By Tina and Lisa
The app store is flooded with preschool and early education titles. There are also scores of apps for high school and college students. But, while tweens make up an ever growing percentage of iOS consumers, there aren’t as many titles for later grammar and middle school. Learning good study habits at this age is crucial to success in later learning, and apps can help students keep on track of their assignments, get subject and skill specific boosts, and hopefully discover learning is cool. So we’ve collected the best of them for this age group here for you all in one place. Be sure to check our other app lists for older and and soon younger students for more great edu-apps. If we missed your favorite please let us know in the comments – we plan to keep these lists up to date and value your feedback.
myHomework
Download myHomework Here
by Rodrigo Neri
Free – Universal
Make life easier by organizing homework assignments on any iDevice with myHomework. Once homework is entered into the device, reminders will prompt the student in advance to get the work done on time. Simple in concept and easy to use, myHomework also offers access via the web for a one-time in-app purchase, so that no matter where a student is, they can see what is due and when. No more excuses.
U.S. Geography
Buy U.S. Geography Here
by Phunware, Inc
$6.99 – iPad only
Become an expert in U.S. Geography using this app from Discovery Communications. The app is divided into seven different regions with six categories of information for each. Learn about the culture in the Pacific region or the land-forms of the mountain ranges. Once a student is done studying they can take challenges and share their achievements with friends and family on Facebook. This app contains over 42 videos, 769 activity questions, 210 challenge questions, and much more.
Vocabology
Download Vocabology Here
by ThatWith Me, LLC
Free – iPhone – iPod touch only
Vocabology is a free universal app that slowly builds a student’s vocabulary by introducing them to new words and showing them how they are used by giving several internet resources. Not only can students see how a word is used in a sentence, they can also hear a sound clip of the word so their pronunciation is correct. Included in the app is a quiz that reviews words that the student has covered.
Frog Dissection
Buy Frog Dissection Here
by Emantras / Punflay
$3.99 – iPad only
Learning about organs and organ systems used to be a messy lab project for middle school students. Today, an entire frog dissection can be done on the iPad. No more ethical concerns, no more mess. Using 3D imaging a pupil can able to view the organs and organ systems clearly. The student is guided through the dissection by a voice over giving them step-by-step instructions. Frog Dissection is the winner of PeTA’s Mark Twain Ethical Science Award and IEAR – Best Science App Award for 2010.
The Gwaii – 3D Comic Book
Download The Gwaii Here
by Mobad Games
FREE – subsequent chapters available for in-app purchase. iPad Only
If there is an underserved demographic on digital book scene it has to be tweens. Comic books have long served as a means to get this age group to engage with the written word, and The Gwaii puts everything kids love about comics into a 3D iPad comic book set in Northern Canada. The story is engaging and suspenseful, the characters area host of mythological creates rendered beautifully and the special effects are eye-popping.
Lobster Diver
Downlod Lobster Diver Here
Download Lobster Diver HD Here
by Learning Games Lab
Free
Developed for grades 3 though 8, Lobster Diver makes understanding number and operation standards fun for middle school and grade school children. Fractions can be one of the more difficult math concepts to learn, but Lobster Diver makes it less stressful and even fun. This app was developed with input from professional educators and researchers and the development was partially funded by U.S. Department of Education.
Articles
Buy Articles Here
by Sophiestication Software
$2.99 – Free iPad Only
Articles is a really user-friendly way for students to access the vast wealth of information available in the modern replacement for encyclopedias. The app presents the information from Wikipedia posts optimized for reading on iPad and display the articles in a magazine-like format. The reader is easy on the eyes, and the GUI is easy to navigate. A great tool for school projects and learning how to do online research without the excess of information that comes from a regular Google or even Wiki search.
Britannica Kids: Solar System
Buy Britanicca Kids: Solar System Here
by Enclyclopaedia Britannica
$4.99 – Universal
OK, so maybe your tween isn’t wiki-ready yet. If not, what better way to do research than with Encyclopaedia Britannica? This most prestigious of encyclopedic brands, Britannica has a line of apps aimed at the tween age group across a wide variety of topics from volcanoes to the rain forest. But we picked Solor System specifically because it presents this scientific topic – whose laws govern our planet and beyond actually works – without being pedantic and dry. The intuitive interface and mix of information and reinforcing games helps engage young people in a critical field of study at this most impressionable time. Also, the whole Britannica Kids line is universal. P.S. Sorry Pluto, 8 planets only in the 21st century!
Stack the Countries
Buy Stack the Countries Here
by Dan Russell-Pinson
$1.99 – Universal
Learning the names of countries is just the bare minimum of what students will learn while playing Stack the Countries. They will also learn capitals, landmarks, and geographical location. Stack the Countries really contains three games in one. As the student progresses in the levels the additional games unlock.
Be Confident In Who You Are – A Middle School Confidential Graphic Novel
Buy Middle School Confidential Here
by Electric Eggplant
$2.99 – iPad Only
Educational expert Annie Fox, and her husband and co-developer both understand what’s most important to tweens in school and everywhere else – fitting in. So, under the brand Electric Eggplant they have brought this first instalment of a graphic novel aimed at this impressionable group to iPad. Like a comic book, graphic novels appeal to this set with the blend of words and age-appropriate imagery, and Annie knows better than most how to capture a young person’s attention. Kids will be engaged by the story, which teaches them in an utterly unpatronizing way – peer-to-peer as it were – to stay true to themselves. If they happen to get in some extra reading practice while enjoying the story, all the better, but ssh, don’t let them know they’re learning two things at once!
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†Prices accurate at time of posting but are subject to change without prior warning on the App Store
stack the states
Presidents vs. Aliens is great, too! <3
You have some really good picks here! Thanks for sharing.
Pearson has the Grammar Jammer apps which are great too.
Nice work reviewing these apps. You are right about the dearth of apps for the middle grades. The challenge for app developers on this and other platforms is how to create Apps that are aligned to the Common Core standards to deliver appropriate grade level standards in a more comprehensive way.
well said
Your message…
I’m surprised how hard it is to find apps targeted at middle school students.
Here’s two more:
Middle School Math 7th Grade
Middle School Vocab 7th Grade