5 Tablet Apps for Kindergarten Readiness

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I’ll preface this post by saying that the below mentioned apps are not necessarily free. Or at least the full versions are not free. There are many free applications out there but when I began this journey, I was on the hunt for a serious supplement to what my son was learning in preschool and at home. There are plenty of options out there and I encourage parents to test out a bunch just to find what would work best for your child. Here are my families’ personal favorites: 

  1. Starfall
    • Ages:4-7
    • Devices: Apple, Computer
    • Price: Free app but to unlock all the content, 35$/year for a membership
    • Content: Starfall is one of the best educational programs out there and many utilize the full course for their homeschooling curriculum. But if you just want to use the apps, it is a wonderful companion to preschool, kindergarten, and whatever parents have been teaching at home. A major plus is the highlighted text to help children read along, the exaggerated sounding out of words, and my son adores the interesting stories and movies. 
  2. Monkey Preschool Lunchbox
    • Ages: 3-4
    • Devices: Apple, Android, Kindle Fire
    • Price: $1.99
    • Content: Very engaging. Reinforces basic skills like counting and matching but kids enjoy how fun they make the activities. Simple and effective.
  3. Team Umizoomi Math
    • Ages: 3-5
    • Devices: Apple, Android, Kindle Fire
    • Price: $4.99
    • Content: This app is a great introduction to math. Your kids will enjoy interacting with these recognizable Nickelodeon characters. They give repetitive and encouraging feedback that bolsters a child’s confidence. Sometimes a child can find themselves on a more difficult level then they intended so parents are recommended to regularly check in during their tablet time before any frustration sets in. 
  4. Writing Wizard – Kids Learn To Write Letters & Words
    • Ages: 4-7
    • Devices: Apple, Android
    • Price: $4.99
    • Content: LOVE this app for teaching writing skills. They even have a setting for lefties! Make sure to utilize the printable worksheets to practice on real paper.
  5. Reading Eggs and Math Seeds
    • Ages: 3+
    • Price: 2-week free trial, $59/year
    • Devices: Apple, Android, Computer
    • Content: For our family, this is our #1, all-encompassing, educational program. My son doesn’t even realize he’s learning, he thinks he’s just playing fun games. The repetitive nature of the games has meant that in two weeks our child went from barely picking out the correct letters of the alphabet to sounding out words he sees from the car window. We try and carve out time every day to work through the lessons and I get progress report emails that detail his progress. There are also supplemental activity sheets available to print out! 

It can be really hard as a parent to juggle household chores, play dates, activities, etc. Often times it’s so tempting to let the kids just zone out with Netflix or mindless games on your phone or tablet. It is of great comfort to me to have found educational games I can trust are actually teaching my children and stimulating their creativity. Of course, it is still important to set limits but I have found that handing over the tablet on 1/2 battery is a great way to ensure a reasonable amount of tablet time with no tears when the tablet “dies.” =p