There are many educational apps on the market that are designed for early grade students. When considering their selection for your classes, it is worthwhile to follow a few criteria in order to properly match them to your own needs. After all, not everything will work the same for every educator and every group, and selecting the right apps for classes can be quite an art. Here are some features to look out for when looking at various educational program proposals.
Educational purpose of the application
The first consideration should be to think about what a particular educational app for grades 1-3 is going to bring to your classes. It can be: learning a selected slice of knowledge, practicing a skill, providing pure entertainment or reward for children. Depending on the specific purpose of the class, the answer to the question of which educational program to choose may be different. There are many apps on the market for example: programming, reading, practicing fine motor skills or categorization. So all you have to do is find ones that thematically interest you.
The right age, the right level
Pay attention to whether the level of knowledge or skills presented in a given educational program corresponds to the level of the students. After all, an educational application should not be too difficult and complicated, as children may not fully understand it. It also can’t be too easy, as it won’t provide much of a challenge and will bore them. Educational programs are usually created with a specific age range of users in mind, especially if we are talking about children, in whom cognitive, emotional needs or preferences change very quickly. Pay attention to whether the educational app is designed for grades 1-3.
What it contains and what the educational application looks like
A good app should offer a variety of content to accommodate children’s different learning styles and interests. It should also suit your classroom style. Different ways of interaction and types of exercises support learning processes that can be individualized for each student, and in addition, encourage the child’s active participation in the class. Also look at the visual and audio layer, which should be attractive and age-appropriate.
Special educational needs
More and more students with special educational needs are appearing in classrooms. So it is also important to make sure that they too feel part of a group that is getting active, using some educational programs for grades 1-3. As part of the app’s description, there should be information on whether its developers took this factor into account. If not, you can always consider the information about the type of gameplay, sounds or graphics on your own and decide whether your charges will enjoy it.
Relationships during the game
Educational apps for grades 1-3 should also encourage interaction between children, child and teacher, child and parent. It is the relationship that can be a key supportive element when learning together. Choose apps that promote healthy screen time and allow for intergroup integration. Educational apps should complement other forms of learning, or inspire active learning, rather than replace other activities such as playing outdoors, exercising physically, experimenting or reading books.
Child safety
Check that the educational program is safe for the child and his privacy. If the application is online, make sure it provides a safe environment for children. It protects them from unwanted content, ads, and keeps them away from adult content. Review the education app’s privacy policy and make sure it provides adequate safeguards for your child’s personal information.
Intuitive operation and support
The application interface should be simple and easy to use. Children should be able to use the app without too much input from the teacher or parent. The same applies to you as well. Check that the educational application is updated regularly and that it offers technical support. This will ensure that the educational application works properly and is adapted to changing needs. Also pay attention to whether practical materials or tips for using the app are offered: lesson plans, tutorials, collaborative groups to exchange ideas for introduction to grades 1-3. This will certainly help you to start working with the application with peace of mind.
Opinions on educational programs
Check what kind of reviews a particular educational app has. It is the active users who say the most about the actual and practical use of a given program. Reviews provide valuable information on quality, safety and educational value. Look around various forums or ask your teacher friends or parents for their opinion on a particular educational program for grades 1-3.
Experts speak out
Another way might be to watch the profiles of brands or experts, where they will comment on topics associated with that app or education. Very often, various educational programs were consulted with practitioners, experts and educators. They were able to actively express their opinions during the design work on a particular educational program, ensuring that it was appropriately adapted to work with children in grades 1-3. Other artists in the Internet space can express their opinions on the chosen topic. This allows you to assess whether an educational application is in line with current educational standards.
Technicalities
Check whether a particular educational program for grades 1-3 can be handled on the devices you have. Note whether you need an Internet connection for the application to work, and how your eventual progress is recorded. If possible, choose apps that enable offline content. This allows for flexible use in situations without internet access. Again, you may want to take a peek at the issue of possible security of your and your children’s data. Take a look at the app’s license and the costs you may incur by choosing a particular app.
Looking for educational apps for grades 1-3? Check out our packages! We are making every effort to put the above criteria into practice. Detailed descriptions of the packages can be found in the applications section.
