When it comes to your child’s education, there are many ways to go about it. You can read with them or have them read on their own. You can make sure they do their homework, or maybe you prefer to tutor them one-on-one. One of the most effective methods is using educational software for kids.
In this guide, we review the aspects of Educational Software For Kids, best educational apps for 5 year olds, free educational software for primary students, and free childrens computer learning programs.
There are a lot of benefits associated with educational software: from increased self-confidence and improved memory retention to better social skills and improved writing abilities. However, there are also some drawbacks you should consider before making the decision whether or not your kid needs this type of learning aid in his/her life: they may end up spending too much time playing video games instead of doing their homework; they might develop antisocial behavior; etcetera…
In order for kids not fall into traps like this, parents need an alternative solution that can help them in achieving academic excellence without having any negative impact on their overall development (or even worse – having positive impact!).
Educational Software For Kids
Computers are a great way to help kids learn, especially when they’re young. Here are some apps that can help your kids grow and develop their skills in the digital world.
Apps For Preschoolers
Preschoolers learn best through play. You can encourage your preschooler to develop their creativity, problem-solving skills and imagination by using educational apps with them.
Preschoolers love music, so it makes sense that many apps incorporate this into the learning process. Apps that have been designed specifically with music in mind will help your child learn everything from note identification to singing along in their favorite songs.
Animals are a great way to teach children about science and nature, so look for apps that focus on animals and nature itself. These types of educational apps will help your child build vocabulary and comprehension skills while also helping them understand how different animals live together in groups or families like humans do!
Some preschoolers are fascinated with art and how things work (and sometimes how things don’t work), so any educational app that incorporates art into its lesson plans is sure to be a hit!
Apps For K-3rd Graders
- Apps that help kids learn to read
- Apps that help kids learn to write
- Apps that help kids learn math
- Apps that help kids learn science
- Apps that help kids learn history
- Apps that help kids draw what they see
Apps For 4th-6th Graders
- Reading, Writing, and Math
- **Sum Dog** (Android and iOS) is an educational app that teaches kids how to do math problems on a whiteboard. Kids can use their own handwriting or type in the answers in this app. It’s also possible to share your work with friends via email or social media.
- **My Story Maker** (Android and iOS) lets children create their own stories using photos they’ve taken with their camera phones or tablets. This app has special features designed for children who have trouble reading because it reads the text aloud as they move through the story creation process.
- **Math Bingo** (Android and iOS) helps students learn about math by playing bingo with numbers up through 20 when they need help understanding how the numbers relate to each other; it also includes games where players can learn advanced math concepts such as fractions and decimals without even realizing that they are working on those particular skills!
Apps For 7th Grade And Up
- Apps for 7th graders and up:
- BrainPop Jr. (for ages 4+)
- National Geographic Kids (for ages 8+)
- Code.org (for ages 10+)
best educational apps for 5 year olds
It can be challenging to keep kids appropriately occupied sometimes, especially when school is out. Today’s kids are spending a good chunk of their days on tablets, phones and other electronic devices and finding apps that provide kid-friendly, developmental content in bite-sizes pieces can be difficult. Using screen time to help supplement their education can be beneficial and fun, especially since many educational apps include games to make learning more exciting. Our experts work together with our consumer panel to test the best children’s apps out there based on ease of use, engagement, price point and tech pitfalls. We’ve reviewed dozens of apps to bring you our favorites. These are the best of the best for engaging, entertaining and educational content to help support and aid gaps while keeping your kids entertained, whether they’re in pre-school or high school. Grab your charger (or portable battery) and download the best apps for kids in 2022:
Our top picks
This pick is an overwhelming favorite among all of our testers. ABCmouse.com is available both as an app and a website. It uses fun storyline-based videos, quizzes, and activities — there’s even a virtual map outlining your child’s learning path to keep kids and toddlers engaged. Our parent testers said they loved ABCmouse.com even before we started testing the best apps for kids!
• Ages: 2-8• Cost: One-month free trial, then $10/month subscription• Get it for: iOS, Android, or on the Amazon App Store
RELATED: The Best Toddler Apps That Teach Letters, Colors, Shapes, and Numbers
Teachers, parents, and kids are all a fan of the Khan Academy app that features thousands of free resources on everything from early math to art history. From preschool to high school, children of all ages can enjoy and learn on this non-profit’s platform. All of its programming is entirely free, so you don’t have to worry about subscription fees. Parents of our testers say that the videos helped each kid learn at their own pace. For those with kids under 4, check out their child-friendly counterpart, Khan Academy Kids on iOS or Android, which features a lot of the great elements of the older app at an age appropriate level.
