Fun English Apps

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In the past few weeks I’ve received several questions about Language Arts and mobile device applications or “apps.” So, I thought I’d take a minute and share some of my favorite games with all of you.

Before we get to the game, let’s be clear that there isn’t a lot of reliable information on the educational value of each specific app. Infusing technology in to school motivates students and teaches 21^st century “digital literacy” skills, but there are lots of “old-fashioned” ways to learn that also work. Furthermore, the apps that I am sharing here are more games than anything else and should come after homework and chores are done. Is there a chance that these games might help with spelling, sentence structure or some other facet of the English language? Yes. Should your student get out of doing dishes so that they can play Word Jewel? That is entirely up to you, but unless you have a waterproof case it should be an either/or decision.

One final note, the American Society of Pediatricians recommends that toddlers and infants spend as little time with “screens” as possible. So while these games might be suitable for your middle-school student, I am not recommending them for babies. With all of that being said, here are some of fun and potentially educational apps.

(Conventions) Spelling: Word Jewel

There are a lot of apps out there that involve spelling (Words With Friends, Boggle, Scrabble, and Letris), but my recommendation is Word Jewels. What I like about this game is that it encourages students to expand their vocabulary and to take risks with spelling, but in a low-stress setting. In order to advance through the game it becomes necessary to start using long and sometimes difficult words. As with all the games, I think that sitting with your student and working with them in different ways can really enhance the value of the game. In this case, looking up each unknown word in the dictionary would be a great way to help the new word stick and potentially add it to their functional vocabulary. One final value of this game is that it forces the player to look for patterns, whether they realize it or not. For example, if your student sees “H-I” on the board it is a good bet that they will start looking for a consonant to complete it, like a “D” or a “P.” Although our language is complicated and lacks “hard-and-fast” rules, understanding patterns is important. This game is all about personal improvement and there isn’t a computer, clock or another person to compete against, which means the student can focus on growing as a speller. Warning: This game is hard to put down.

(Sentence Fluency) Complete Sentences: Word Order

This game resembles those magnetic poetry kits that are found on refrigerators, but this game has a twist. Instead of just randomly moving letters around to create non-sense, this game gives you a small set of words and challenges you to put the words into the correct order. An added bonus is that you will learn some interesting facts. Did you know that Brussels has an underwear museum? I do, thanks to Word Order. Adults can add to the learning by talking with their student about the subject and predicate in the sentence. Ask your student to identify the subject, which simply put, is who or what the sentence is about. Next, ask them to identify what the reader is learning about the subject (predicate). Another option would be to have students identify nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives.

Organization: Toontastic

An important, but often overlooked element of good writing is organization. A great idea depends on a strong organizational system to present the information in a clear and coherent manner. Toontastic is great because it asks student to organize their ideas into the setup, conflict, challenge, climax and resolution and while this doesn’t apply to all writing situations, it’s still a fun and worthwhile activity. To really maximize the learning and quality of the “play,” it is best to write a script.

Word Choice: Synonyms

“Good” is not a good word for describing things and yet it gets used all the time. “Timothy had a good supper,” doesn’t say much about what he actually ate. This game requires the player to make connections between synonyms and antonyms. When they are finished playing, talk with your student about some of the words that they have used and encourage them to write or sentence or two using some of the words.

Some of these are more fun than others, but I think the most important thing to remember is that spending some time using the English language together, in a creative or fun way is always worthwhile and it is easy to turn any of these games into a “no-tech” activity. So, dust off the Scrabble board or have everybody write down a dozen words, cut them out and make silly sentences. If you have any questions, comments or ideas please e-mail me at my school address!

Image: leondel. iPad 2 with Smart Cover. Accessed on January 31st, 2012. http://www.flickr.com/photos/leondel/5745567540/sizes/s/in/photostream/