2. - Subjects:Literature, Writing, Technology
Exciting lesson ideas, classroom strategies, book lists, videos, and reproducibles in a daily blog by teachers
Alycia
Alycia
I live in New York
I teach 3rd grade
I am an almost-digital-native and Ms. Frizzle wannabe
Rhonda
Rhonda
I live in New Jersey
I teach sixth grade literacy
I am passionate about my students becoming lifelong readers and writers
Christy
Christy
I live in New York
I teach K-5
I am a proud supporter of American public education and a tech integrationist
Erin
Erin
I live in Michigan
I teach second grade
I am a Tweet loving, technology integrating, mom of two with a passion for classroom design!
Allie
Allie
I live in Las Vegas NV
I teach PreK-K
I am a loving, enthusiastic teacher whose goal is to make learning exciting for every child
Genia
Genia
I live in Michigan
I teach 3rd grade
I am seriously addicted to all things technology in my teaching
Kriscia
Kriscia
I live in California
I teach fourth and fifth grades
I am an eager educator, on the hunt to find the brilliance in all
Brian
Brian
I live in North Carolina
I teach kindergarten
I am a kindergarten teacher who takes creating a fun, engaging classroom seriously
Meghan
Meghan
I live in Alabama
I teach 4th grade
I am an obsessive personality with a creative flair
Lindsey
Lindsey
I live in Illinois
I teach fourth grade
I am a theme-weaving, bargain-hunting, creative public educator
6 Addictive Apps for Summer Reading and Writing
- Grades: 1–2, 3–5
Many students will spend a condsiderable amount of time this summer traveling to home countries, visiting relatives in another state, or simply waiting patiently while Mom is in the laundromat or shopping. And during that time, many of them will be using their parents' mobile devices to entertain themselves. Check out the list of iOS apps below to see how kids can use that downtime to become well-read, digital storytellers. And when autumn rolls around, let them show you what they did this summer 21st century fashion.
1. Tales2Go
These moblie audio books cost $9.99 per month. Show parents the Tales2Go one-month free trial offer; suggest they pay $9.99 for just one month and they'll have access to thousands of great audio books that the whole family can enjoy anywhere for the entire summer.
Once students have listened to a few mentor texts with Tales2Go, they will be ready and eager to create their own audio books. I Tell A Story ($0.99) allows young audio book creators to add sound effects from iTunes or the I Tell A Story sound library. The app is especially fun for recording silly or scarey Round Robin stories on long family trips.
3. Storia
Kids stuck on a plane, train, or in a crowded automobile will be happy and well-read with interactive Storia e-books. Parents can download five free e-books, track their child's reading time and activities with the app's reading manager, and find nonfiction material that will entice any reluctant reader.
(For young male readers, start their bookshelf off with Melvin Berger's Chomp! A Book About Sharks ($5.99). My kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade boys are obsessed with Chomp! The narration option, shark video, and vocabulary/comprehension games have some of the most challenged readers continually asking me to download new nonfiction for our devices.)
4. StoryKit
Got an e-reader? Then you've got an e-writer. Twenty-first century students have the chance to create texts just as professional looking as books from e-publishing companies. StoryKit is my k-5 students' favorite e-book creator; they can easily add text, photos, and illustrate and narrate their books in less than an hour. During free time, students have easily created chapter books, chock-full of rich vocabulary thanks to StoryKit. Don't be scared off by the vintage-looking e-covers on the StoryKit's opening screens — the app is incredibly kid-friendly and fun. Plus, it's free!
If you have serious illustrators in your classroom, check out Scribble Press. This book-creating app has hundreds of drawing tools and dozens of story templates.
5. Toontastic
Students love Toontastic because they can create animation with a variety of playsets and add music and credits to the animated stories very easily. Teachers like Toontastic because it pushes young writers/animators to follow a story arc.
6. Comic Life
This app is a must for the budding Stan Lee or Charles Schultz in your classroom. Comic Life's ($4.99) pre-designed templates make it easy to add photos or drawings to create professional looking comics.
Share your own favorite apps or other enticements that get kids excited about reading and writing.
Comments (15)
August 26, 2013 at 6:59 p.m.
Great ideas for 21st Century learning skills. Relieves summer boredom and increase in class active engagement.
July 9, 2013 at 12:34 p.m.
I have an "addictive app" for you: It's called the public library. Go there. Check out a stack of books, free. Read them. All this technology for kids is ruining their ability to focus in the classroom. Geeze. This makes being a teacher awfully hard when children have to actually read texts and and pay attention to me and other students.
July 9, 2013 at 12:24 p.m.
I have an "addictive app" for you: It's called the public library. Go there. Check out a stack of books, free. Read them. All this technology for kids is ruining their ability to focus in the classroom. Geeze. This makes being a teacher awfully hard when children have to actually read texts and and pay attention to me and other students.
June 20, 2013 at 9:41 p.m.
I tell a story sounds great. Thanks for the suggestions!
June 20, 2013 at 9:41 p.m.
I tell a story sounds great. Thanks for the suggestions!
June 20, 2013 at 9:40 p.m.
I tell a story sounds great. Thanks for the suggestions!
June 18, 2013 at 9:00 p.m.
3 of these sounded terrific for my 8 year old son, but all 3 and most of the others are iApps and we use Android. Please include more Android apps!
June 18, 2013 at 3:15 p.m.
just went to look up the app on the Ipad. The comments on the page say it is a great app, but the intro is too long and you have to watch it every time and that some people are having trouble with it. But overall, they like it but would like designers fix some of the problems.
June 18, 2013 at 3:14 p.m.
just went to look up the app on the Ipad. The comments on the page say it is a great app, but the intro is too long and you have to watch it every time and that some people are having trouble with it. But overall, they like it but would like designers fix some of the problems.
June 18, 2013 at 12:06 p.m.
"For young male readers, start their bookshelf off with Melvin Berger's Chomp! A Book About Sharks ($5.99)"
Why only male readers? I hope every mother/guardian of a girl checks this out -- we must continue to up the interest of All Things Sciency with our daughters.
June 18, 2013 at 12:05 p.m.
"For young male readers, start their bookshelf off with Melvin Berger's Chomp! A Book About Sharks ($5.99)"
Why only male readers? I hope every mother/guardian of a girl checks this out -- we must continue to up the interest of All Things Sciency with our daughters.
June 7, 2013 at 5:02 p.m.
Thanks, Nancy! Enjoy your summer!
June 7, 2013 at 2:54 p.m.
My students love Cash Cow Deluxe. They combine smaller coins to make larger coins and a dollar. Kids that have not understood money remember combinations after just one day of practice. When students get through each level, they earn money to fix up their own farm. I used with students from 2nd grade through 5th grade. Worth the small cost.
June 8, 2013 at 5:42 a.m.
Charlene,
Thanks for the Cash Cow tip. All of our kids are using Dreambox (personalized, Common Core aligned...) but we will definitely try Cash Cow. Saw the $4.99 price tag on Cash Cow but I'm intrigued by your comments-- it looks fun! Have a great summer!
June 5, 2013 at 2:57 p.m.
These are great ideas - thanks!
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