Epic! is an app for kids with an e-book library that contains over 35,000 children’s books (and it includes a read-to-me feature for little ones who are still learning to read). One of our parent testers says it’s “a great app to have when the kids want screen time, but you don’t!” This app is a perfect way to take reading wherever your device goes, and it’s great for families with kids of various ages.
• Ages: 2-12• Cost: one-month free trial, then $8/month• Get it for: iOS or Android
Nick Jr.’s app offers parents the chance to let their kids enjoy their favorite shows on the go — no TV required! The app has videos from all of Nick Jr.’s shows and a collection of games (both educational and not-so educational) based on Nick Jr. shows that feature your kids’ favorite characters.
To unlock some parts of the app, you’ll need to enter your cable provider’s information. Even without it, your kid will still be able to use the features they’ll be most excited about: full episodes and lots of games!
• Ages: 2-7• Cost: free, some content requires cable provider information• Get it for: iOS, Android, or on the Amazon App Store
Kids know that math can be boring, but this app transforms numbers into something more creative and interactive. Quick Math Jr. is an app for kids with 12 different math games that feature fundamental math skills and concepts. It has unique graphics and buildable characters to keep kids engaged, and all answers are handwritten or drawn on the screen so kids can also practice handwriting.
The Duolingo Owl (the app’s mascot and icon) has been popping up as a meme all over social media in recent months, so chances are your high schooler knows what Duolingo is. Encourage them to take it one step further and download the app so they can learn a different language.
They can practice through audio, word identification, and oral exercises for over 30 languages — it’s a great way for your child to keep their language-learning skills sharp over the summer. P.S.: Parents can use this app, too!
• Ages: 10+• Cost: Free, optional ad-free Duolingo Plus is $6.99/month• Get it for: iOS or Android
This app gives kids a fun, animated introduction to learning letters, vowels, and words. It also includes the sign language alphabet. If you upgrade to the paid version of Starfall ABCs, you’ll get some extra perks like lessons on math and social skills — but the free version is still pretty impressive!
• Ages: 2-5• Cost: Free, option to upgrade for $35/year • Get it for: iOS or Android
Homer Learn & Grow is great for families with lots of littles, since you can add up to four kid profiles on your account and not have to worry about messing up your customization. Testers love how personalized the learning experience is — while onboarding, you’ll fill out a series of questions about your child’s task performance skills. They also enjoy the cool features like the “record your voice” option in phonics. Kids get to learn thoughtfully about numbers, letters and social skills. Note, the free trial can be difficult to cancel if you’re not interested in paying for the subscription.
For 20 years, Brainpop has been providing kids all over the world with in-depth, yet easy to understand educational videos on everything ranging from Mozart to food allergies. Brainpop Jr. Movie of the Week is an app that gives younger kids access to these videos, plus short quizzes on them.
You’ll need a subscription to access to the full library of videos, but the free version still gets you the movie of the week, plus more free videos on internet safety, bullying and other subjects. Brainpop also has a version for older kids too!
• Ages: 6-9• Cost: Free, optional subscription is $6.99/month• Get it for: iOS, Android, or on the Amazon App Store
Swift Playgrounds is an app for older kids (and adults!) that was created by Apple to introduce people to the coding language that app developers across the globe use. In the app, you can learn the basics of coding language through puzzles, targeted lessons and dynamic visuals. The app is gorgeous to look at and fun to play, but it works best on iPads.
Whether you’re a novice pianist or someone who wants to brush up on lost skills, Simply Piano is a fun, interactive way to learn the piano. All of our testers found that the app helped them learn piano and found it to be a motivating, enjoyable way to learn to play. One tester lauded the program saying she “loved its accessibility and simplistic nature of the lessons.” Another noted her appreciation for the highly guided program, providing the discipline and accountability she needed.
• Ages: 4+• Cost: Free week trial, $120/year• Get it for: iOS or Android
The technology and parenting experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute know very well just how dizzying it can be to figure out which kids’ apps are worth downloading and buying (and which are safe and truly kid-friendly) — which is why we tested to find the best ones on the market.
We consulted our consumer panel made up of real parents and their children to whittle down the field to the apps that are age-appropriate, easy to use, informative and fun. Our experts evaluate each app to see how easy it is for children to use independently, how engaging the content is, whether or not it’s worth its price, how long and effectively it can keep children interested, any tech pitfalls and whether it aids children’s development in the ways it indicates.
