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Please make a note that this site has been relocated to a new and improved location. It is now located at www.appsforclass.com.

Wordventure!

Price: Free!
Grade Recommendation: 3rd - 5th
Subject: Reading
Specific Skill: Vocabulary
Levels: 1
Players: 1
For iPad, iPod, or Both: Both

Remember mad libs?! Well, this app is full of them, but they're called 'Wordventures'! Unfortunately only 3 Wordventures come with the free version. Those are 'Rules for Riding on the Subway', 'Summer Blockbuster', and 'What Happened One Morning'. Additional Wordventures can be purchased for 99 cents each.

After selecting a Wordventure, students have to blindly insert various parts of speech - anything from an adjective to an adverb. I appreciate how the app gives the definition for and examples of each part of speech.

After tapping 'Done', their inserted words are placed into the Wordventure. Their words appear in red. They'll get a kick of out reading their funny story. But they're also able to edit their Wordventure. Saved stories are stored in the app until they are manually deleted.

Even if you just take advantage of the 3 free Wordventures, this app provides a fun way for students to explore the various parts of speech.

Bluster!

Price: Free!
Grade Recommendation: 2nd - 4th
Subject: Reading
Specific Skill: Vocabulary
Levels: 3
Players: Single or team
For iPad, iPod, or Both: iPad

This is yet another wonderful app developed by McGraw-Hill. It's definitely a must-have!

Here's what the user(s) must choose before playing:

A) Number of Players - Single, Team, or Versus. The last two choices are so cool! All players play at the exact same time; the iPad splits into two.

B) Grade Level - Choose between Grade 2, Grade 3, or Grade 4. Although certainly students from other grade levels may find this app developmentally appropriate too.

C) Match Type
Grade 2 = prefixes, synonyms, rhyming words
Grade 3 = prefixes and suffixes, root words, homophones
Grade 4 = prefixes and suffixes, adjectives, rhyming words

Once the 'game' begins, the student(s) have to swipe through the word list to find three words that match according to the selected type. Unfortunately, the app does not display which type they selected; they have to remember. They need to drag each matching word to the scoring area. Ten correct matches clears each round.

In the 'Team' and 'Versus' modes, weather-related "disruptors" can be used to slow down the opponent.

The app claims to feature over 800 vocabulary words. This free app is definitely worth having on iPads in elementary classrooms.

Puppet Pals HD

Price: Free!
Grade Recommendation: All
Subject: All
Specific Skill: Storytelling
Levels: N/A
Players: N/A
For iPad, iPod, or Both: Both

Please note that the free version of this app only unlocks the 'Fairytale' theme. Additional themes can be purchased in-app for 99 cents each. But the best deal is to spend $2.99 on the Director's Pass, which makes all of the other themes available.

What a fun app! Students use up to 8 'actors' (characters) and up to 5 backdrops to tell an original or recreated story. They use their fingers to make the characters 'move' and record the story using their own voices! The app is quite customizable! Photos taken with or saved on the iOS device may be used as an actor/character or as the backdrop.

The Director's Pass includes the following themes: Arthropod Armada, Christmas, Entertainers, Fair Weather Friends, Fairytale, Monsters, On the Farm, Pirates, Political Par-tay, Space, Talk Shows, Thanksgiving, Wild West, and Zombie Attack.

Saved shows are initially saved to the camera roll. From there, they can be exported via text message or email, uploaded to YouTube, or transferred to a computer.

The possibilities for using this app are endless. Spend the $2.99 for the Director's Pass and watch your students' creativity bloom!

Flashcards*

Price: Free!
Grade Recommendation: 2nd and up
Subject: All
Specific Skill: All
Levels: N/A
Players: N/A
For iPad, iPod, or Both: Both

The real name of this app is 'Flashcardlet'; it compliments www.quizlet.com. Both the app and the website are free! Despite the lack of a price, they are excellent alternatives to traditional flashcards created with index cards!

From the 'About' section of the app - "Flashcardlet is designed to bring the age-old practice of studying flashcards to iOS devices in an intuitive and convenient way."

Users can create their own flashcards (front and back) or browse www.quizlet.com through the app to locate and edit (if need be) flashcard decks created by others.

Please note that flashcards containing images must first be created on the website. But they can then be accessed from the app.

Easy to create, edit, and use - Flashcardlet is a must have!

Google Earth

Price: Free!
Grade Recommendation: All
Subject: Science
Specific Skill: Geography
Levels: N/A
Players: N/A
For iPad, iPod, or Both: Both

This is the app-version of the desktop version of Google Earth and it's just as stunning!

Students can use the search bar to input a street address or the name of something specific (try 'Eiffel Tower' - it's so cool!). They can then use one or two fingers to pan, tilt, zoom in/out and rotate the view.

The following layers can be added: places, businesses, Panoramio photos, Wikipedia, borders and labels, roads, and oceans.

This free app should definitely be on all iPads and iPod Touches found in today's classrooms.

Pages

Price: $9.99
Grade Recommendation: 2nd and up
Subject: All
Specific Skill: Word processing
Levels: N/A
Players: N/A
For iPad, iPod, or Both: Both

While pricey, a powerful word processor is quite necessary on iPads in particular. (I'd probably skip this one for use strictly on iPod Touches.) Think of this app as Microsoft Word for Apple's mobile devices.

The app comes loaded with the following templates: modern photo letter, classic letter, formal letter, personal photo letter, modern photo resume, classic resume, project proposal, term paper, visual report, poster, syllabus, party invite, thank you card, recipe, and flyer. Of course, you may also choose to begin with a blank page.

Users unfamiliar with Pages can tap and scroll through the handy and comprehensive 'Getting Started' document.

Text, photos, shapes, tables, and charts can be added, deleted, and edited with ease. Students as young as second grade will be able to create fun and creative documents!

There are several options to share created documents or to save them for access elsewhere.