In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven world, educational apps play a pivotal role in enriching the learning environment for school students. These apps make learning enjoyable, interactive, and accessible from anywhere, at any time. Whether a student, parent, teacher, or anyone involved in the educational process, this guide is tailor-made for you.
Here, we explore the best 10 apps that are transforming the way students learn, organize, create, and stay safe online. Our selection criteria have focused on educational value, user-friendliness, age-appropriateness, content quality, engagement, safety, and community feedback. Without further ado, here are the apps that are making a difference in students’ lives.
Educational and organizational apps
Key Features: Engaging games, activities, and videos focusing on core subjects.
Why It’s Great: It’s free and offers a personalized learning experience for young learners.
Khan Academy Kids (Free): Aimed at ages 2-4 and 4-8, Khan Academy Kids offers a library of educational games, activities, books, and videos that focus on core subjects like reading, writing, math, and science. What sets this app apart is its personalized learning experience, where children can choose their own avatars and earn rewards as they progress through various levels. With no ads or in-app purchases, this app provides a safe and engaging learning environment for young learners.
Khan Academy Kids not only emphasizes academic skills but also incorporates lessons on social-emotional development, logic, and problem-solving, making it a holistic educational tool. Experts from Stanford’s Graduate School of Education collaborate to design the app’s content, ensuring it aligns with national curriculum standards and remains engaging and fun for children. Parents and teachers can track progress through detailed reports, enabling them to tailor the learning experience to each child’s needs. Additionally, Khan Academy Kids constantly updates the library with new material to ensure that the learning never becomes stale. This dedication to providing a comprehensive, interactive educational experience makes Khan Academy Kids an invaluable resource for early childhood learning.
Key Features: Kid-friendly search results, ensuring safe browsing.
Why It’s a Must: It’s an essential tool for students to find reliable information without stumbling upon inappropriate content.
Duck Duck Go for Kids offers a secure, kid-friendly search engine that aims to provide children with a safe environment to explore the internet. This platform filters out inappropriate content, ensuring that search results are reliable and child-appropriate. Duck Go for Kids bridges this gap, providing peace of mind for adults while fostering a sense of curiosity and discovery in children. The app aids learning by helping children find age-appropriate and accurate information without the risk of encountering harmful content. Its simple interface and engaging design make it easy for students to use, making it an essential tool for parents and teachers alike. With the ever-increasing prevalence of online learning, having a safe search engine like Duck Duck Go for Kids is crucial for students to navigate the internet and access educational resources.
-
-
Epic!
-
Key Features: A vast library of ebooks, audiobooks, and educational videos.
Benefits: Promotes reading across a wide range of ages and ability levels.
Epic! stands out as a leading digital library for children aged 12 and under, providing unlimited access to over 40,000 high-quality books, audiobooks, learning videos, and quizzes. Designed to inspire a lifelong love of reading and learning, Epic! offers content across a wide range of subjects, including fiction, non-fiction, STEM, biographies, and historical texts. What makes Epic! incredibly attractive is its adaptability to different reading levels and interests, ensuring that there is something for every child.
Teachers and parents particularly appreciate the app for its ability to track reading progress and provide personalized recommendations, making it easier to engage children in reading activities tailored to their evolving needs. Offering a mix of classic titles, best-sellers, and educational materials, Epic! makes learning an adventurous and enjoyable experience. The app’s interface is child-friendly and designed to keep young readers engaged and motivated through a rewarding system where they earn badges and rewards for their reading milestones. Epic!’s commitment to fostering an environment where reading is fun and accessible makes it an indispensable tool in the educational toolkit of students, parents, and educators alike.
-
-
Socrative, by McGraw-Hill
-
Key Features: Interactive quizzes and games created by teachers.
What Sets It Apart: It makes learning fun and interactive while providing immediate feedback.
McGraw-Hill’s innovative app, Socrative, enhances classroom engagement and learning through interactive quizzing and gaming activities. Teachers can create, distribute, and manage quizzes, polls, and games on this platform, and students can access them in real time using any device with internet connectivity. Key features include the ability to create custom activities or choose from a variety of pre-made options, instant feedback for both students and teachers, and comprehensive reports that track student understanding and progress.
What Sets It Apart: Socrative excels at making the learning process more dynamic and interactive. Its real-time feedback mechanism is essential for identifying areas where students need further instruction or practice, allowing educators to adjust their teaching strategies on the fly. Additionally, its user-friendly interface makes it accessible for teachers of all technology levels to integrate into their classrooms, enhancing the overall learning experience. Socrative promotes a competitive yet collaborative atmosphere that motivates students, making it a valuable tool for educators looking to engage their classes in a more meaningful and effective way.
Creativity and fun apps
Key Features: Educational games based on popular PBS Kids shows.
Why Kids Love It: Games are not only fun but also promote learning in crucial developmental areas.
PBS Kids Games is a vibrant and interactive app that brings together a collection of educational games inspired by beloved PBS Kids television shows. Designed to engage children in pre-K through early elementary grades, this app makes learning playful and exciting. Key features include a vast assortment of games covering various subjects like math, science, reading, and social skills. What sets PBS Kids Games apart is its strong emphasis on developmental learning, ensuring that each game not only entertains but also educates.
