Previewing Free Apps

So when I attended BYTE, I was given an enormous list of recommended apps by a variety of teachers and education professionals.  I downloaded ALL the freebies (a lot of the recommended ones were pricey) and I have finally got around to checking some out.


Jumbline 2


    

This game has you twisting your brain to make words from jumbled lists of letters.  Very addicting I must say. There are 3 ways to play.  Two I have posted pictures about, the 3rd I have not  even tried yet.  I love the 2nd way where you race the clock to make words with the letters you have while the yellow time climbs up.  When the line gets to the top, time is up.   You earn more time by making longer words.

Definitely not a classroom app for my first graders, but good word work practice for older kiddos.  My 8 year old son was playing a long with me.

The lite version is free (that is what I have - it has ads on the bottom of the screen)

Greater Than


  

I am going to use this app to introduce greater than and less than, such a tricky concept for kiddos.  I always use the analogy that the symbol is a lion's big chopping mouth.  Lion's always want to eat the biggest thing so the chomp needs to gobble the bigger number, seems to work.

I got this app for free, it will be fine to introduce the concept, but there is nothing exciting about it and I would not recommend spending money on it as I am sure there is something better for free out there but hooked to my lcd, it will be a great intro to the concept (I really need that adapter/cord I last blogged about).

Build A Word


What a great app for spelling words.  The Ipad very clearly stretches out a word so you can hear all the sounds and you choose the letters to spell the word.    It even puts double letters on the same car for example ll or ck.

I have the free version of this app as well, but seriously want to purchase the full version for my classroom.

That's all for now, more previews coming soon.