✔️ Safety: It’s important to protect your personal information and avoid getting scammed.Consider how much information the is app requesting from you and if the app requests additional verification when you log in. Aside from personal safety, is the app even safe to download? Check out the number of times the app has been downloaded, the rating, reviews and look over the permissions list as well as the app description before hitting download. We evaluated each of the apps we’ve recommended for safety to help alleviate concerns for you, your family and your devices.
✔️ Features: Consider what you are hoping to get out of this app: Are you just looking for something that will play fun videos or do you want your little one to be able to engage in educational learning games? Some apps offer personalized learning plans that let you check your progress as you move forward, while others are just for one-off entertainment. Depending on what subject you’re hoping for your child to master and how your child learns best, keep an eye out for the extra features of each app to ensure that they’re the right fit for your family.
✔️ Ease of use: One of the best parts about learning apps is the ability for your child to navigate them on their own. Not only will this help them develop their independence and strengthen their problem-solving skills, but will give you a much needed break while they’re entertained. Make sure the app is intuitive enough for them to handle on their own.
✔️ Age: Make sure your picks are age appropriate for your little one. They are sure to be frustrated and upset if you accidentally put them in 7th grade math while they’re only 8! To get the most benefit out of each app experience, make sure that they’re not learning at too low or too high of a level.
✔️ Price: Many of our favorite picks are free, but a few of the more specialized apps feature paid upgrades or monthly subscriptions with access to all of their unlimited games and videos. Consider how much you’re willing to shell out on apps on a regular basis — if your kids are learning and entertained, it may be worth the splurge!
✔️ Engagement: Keeping your child entertained and engaged is one of the most important aspects of a good app. If your kid isn’t excited to hop on and spend time learning new things, watching videos or playing the app’s games, then it doesn’t matter how helpful the app is if they can’t even be bothered to log in.
The Good Housekeeping Institute provides expert reviews and advice on everything a parent and their kids needs, including educational apps. The testing for this article was overseen by Rachel Rothman, the GH Institute’s Chief Technologist & Director of Engineering. For more than 15 years, Rachel has put her training in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics to work by researching, testing and writing about parenting products. Plus, as a mom to three kids under 5, she has plenty of first-hand experience.In her role as Parenting & Pets Reviews Analyst, Jamie Spain brings years of experience to the Institute, having reviewed products for Good Housekeeping, as well as BuzzFeed; she has also covered parenting at People.
free educational software for primary students
Gone are the days of pen and paper based pedagogies which primarily focused on the practice of mugging rather than understanding. Modern day software for kids ensures that each student can learn at their own pace and in addition to academic subjects, they can also learn a host of co-curricular subjects.
Why are Learning Software and Educational Games for Kids Becoming Popular?
The lockdown implemented due to coronavirus pandemic that resulted with education taking the digital route. With all the required logistics almost in place, it is evident that academic apps including typing software for kids are being given more preference than a personal teacher until the situation changes. Below we mention some of the most prominent reasons for such popularity-
Are There Different Types of Learning Styles?
Before going for opting for a software for your kids, it is advisable that teachers and students could identify the learning styles corresponding to a student. Below we are mentioning some major learning styles.
List of 8 Best Software Available to Kids for Free Downloading
We present to you a list of 8 software that can improve your child’s comprehension on a particular subject, especially if he or she belongs to an age group of 4-15 years. So let’s jump straight in.
Khan Academy
Khan academy is a true blue free educational software for primary students. It can also be used for high school students. The interface has been designed in such a way that learners, teachers and parents can all derive something from this tool. It helps students identify their personal learning level and pace their lessons in their own way.
Features of Khan Academy Educational Software for Preschoolers Free Download
Khan Academy Pros and Cons
Pricing: Khan Academy educational software for primary schools is available for free.
Duolingo
Duolingo is often rated as one of the best children’s educational software as it makes learning a foreign language fun and easy. The software makes use of the action cards and makes a clear distinction between nouns, pronouns, verbs and so on. The app is suitable not only for learning mainstream languages but also for lesser popular ones such as Brazilian, Portuguese, Turkish and more.
Features of Duolingo Software for Kids
Price: Duolingo, used for educational games for kids, is available for free. It also offers a paid version called Duolingo Plus whose price starts from ₹962.77 per month.
