Top iPad Apps to Help Kids Learn

Kids of all ages love technology, which is why the iPad makes such a great teaching tool. Our occupational therapist helps you choose the best educational apps for your child.

With so many great apps, how can you choose the best ones for your child? Good Shepherd Pediatric Program’s Wanda Kolipinski, an occupational therapist and assistive technology professional, offers these suggestions:

Babies. Fisher Price See-n-Say® lets you press a button and spin a virtual wheel to make an animal appear and make its characteristic sound. It’s a new techno twist on an old favorite and is available at apple.com/itunes [1].

Toddlers. Interactive Alphabet (piikeastreet.com [2]) teaches the alphabet to children ages 2 to 4 who aren’t writing yet. Touch an “E” and an egg appears on screen, says its name and allows your child to crack it. Toddlerteasers.com [3] has fun apps that teach little ones how to identify shapes and colors.

Elementary School Children. Dexteria™ (dexteria.net [4]) by Binary Labs helps second- and third-graders learn to write with audio cues that guide them. It also helps children practice their pincer grip by allowing them to pick up little crabs running across the screen. Typ-o HD (by Second-Guess Apps and available on iTunes [1]) has an onscreen keyboard that anticipates words and provides text to speech as a child types. This is good for fourth- and fifth-graders who write independently but may need help with spelling.

Tweens, Teens and Beyond. MyHomework, by Rodrigo Neri, (myhomeworkapp.com [5]) provides a visual calendar and daily reminders for tracking assignments. The app is for use on iPads and iPhones and is coming soon for Android. Kolipinski also recommends iStudiez Lite (free version) as a homework app.

Learn more on Good Shepherd's blog  [6]or call 1-888-44-REHAB (73422).