App Review

 App Review 

ELA21.K.11 

Recognize and name all upper and lower case letters in non-sequential order with accuracy and automaticity.

The apps that I have chosen are:

SeeSaw 

https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/seesaw#:~:text=easy%20to%20use%20even%20by,for%20Schools%20include%20SEL%20content

Seesaw is an educational app designed to foster student engagement and simplify communication between teachers, students, and families. The platform is a digital portfolio where students can document their learning through photos, videos, drawings, and text. Teachers can assign activities, provide feedback, and track student progress. Families also stay connected by viewing their child's work and receiving updates.

Seesaw is widely used for its interactive features that allow students to demonstrate their understanding in a creative and personalized way. It's intuitive enough for younger students, making it popular in early education settings, but it can also be adapted for older students.

Key Features:

Student Portfolios: Students upload work in various formats (video, text, drawing, etc.)

Teacher Feedback: Teachers can review and comment on submissions.

Family Access: Parents can view their child's progress and get updates.

Pre-made Activities: Offers a library of pre-made tasks and activities aligned with educational goals.

Costs:

Seesaw offers a free version for individual teachers and classrooms, with limited features. Schools can upgrade to Seesaw for Schools, which is a paid subscription model with additional features such as deeper integration with learning management systems (LMS) and advanced student progress tracking tools. Pricing varies by school size and needs.

Intended Age Group:

Seesaw is particularly effective for younger students in the K-5 range, but its flexibility allows for use in higher grade levels as well.

Platform Compatibility:

Seesaw is available across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, and web browsers, making it accessible on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers.

Credibility of Review Site:

Common Sense Education is a highly credible source for educational app reviews. The organization is known for its thorough evaluations of digital tools used in classrooms, offering balanced reviews that highlight both strengths and weaknesses. They also include insights from educators and parents, which provide practical perspectives on how these apps perform in real-world settings. Common Sense is respected for its advocacy of safe and effective technology use in schools, and its reviews are grounded in years of experience in the education field.

I use this to assign various letter naming, letter finding, sorting, and other activities to follow the Kindergarten standard of recognizing letters randomly with automaticity and accuracy. 

StarFall:

https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/starfall#:~:text=Useful%20tool%20for%20young%20learners,the%20use%20of%20colorfull%20graphics.

Starfall is an educational app primarily designed for young children, particularly in early childhood education, to help them develop foundational skills in reading, phonics, and math. The app uses engaging, interactive games and activities that are colorful and easy to navigate, making it accessible for children as young as preschool age. Starfall is particularly known for its structured, step-by-step learning approach, which builds literacy and numeracy skills through a combination of songs, animations, stories, and interactive lessons.

Key Features:

Reading and Phonics: Focuses heavily on early literacy, including letter sounds, phonics, and basic reading skills.

Math Skills: Offers math activities that introduce counting, addition, subtraction, and geometry concepts.

Interactive Content: Uses games, songs, and animations to make learning fun and engaging.

Safe Environment: No third-party ads, which makes it a safe space for young children to learn without distractions.

Costs:

Starfall has a free version that includes basic reading and phonics activities. For access to a broader range of content, including advanced literacy and math lessons, parents or schools can subscribe to Starfall’s premium service, which costs around $35 per year for a home membership. Schools and classrooms can also subscribe to an expanded version tailored for educational institutions, with different pricing tiers based on the number of users.

Intended Age Group:

The app is intended for young children, particularly those in pre-K to grade 3. It is highly effective for children who are just beginning to learn how to read and count, making it ideal for early learners.

Platform Compatibility:

Starfall is compatible with various platforms, including iOS, Android, and web browsers, making it accessible on devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. This flexibility ensures that young learners can engage with the app at home or in the classroom on any device.

Credibility of Review Site:

Common Sense Education is a well-established and trusted source when it comes to reviewing educational tools and apps. Common Sense Education is respected for offering practical insights into how technology can be effectively integrated into teaching and learning. Their reviews include feedback from educators, which makes them especially valuable for assessing how well an app works in classroom settings.  

I use this in my classroom as my Kindergarten students work on mastering the standard of recognizing upper and lower case letters.

SplashLearn

https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/splashlearn

SplashLearn is an educational app designed to help children develop math and reading skills through engaging, game-like activities. It uses a fun, interactive approach to reinforce concepts in math and literacy, offering personalized learning experiences that adapt to a child's progress. The app covers a wide range of topics, such as arithmetic, geometry, and reading comprehension, using animations, rewards, and challenges to keep children motivated.

Key Features

Math and Reading Practice: SplashLearn offers a structured curriculum for both subjects, helping students strengthen core skills in areas like counting, multiplication, fractions, and grammar

Personalized Learning: The app adapts to each child's skill level and learning pace, providing practice activities that target their specific needs.

Interactive Games: Children learn through games and challenges, which makes learning enjoyable and fosters engagement.

Progress Tracking: Teachers and parents can monitor a child's progress, identify areas for improvement, and provide additional support when needed.

Costs:

SplashLearn offers a free version that includes basic access to certain activities and lessons. However, for more comprehensive content and features, a premium subscription is available. The subscription typically costs around $12 per month or $60 per year for unlimited access to all subjects and grade levels. Schools can also opt for customized pricing plans to integrate SplashLearn into their classrooms.

Intended Age Group:

SplashLearn is designed for children in pre-K to grade 5, focusing on foundational math and reading skills that are critical in early education. The app’s gamified learning approach makes it particularly appealing to younger children who benefit from visual and interactive content.

Platform Compatibility:

SplashLearn is compatible with various platforms, including iOS, Android, and web browsers. This flexibility allows children to use the app on smartphones, tablets, or computers, making it accessible at home, in school, or on the go.

Credibility of Review Site:

Common Sense Education is a well-respected platform for reviewing educational apps and tools, known for its objective and thorough evaluations. Their reviews offer a balanced perspective by focusing on educational value, ease of use, and child-friendliness, while also including feedback from educators and parents.

This app is perfect for assigning lessons and activities to reinforce letter naming and recognition practice. Kindergarten students are slow to pick up on recognizing the letters so the more exposure they can get in different formats allows students to pick up on the standard quicker. 

Of the three apps I chose, I feel Seesaw is the most appropriate. I use Seesaw the most. I love that lessons can be integrated into the app through various web resources as well as creating your own. This app also has the option to place lessons or activities completed in each student's journal. Once parents log onto the app they are able to view their child's work and listen if they record audio. My students use this app daily to practice various activities in Seesaw that are geared around letter recognition, naming, matching, sorting etc. As an educator, I am able to view each student's response before it is posted to their journal. This allows me to view what the students know and don't know and can plan accordingly. This app allows educators to assign lessons not only for this standard but any standard they need.