10 great sites and apps for schools

1. Duolingo [https://www.duolingo.com] 

Children can learn Spanish, French, German, Portuguese or Italian totally for free. This fun app adds gaming elements to learning new languages, which proves more challenging with age so it can work for young kids right up to school leavers revising for GCSEs and A-levels. The learning is gamified, with rewards for passing levels, and virtual coaches. Duolingo is a wonderful supplementary resource that will encourage them to work towards higher levels.

Duolingo is available for iOS and Android devices. 

2. Course Notes [https://coursenotesapp.com]

For children who struggle to take effective notes or organise themselves, Course Notes is a great app, which lets pupils take notes during class and keep them organised by subject or class date. For easy collaboration, the notes can also be shared with classmates via email, Facebook and Dropbox.

Course Notes is currently available for iOS or Mac computers.

3. King of Maths

The King of Maths app sharpens mathematics skills via a fun and engaging game play. Players answer 10 questions, as fast as they can, before time runs out. From fractions, to indices, to addition, subtraction, geometry and statistics, there’s a challenge for everyone and it’s also got some medieval music going on. A definite must download that is currently the number one maths trainer for Android.

King of Maths is available for iOS [https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/king-of-maths/id473904402?mt=8] and Android [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.troubi.kingofmath&hl=en_GB]

4. Words with Monsters

This is a cool word game app for tweens and younger teens to build up on their vocabulary and spelling. Children will need to save the princess and battle monsters by creating words. For each battle, kids are given a set of letters and need to create words, the longer the better to compete against the monsters. As they win a battle, they receive virtual coins that can be used to purchase hats, amulets or weapons.

Words with Monsters is free for iOS [https://itunes.apple.com/app/words-with-monsters/id600797365?ls=1&mt=8]

5. Crapoks: Maths & Memo

The Crapoks are a set of 10 educational apps for older kids that help them to learn arithmetic operations and improve their memory skills. Each application is divided in two phases, a first step to learn and practice educational principles and then a fun and reflex mini-game as a reward. It uses an alien theme blended with various cartoon settings to create a game that will keep kids from years seven, eight and nine focused on practicing calculations.

Crapoks: Maths & Memo is available for iOS [https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/crapoks-maths-memo/id705203972?mt=8] (£1.49) and Android [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.pinpinteam.mathmemory&hl=en_GB] (£2.46

6. Aero!

Aero! is a lovely way to introduce aerodynamics and the physics of flight. It focuses on an albatross soaring over an ocean, and allows pupils to control the angle of the bird’s wing and learn about lift forces. More accomplished players can graduate to controlling free flight.

Aero! is available free on iOS [https://itunes.apple.com/app/aero/id423650051?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D8]

7. Hopscotch

Hopscotch is an easy-to-use visual app that makes programming fun. It allows pupils to create their own games and animations by dragging and dropping method blocks into scripts and see their code in action with a click of the play button. Playing the app will encourage pupils to think like programmers from coming up with their own idea to implementing it and troubleshooting.

Hopscotch is available free on iOS [https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/hopscotch-coding-for-kids/id617098629?mt=8] 

8. TinkerBox

TinkerBox is a great way to encourage reluctant pupils to gain confidence in Physics. The puzzle game offers two apps in one: a physics game where students learn and apply basic engineering concepts in order to achieve particular goals plus an ‘invention mode’ that encourages pupils to create their own machines or structures.

TinkerBox is available free for iOS [https://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=16852402&siteID=123112]

9. The Particles [https://www.sciencephoto.com/apps/particles.html]

The Particles is an interactive fun app that allows pupils to browse a wealth of real ‘event’ images and videos, read popular ‘biographies’ of each of the particles and go on a journey through the world of particle physics.

The Particles is available on iOS and Windows 8.

10. ExamTime [https://www.examtime.com]

ExamTime is a new studying website that allows pupils to create online mind maps, flashcards, notes and quizzes that help them improve their learning and prepare for exams. Hopefully, it can help alleviate at least a little of the exam season anxiety.

ExamTime is free.

For great ideas on learning and revising apps and websites, check out www.quib.ly