Educational Apps' Recommendations by Amanda Willard

Review of ten educational apps and their relevance to and recommendation of use in a third grade classroom.

1. EDUCATIONAL
APPS
Top 10
Learning Applications
Presentation By
Amanda Willard

2. LIST OF APPS
Khan Academy Kids Prodigy Epic!
Duolingo
BrainPOP Jr.

3. LIST OF APPS
PBS Kids Games ABCMouse ScratchJr
GoNoodle
ToonTastic 3D

4. KHAN ACADEMY KIDS
Khan Academy Kids offers a third grade curriculum that includes math, reading,
and writing skills based on Common Core standards. The app engages students
with stories and interactive challenges, providing skills in a real-world context.
Immediate, personalized feedback is provided to guide student in improving on
skills. Khan Academy offers customizable learning paths that adapt to individual
learner needs. It’s easily navigable, with clear and age-appropriate instructions,
ensuring that students understand how to complete activities.
Khan Academy Kids encourages critical thinking through problem-solving and
decision-making tasks, with engaging characters and rewards to motivate
students. I would recommended this app for its coverage of essential third grade
skills/standards and the engaging format that keeps students eager to return to
use the app.

5. Prodigy encourages critical thinking
skills and problem-solving through
complex math challenges. The game-
based approach and rewards system
keeps students motivated. I would
highly recommend Prodigy for its
engaging approach to math practice
and skills reinforcement.
PRODIGY
Prodigy uses a game-based approach
to present math challenges in a fantasy
world, aligning with third grade math
standards (derived from Common Core
standards). The app is engaging, making
learning relevant and fun. Prodigy
offers detailed feedback on student
performance, helping students
recognize areas of improvement based
on missed questions. The adaptive
technology of Prodigy personalizes the
learning experiences for each students.
The app is easy to navigate and use,
with clear instructions suitable for third
grade reading levels.

6. EPIC!
Epic! is an app that offers a diverse range of books,
including real-world topics and genres, aligned with
literacy standards, supporting reading comprehension
and fluency. Epic! offers quizzes and progress tracking to
give feedback on reading comprehension. The quizzes
encourage analysis and critical thinking through
comprehension questions and varied content. Students
are allowed to choose books that match their reading
level and interests, with a simple interface and easy
navigation for young readers.
I would highly recommend the Epic! app due to its vast
selection of engaging literary content for third grade
students. Epic! fosters a love of reading while enhancing
students’ literacy skills and confidence.

7. DUOLINGO
Duolingo is an app that provides real-world
language practice through scenarios and
vocabulary review. It is not directly aligned to
standards, however, it supports language
acquisition, which can complement language arts
standards. The app offers immediate feedback on
language exercises to help students improve
pronunciation and grammar. Learning paths are
customizable and allow students to progress at
their own pace. Instructions are clear and
straightforward, with visual aids to assist in
comprehension. Duolingo promotes cognitive skills
through pattern recognition and memorization.
Duolingo has some gamified elements
and a reward system that motivates
students to remain engaged with the
app. I would recommend Duolingo as a
supplementary tool for language
learning and practice for advanced
learners, especially.

8. BRAINPOP JR.
BrainPOP Jr. is an app that uses real-life scenarios and
animated videos to teach concepts in an engaging way.
It reviews standards in subjects like science, social
studies, and English, aligning with Common Core
standards. BrainPOP Jr. offers various content levels to
cater to different learning paces, providing quizzes and
activities with instant feedback to reinforce learning.
Instructions are clear and appropriate for third grade
students. The app encourages analytical thinking
through interactive activities and quizzes, engaging
students with relative characters and animations to
maintain students’ attention and interest.
I would highly recommend BrainPOP Jr. for its engaging
and educational content across various subjects,
presented to students in a kid-friendly way.

9. PBS KIDS GAMES
PBS Kids Games is an app offering educational games that
support literacy and math standards (based on Common
Core). Educational concepts are presented in a relatable
context using well-known characters. Games are designed
to cater to varying skill levels and learning styles,
providing positive reinforcement and corrective feedback,
as needed. The navigation is child-friendly and
instructions are clear and age-appropriate, ensuring all
students understand game objectives.
Due to familiar characters and engaging games, I would
recommend PBS Kids Games to reinforce key skills and
encourage problem-solving and critical thinking skills. The
fun approach keeps students motivated while learning
essential concepts.

10. ABCMOUSE
ABCmouse is an educational app that
provides a structured learning path,
aligning with Common Core standards in
reading, math, science, and art.
Personalized learning paths are based on
student performance, and young
learners are able to navigate the app
independently. Progress tracking and
rewards are used to motivate
improvement on skills. The app
encourages exploration and creativity
through various activities.
I would recommended ABCmouse to
reinforce skills, based on its
comprehensive curriculum and
engaging learning experiences.
Students are highly motivated when
using the app, due to its activities and
rewards system.

11. SCRATCH JR.
ScratchJr is a drag-and-drop coding app that supports
computational thinking, complementing math and science
standards, but isn’t directly aligned to any grade-level
standards. The app provides an authentic programming
experience through creating interactive stories and games,
offering visual feedback on coding projects through trial and
error. ScratchJr allows for creativity through projects that
suit various skills levels, offering instructions that are visual
and easy to follow, suitable for young learners.
I would highly recommend ScratchJr as an education app
that promotes problem-solving and creative thinking through
coding. With high student motivation, due to the ability to
create personalize projects, ScratchJr is a great app to
introduce coding and enhance problem-solving skills.

12. GONOODLE
GoNoodle is an app that complements
physical education standards, providing
students with brain breaks that enhance
focus and review academic skills and
standards, as well. The app offers activities
that incorporate health and wellness while
providing positive reinforcement to
encourage participation. Activities can be
selected based on energy levels of the
students and classroom needs.
The app is easy to use, even for young
students, and has simple instructions that
guide students through activities. GoNoodle
supports focus and attention through
physical activity. Student motivation is very
high, due to its interactive content allowing
students “brain breaks” from content
instruction. I would recommend GoNoodle
for its ability to provide engaging and
educational physical activity breaks during
long spans of instruction.

13. TOONTASTIC 3D
ToonTastic 3D aligns with language arts standards, supporting
storytelling and creativity. This app allows students to create
their own animated stories, offering clear instructions with
guided steps for story creation, allowing young students to
navigate the platform easily. There’s little formal feedback,
however, peer reviews and teacher input are options offered to
student. ToonTastic 3D supports diverse creative expression
and is highly customizable, promoting creativity, planning, and
problem-solving through story development.
Students enjoy creating and sharing their stories, thus
motivation to use the app is high. I would highly recommend
ToonTastic 3D for enhancing students’ communication and
written language skills, as well as fostering creativity and
enhancing storytelling abilities.

14. THANK
YOU