Maths Primary

Maths primary is an app I've been looking for for awhile. I wanted an app I could come back to time and time again that I knew would help across the whole maths curriculum. I wanted a simple and clear app that the children could easily access and indepently use. Maths primary is it.

This app reads out most of the questions which is really helpful and even comes with an extremely positive teacher: "You're making excellent progress!"

You can toggled between different curriculums in the UK and even features the new 2014 curriculum for England.

Each child can have their own username which enables you to see how they are progressing.

You can easily see how a student is doing in each area and the children are encourage with the awarding of bronze, silver and gold stars.

This is one of those apps I keep seeing the children on so clearly they are enjoying it!

i-nigma

I love QR (Quick Response) codes. They can be used in great ways to get children to web sites quickly and easily which helps keep them engaged rather then having to remind them how to spell the /oo/ sound in Google.What is a QR code some of you may say. It's basically a 2D bar code that can be linked to web addresses. It can also be linked to text, emails and even phone numbers if you want.There are a host of apps that can zap QR codes that are either cheap or free. I-nigma is one I heard good reviews about a year ago and since then even the lower ability children in my class can use it independently. They don't need to tap anything once the app is open just point it in the vague direction of the QR code and a "bing" will signify that the code has been zapped.So you have the app to read them but how do you generate them? I've used www.qrstuff.com which creates the QR code in any colour you desire and of course it's free.I've used QR codes in many different lessons inside and outside. They are great for researching activities where you'd like the children to watch suitable videos online that you have already found and checked.I've also used them in a airport Role Play area where the QR codes were on different boarding passes and once scanned took the children to the location on Google Maps. From there they compared the country on the iPad to an actual REAL world map and used an rescaled metre stick to measure how many miles they they needed to fly. They also chose the type of aircraft that would be best for their journey. As you can imagine the children enjoyed acting check-in staff and didn't realise, until I pointed out to them, the range of skills they were using.

We used QR codes outside too (our wi-if just reached). The QR could sent children to different google maps that showed a continent. The children then labelled their own paper maps by comparing their map to the image on the iPad. Great as well as the current UK curriculum requires children to use aerial photos as well as maps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ChatterPix Kids

ChatterPix Kids from Duck Duck Moose is an amusing little app that simply adds speech to photos but with the extra excitement of a moving mouth.

What the children enjoyed about this app was that it was simple to use and just very funny. Seeing characters from books come to life with the children's own voices helped children share what they thought about the characters and also informed me on the children's understanding of the book. Once they had photographed a picture image or chosen one from the camera roll they drew where they want the mouth to be.

This obviously could be used across the curriculum. Why not get Henry VIII to introduce your Tudors topic instead of the children listening to teacher! For a recent topic about Explorers instead of me telling the children about them Neil Armstrong spoke to them from his Lunar Module! The file was quite big so I couldn't email it but easily uploaded it to YouTube instead. Check it out here.

Video made in this app can be easily export to the camera role.

As you can see from the photo "stickers" and text can be added to images. This adds another element of fun to it and also a whole wealth of reading activities. If text is applied to the picture all children need to do is add the voice.

Twinkl Phonics Suite

 

 

 

 

 

Twinkl Phonics Suite is a fantastic app to help children with their phonics. It uses fun games that focus on specific sounds.This engaging app is directly linked with the DfES Letters and Sounds programme with it being split into the separate 5 phases. A game that I like to use among a carousel on activities is the classic "Buried Treasure". Again, a specific sound can be chosen which will be used in real and nonsense words. The children need to read these words and sort them one by one by dragging them into a bin or a treasure chest! My kids love it and use it really well in pairs by taking in turns. Also what a great way to prep them for understanding what nonsenses word are. Probably the most important thing they learn in Year 1 with the dreaded Phonic Screening looming!!What's also great about this app, in comparison to other apps like those from Mr Thorne, is that is uses sounds that the children have already learnt in words. For example if children are playing games with the sound "ee" in them it wont give them the word "deeper" as the children wouldn't have come to the "er" sound yet. Simple but I've found it so frustrating when your children finally not only know the sound but have read it correctly in a word but then can't move forward because some other sound comes along that they aren't going to learn until next term!This app also includes the following:
- The sounds and names of each letter of the alphabet- Letter formation- Blending sounds in CVC words- The graphemes taught in phases 2-3 (including digraphs and trigraphs)- Initial and final blends- Alternative spellings for phonemes- High frequency and tricky words for each phase.You can buy the separate phases for £2.49 but I'd advise you just get the whole Suite of the 5 phases for £4.99 which if is used in phonics sessions regularly is definitely worth it.What I love about this app is that it's been designed to be used in the classroom and not for the more lucrative parenting market!