Why Kids Love It: Each game within the app is based on characters and stories from popular PBS Kids shows, such as “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” “Wild Kratts,” and “Arthur.” This familiarity boosts engagement and helps kids connect learning concepts with their favorite characters in a meaningful way. Furthermore, the app regularly updates with new games and content, ensuring a fresh and exciting learning environment. With an intuitive design and user-friendly interface, children can easily navigate through the app, allowing for independent play. PBS Kids Games represents the perfect blend of fun and learning, offering parents and educators a trusted resource for quality educational content.
Key Features: Introduces young children to basic coding concepts.
Uniqueness: Empowers kids to create their own interactive stories and games.
ScratchJr is a pioneering educational app that introduces the world of coding to children aged 5-7 by allowing them to create their own interactive stories and games. By integrating coding into the storytelling and game design processes, ScratchJr encourages problem-solving, logical thinking, and creativity among its young users. Key features include simple graphical programming blocks that children can snap together to make their characters move, jump, dance, and sing. In doing so, children aren’t just passively consuming content; they’re actively creating it, which enhances their understanding of sequential logic and the basics of programming.
One of ScratchJr‘s most appealing aspects is its ability to be both educational and incredibly fun. Children can personalize their projects with a wide range of backgrounds, characters, and even their own voice recordings, making every creation unique. Uniqueness also lies in its simplicity and age-appropriate interface, making complex concepts accessible to young minds. Teachers and parents value Scratch Jr. for its emphasis on creative expression, digital literacy, and collaboration, viewing it as a critical first step into the vast field of computer science. Through ScratchJr, children learn not only the fundamentals of coding but also gain confidence in their ability to create and innovate in a digital world.
Key Features: An augmented reality game encourages exploration and creativity.
Why It’s Innovative: It brings the beloved Minecraft experience into the real world.
Minecraft Earth takes the classic block-building gameplay of Minecraft and transforms it into a real-world, augmented reality experience. Players can build AR structures on their living room floor, in their gardens, or even as large-scale projects in public spaces. Key features include collaborative multiplayer, where players can join forces to create together in real-time; resource gathering through exploration in the player’s local neighborhood; and “Adventures,” which are small, procedurally generated areas where players can encounter mobs and engage in Minecraft-style challenges.
What makes Minecraft Earth stand out is its innovative use of AR technology to merge the digital and physical worlds, encouraging not just creativity but also physical activity and exploration. Its innovative aspect lies in bringing the beloved sandbox game into the real world, allowing players to interact with their creations and others’ in a way that’s never been possible before. The game’s foundational principles of creativity, collaboration, and community come to life in an entirely new dimension through Minecraft Earth.
Key Features: Designed for young minds to learn about colors, shapes, and numbers.
Benefits: A fun, interactive way to prepare kids for school with trusted LEGO® themes.
Expertly crafted to meet the learning needs of toddlers and preschoolers, LEGO® DUPLO® WORLD offers a vibrant, interactive playground that seamlessly combines education with the timeless appeal of LEGO® blocks. Key features of this app include engaging activities that introduce young children to fundamental concepts such as colors, shapes, numbers, and even emotional intelligence through playful storytelling and problem-solving challenges.
What truly sets LEGO® Duplo® World apart is its dedication to developing early childhood education skills within a context that is both familiar and exciting. The app’s benefits extend to its ability to foster creativity, fine motor skills, and cognitive development through digital play that mirrors physical LEGO® DUPLO® block building. Parents and educators alike appreciate the app for its educational value, safe environment, and the way it encourages moments of shared learning through co-play possibilities. Child development experts align its content with educational standards, ensuring children receive both enjoyable and meaningful learning experiences.
By combining the rich legacy of LEGO® with innovative digital interaction, LEGO® DUPLO® WORLD offers a unique platform that inspires the next generation of builders, thinkers, and creators.
Apps for parental control and safety
Key Features: Lets parents set digital rules, including screen time and app permissions.
Why Parents Trust It: It ensures a safe online experience for their children.
Google Family Link is a comprehensive app that assists parents in responsibly managing their children’s digital activities. With Google Family Link, parents can closely monitor screen time, manage the apps their children can access, and even lock their child’s device at bedtime. Key features include the ability to approve or block apps from the Google Play Store, monitor screen time with daily, weekly, or monthly activity reports, and set device bedtime to help manage when children can use their devices.
What makes Google Family Link particularly reliable for parents is its direct approach to fostering healthy digital habits from a young age. Parents can guide their children towards better content, helping them understand the implications of their digital footprint. Additionally, why do parents trust It is not just about controlling or monitoring. It’s also about initiating important conversations regarding digital literacy and online behavior. Google Family Link stands out by offering a platform that balances freedom and safety, allowing children to explore the online world with guidance and boundaries that encourage responsible use of technology.
Key Features: Safe messaging and video calling for kids with parental controls.
