It’s that time of the year when parents are either crying tears of joy that school is finally starting, or tears of sadness about their baby is heading off for the first day of class. For some, it can be a treat to get the kids out of the house for several hours each day after they’ve been hanging around all summer, but what about moms and dads who are watching their little one head off to school for the very first time?
It can be stressful – to be sure – but your child will learn to love learning and you’ll quickly realize that there was nothing to be afraid of.
When it comes to prepping your child for Kindergarten, these days, it can feel like everyone is two steps ahead of you. Between enrichment classes, pee wee sports, and educational tv shows, you don’t want your child to get left in the dust. So, get your youngster started off on the right foot with some of these learning apps to brush up on numbers, words, and life lessons – like how to tell time.
Read on for our three recommendations.
Park Math ($3.99)
Created by the programming geniuses at Duck Duck Moose, Park Math is a high-quality numbers game that is based on typical park activities. Your child can brush up on basic math skills like addition, subtraction, size sorting and more. The best part is the app is targeted for two different learning levels – PreK and Kindergarten.
AlphaWriter ($4.99)
Designed by Montessorium, AlphaWriter is an app that gives kids a chance to practice writing and drawing by teaching them how to turn letters into words. All writing practice takes place in the confines of a virtual sandbox, which makes the game both fun – and visually appealing.
Hickory Dickory Dock (Free)
Learning to tell time is one of those life skills that comes easy to some and feels impossible to others. Don’t let your child be caught off guard when this subject rolls around in the classroom. Hickory Dickory Dock features a wacky, interactive clock that turns time-telling into a silly but engaging game. A little mouse acts as tour guide, taking users around the clock, and teaches them to move the hands to discover a different game at each hour.
Of course – digital learning systems aren’t for everyone and if you’ve opted to keep your child away from the iPad for the time being, there are plenty of conventional learning routes. For many parents, it’s as easy as setting up a session with a tutor, like Ashley Tutors, to help a child prep for the first day of class.
