Awesome Apps Post #5

Awesome Apps is BACK!!! And I have some GREAT ones for you!!

 10 Frame Fill

Price: Free

Understanding how numbers relate to 10 is critical for fluent computations and is part of many state and common core standards. This simple app is exactly what the title suggests--students will fill in a ten-frame using a given number. We always start off the year doing this very activity in my classroom with counters and ten-frame mats; at that point, my students begin making statements such as "5 and 5 more is ten" or "8 and 2 more is 10". Later on when we discuss addition and subtraction, my kids have a better understanding and begin to make and use number sentences to go with the ten-frames.

You can customize the app to fit the needs of your students:

I like the option to add a number sentence to the ten-frames to practice missing addends:

Writing Wizard

Price: $2.99

This is THE BEST app EVER!!!!!! EVER!!!! I know, I've said that before, but I really mean it! This incredibly engaging app helps with proper letter formation, an essential in my first grade classroom. You can also spell words and even customize a list of words. Gotta love all of the options.

Every letter has a brief tutorial that shows the proper direction to go to form the letter.

Students then form the letter under the guidance of the arrows and dots.

The animations are fantastic. After the letter is formed, you are allowed a little play time with the objects used to form the letter/word. Each time is a different object!

 The app comes with this list of words that students can spell and write.

Add your own list of words! You can even record your voice to say the words so students can work independently. 

I love this app and so do my kids (including my 3-year-old at home!). Definitely worth the investment.

And now for the babies at home!

Hungry Hungry Hippos

Price: Free

Remember this game?? Yeah, there's an app for it! I love this game and so does my 3-year-old! We play it quite frequently! It's the same as the original game, but with no clean-up or game box storage problems. :)



Now go and download some awesome apps! :)

Going on a Shape Hunt...

If you recall last Sunday's post, I shared my math plans with you AND a little Shape Hunt freebie! In those plans, I explained that we would be going on a Shape Hunt around our campus using iPads to capture the shapes. This was probably our FUNNEST day of math to date--the kids were not only excited to go outside on a hunt, but they were THRILLED to be able to carry their very own iPad with them! Well...

The hunt is on!

After the hunt, the kids looked at all of the pictures they took and used them to fill out the Shape Hunt recording sheet.

They took some great pictures!!

After they finished the recording sheet, they got to play one of the shapes apps we have on the iPads. However, I CANNOT remember/find the app we used!! Lo siento. It is on the school iPads so I will find out once I have access to them again. I want to say it was called Train Shapes but when I googled it, the apps that came up didn't match the one we played.

And here is the chart we made using some of our iPad pictures!!! The kids came up with all of the descriptions--I was simply just the scribe. :)

This was a great kick-start to our 2D Figures unit. We will be finishing up this week, so I will have to share some more activities with you! :)

 

Awesome Apps #4

It's that time again!

I love sharing such great apps with you! Here are three more for you:

Number Rack

Price: Free

Number Rack is exactly what the title suggests--a number rack. (You may refer to a number rack as an abacus or a rekenrek.) This app is PERFECT for exploring combinations of 10, multiples of 10, coutning by 10, subitizing, etc.

 You can add up to 10 number racks.

Decompose the number racks to explore combinations of 10.

You can also add a blinder so that the student has to determine the missing part (algebra!).

I love it. And I love that it is free. ;)

Jumbled Sentences 1

Price: Free

In this app, students will unscramble sentences. Great for practicing writing conventions, but also good for reading comprehension. In this version, there are 3 levels of play.

There are actually 5 of these Jumbled Sentences apps available so you can choose which works best for your students!

I Hear Ewe

Price: Free

This app is perfect for babies and toddlers. There are 3 pages of animals and modes of transportation. When you tap one of the squares the animal or vehicle makes its sound. There isn't much to this app but it will provide great entertainment for small children!

Now go and download some awesome apps! :)

Awesome Apps Post #3

What a GREAT time it was rounding up so many freebies for you! I hope you were able to grab them all! :) And now, I return you to your regularly scheduled programming...

Welcome back to Awesome Apps! I have some more good ones for you! :)

Sock Puppets

Price: FREE

This is one of the coolest apps out there! It is highly engaging and entertaining, AND can be used many different ways--use it for short storytelling, as an exit ticket/slip, introduce a concept, demonstrate learning, vocabulary, research report, etc.

Start by choosing your sock puppet or puppets, a background, and props:

After you make your choices, the set is then prepared for you:

Move the props and characters around by touching and dragging.

After that, press the record button at the top of the screen and then start talking! You can tap another puppet to switch characters and even move them around while recording. Press stop when finished, it will "scrub" your voice, and then it is ready to view! Here is a demonstration I recorded for you:

Concentration

Price: FREE

This app uses the game of concentration to reinforce several math concepts. You customize the game by picking the concept, card view, and level.

You can have the cards be opaque, like this.....

...or be translucent.

I, personally, like the translucent view better so the students can focus more on the concept and not so much on remembering the cards' positions.

Once a match is made, the cards are placed in the windows of the purple building.

I think this app is great for multiple grade levels--basic numbers and shapes can be used for all elementary (review or remediation for older kids) and the fractions, percent, and multiplication can be used for the upper elementary grades. It can easily be an independent or partner game or even be used in small groups.

And now, an app for the littles!

 Tiny Hands Sorting Apps

Price: $2.99 or lite version for free

There are 3 of these simple and wonderful apps that are perfect for little hands and little minds. My daughter loves them! In each game, there are 3 games offered for free: 

Kids will sort the objects by color, size, mode of transportation, etc.

These apps are all free to try and come with three free games each. You can upgrade each for $2.99. My 3-year-old enjoys each app but they get a little old about 7 minutes after playing each game once or twice. I am thinking that upgrading will offer a much more engaging time.

Happy downloading and happy Tuesday! :)