Remind
Remind learning software for kids helps teachers, students, parents and administrators, communicate effectively with one another. The main idea behind the app is to better involve parents in the learning outcomes of the children. The app has been curated in such a way that you feel its simplicity while using including beginners.
Remind Typing Software for Kids Features
Price: Remind typing master for kids offers a free version. The paid version costs ₹296.46 per student per year.
Photomath
Photomath kids learning software makes math fun. With this, you can scan a math problem in front of you and obtain a comprehensive solution to it. The problem can range from arithmetic to calculus, and it solves it all. Not only this, Photomath also provides a step by step explanation of how it arrived to that particular answer.
Features of Photomath Educational Software for Kids
Price: Photomath educational software for students can be downloaded for free from Android and Apple app stores. The price of the paid plan starts from ₹221.41 per month.
SoloLearn
SoloLearn is the perfect platform for students to learn coding languages including Python, Java and C++. The software can be accessed from different devices such as mobile phones, laptops, desktop etc. Once your child starts learning, he/she can come back and resume from where they left rather than starting it all over again.
Features of SoloLearn Software for Kids for Free Downloading
Price: SoloLearn is the best children’s educational software that is available for free downloading.
Quizlet
Quizlet software makes use of gaming as a pedagogy to make learning more interesting for kids. Quizlet’s flash card based approach can be used in subjects ranging from language, arts, math etc. Quizlet lets you tune to any course, based on your present learning level and then break it into daily or monthly modules.
Quizlet Free Educational Software for primary Students Features
Price: Quizlet educational software for preschoolers is available for free download. It also offers two paid plans as follows-
Google Classroom
Google Classroom has emerged as one of the most preferred educational software for primary schools for conducting lessons remotely. This software for kids promotes collective learning as several students can easily join your classes. Teachers can schedule classes in advance for different sections and mark the same on their calendars.
Features of Google Classroom Learning Software for Kids
Google Classroom Pros and Cons
Price: Google Classroom software for kids is available for free download on Apple and Android app stores. The price of the individual licenses starts from ₹296.26 per user.
Kahoot
Kahoot! is one such educational tool that promotes holistic learning by making use of educational games for kids. Teachers and parents have the option of using pre-existing templates or customizing their own for creating interacting games. Kahoot! has been fairly popular during the lockdown due to the ability to host a live quiz to facilitate distance learning.
free childrens computer learning programs
With schools and daycares closing due to safety concerns over the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), parents all over the country need to find ways to keep kids busy for the length of a school day. While you shouldn’t put pressure on yourself to create teacher-level lesson plans to implement while you’re balancing a new work from home schedule, you can still make some of the day educational.
Here are five free online learning resources to take advantage of while creating a plan for keeping little ones learning outside of the classroom.
1. Scholastic Learn at Home
Scholastic Learn at Home is a 20-day program to keep kids entertained and learning through videos, stories, and problem-solving challenges. The website is divided by age and has enough activities for each group to provide parents with three hours of content each day. That means three hours each day of online reading and activity time, all themed around a special topic area for the day. Day one for first and second graders? Spiders. Get ready for some cute spider drawings for the fridge, folks!
2. Brainly
The Brainly app aims to connect parents with other parents to help out their students, aka a virtual study group. That means you can crowdsource other families for help on concepts that you might not remember from grade and high school. For an extra fee, parents can get help with specific homework problems from experts (useful for brushing up on geometry if you don’t remember the Pythagorean theorem).
3. BrainPop
BrainPop has videos and quizzes on just about every school subject a kid could need—and even has videos on how to explain the virus to children of different ages. They’re offering free classes for schools that have shut down because of the coronavirus, so if your school is out for a while, you can fill out a form on the company’s website to get access.
4. Twinkl
Parents can take advantage of a free month on teacher-made website Twinkl, where there are educational games, homework help, and even lesson plans on different subjects. There are also guides to break down exactly what kids learn each year for parents who need a refresher on what knowledge comes when. Users can also rate and review the games so you can pick and choose which ones to set your child up with to practice their multiplication tables.
5. Sumdog
Sumdog offers a selection of free games with the aim to make math fun for kids. You can also get a family subscription if the kids really take to it for bonus games, plus access to ways to chart kids’ learning progress.
Parents, don’t forget to breathe and remember, you don’t have to do everything perfectly in order to keep your kid learning. You’re never going to mimic the exact format of a classroom with the kiddos at home, so give yourself some room to experiment with what works for the whole family if you’re all housebound. P.S. Don’t forget recess exists for when you need a break—send those kids out into the yard to run off some of that energy!