can learn and quickly recognize animals by name and sound from jungle wildlife, farm and sea animals, pets, birds, and other endangered species. They can choose from different coloring activities and guessing games, along with interactive flash cards keeping your kids prepped for any science pop quizzes!
Speak another language in style with Learn Spanish
Learn Spanish includes 9 games, 50 lessons, 40 hours of content, and over 1,000 Spanish words for students of all ages to familiarize themselves with and master.
Learn Spanish’s games are designed to teach the basic but essential vocabulary and conversation skills. It includes spoken audio clips to help with pronunciation and memorization as well as an algorithm that creates a personalized learning experience for the user.
Parents need to continuously feed their children’s minds, especially at a time when it is critical to be attentive. As they absorb all the information they receive at school, make it easier and fun for them to get back to speed. Once the back-to-school season rolls around, your kids will be in tip-top shape for a new year of learning and growth.
Becki Laurent is a Lubbock, Texas-based piano teacher, mom, and musical advisor to JoyTunes. She conducts workshops for music teachers in the U.S. and promotes the use of technology to make teaching easier.