What Makes It Essential: Kids can connect with friends and family in a monitored environment.
Messenger Kids offers a fun, safe way for children to stay in touch with friends and family, merging the interactive allure of messaging with robust parental controls to ensure a secure online experience. app includes a kid-friendly interface, customizable avatars, and a variety of playful stickers and GIFs, all designed to make digital communication engaging for a younger audience.
Parents have full control over their child’s contact list, enabling them to add or remove contacts at any time. Furthermore, the app ensures transparent monitoring of the child’s interactions by preventing messages from disappearing or hiding. To ensure that children only communicate with vetted individuals, the app also requires parental approval for any new contact requests.
What sets Messenger Kids apart is its commitment to privacy and safety. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) compliant design of the app ensures the protection of kids’ information. Additionally, there are no in-app purchases or advertisements, providing a safe, distraction-free platform for kids to engage with their peers. This focus on safety, along with its interactive features, makes Messenger Kids an essential tool for parents looking to introduce their children to the digital world in a protected and controlled environment.
How to Choose the Right App
When evaluating these or any educational apps, consider your child’s learning style, interests, and the skills they need to develop. User reviews and ratings can offer additional insight into how the app performs in real-world settings.
Wrapping Up
Educational apps are transforming the learning landscape for school students, making it more personalized, engaging, and accessible. By incorporating these tools into their daily routine, students can enhance their learning experience and enjoy the process along the way. We encourage you to explore these apps, share your experiences, and continue to look for innovative ways to integrate technology into learning.
Feel free to share your favorite educational app in the comments below or on social media to help others in their quest for knowledge!
FAQs
Q: For education, which app is used?
A: Many apps can be helpful for education! Here are a few popular options, depending on your needs:
-
- General Learning: Khan Academy, Duolingo (languages), Quizlet (flashcards)
-
- Organization and Planning: Google Classroom (communication with teachers), Evernote (note-taking)
-
- Math & Science: Photomath (helps solve problems), Socrative (interactive quizzes)
-
- Younger Students: ABCmouse (ages 2–8), DragonBox (learning math concepts)
Q: What are some free learning apps?
A: There are tons of fantastic free learning apps! It’s hard to give just $100, but here are some places to find them:
-
- App Store or Google Play search for “Education”
-
- Websites like Common Sense Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/, which reviews educational apps
Q: What app should I use for school?
A: It depends on your school! Many schools use specific apps to communicate and share assignments. For recommendations, check with your teacher or school.
Q: What app should a student have?
A: Again, it depends on your specific needs and what your school uses. However, some general options include:
-
- A note-taking app (Evernote, Google Keep)
-
- A calendar/planner app (Google Calendar)
-
- A language learning app (Duolingo, Memrise)
-
- A homework helper app (Photomath, Socrative)
Q: Which study app is free?
A: Many study apps offer free versions with limited features. Here are a few of the free options:
-
- Quizlet (flashcards)
-
- Khan Academy (video lessons, practice problems)
-
- Anki (flashcards)
Q: Which top schools use the Common App?
A: Over 1,000 colleges and universities accept the Common App, streamlining the application process. You can find a list of schools on the Common App website: https://www.commonapp.org/.
Q: What’s the best app for 7th graders?
A: It depends on what subjects they’re interested in! Some popular options include:
-
- Prodigy Math (uses games to teach math)
-
- NewsELA (reading comprehension with current events)
-
- Google Earth (explore the world virtually)
Q: Is StudySmarter free?
A: StudySmarter offers both free and paid plans. The free version has limited features, while the paid version offers more options.
Q: What’s the most useful learning app?
A: The most useful app depends on your individual needs and learning style. Consider what you’re trying to learn and how you learn best.
Q: Which is the No. 1 most-used app? (all categories, not just education)
There isn’t a single, universally agreed-upon “No. 1” most-used app. It can vary depending on factors like region and platform (iOS vs. Android). However, top contenders frequently include Facebook, WhatsApp, and TikTok.
Q: What’s the most downloaded education app?
This can also change over time, but some popular and frequently downloaded educational apps include Duolingo, Khan Academy, ABCmouse, and Lumosity.
Q: Which language-learning app is No. 1?
Duolingo is a very popular language learning app, but there isn’t necessarily a single “No. 1.” The best app depends on your preferred learning style, target language, and budget (some apps have free and paid tiers).
Q: Are educational apps free?
A: Many educational apps have free versions with limited features. Some are completely free, while others require a paid subscription to unlock all features.
Q: What is a teacher’s app?
There isn’t a single “teacher’s app.” Many different apps can be helpful for teachers, depending on their needs. Some popular options include:
-
- Google Classroom (communication and assignments)
-
- Socrative (creating quizzes and interactive lessons)
-
- ClassDojo (classroom management)
Q: What is the use of Google Apps in education?
Google offers a suite of free apps (like Gmail, Docs, and Slides) that can be valuable tools in education. These apps can be used for:
-
- Communication between students and teachers
-
- Collaborative work on documents and presentations
-
- Researching and creating assignments