I don’t think that there is really another app series outside of iTooch that offers such a comprehensive range of junior high core curricula content across the major subjects (language arts and math are invariably the two key academic subjects).
There is a time when straight-up, fact-focused teaching is needed to introduce and cement concepts. Sometimes game-oriented apps don’t cover all of your bases; do you know of a play-based app that provides thorough, wide coverage of an upper grade level’s worth of language arts concepts? Neither do I. This app does a good job of offering that sort of content-rich, structured review.
I really appreciate that the app goes beyond multiple choice questions and requires children to touch and select answers from the samples given, and to type in their own word-based and numeric answers (spelling does count). The LA even requires children to read excerpts of speeches that are included in the lesson in order to answer the questions given.
With the focused, mastery-based approach, this is an easy way to do remedial work and to review weak areas. Does your child need to practice nouns? Look for the chapter on nouns and work on that. Need more review with squares and square roots? Look up that chapter. It’s also a nice supplement to a main curriculum that uses a mastery-based approach, just find the topic you’re currently working on and use that chapter on the iPad for additional reinforcement. It’s even a nice way for moms to review higher-level math concepts with the concise lesson backgrounds – run through a few practice problems and you’re fresh.
What We Didn’t Like:
I’m never too keen on Game Center integration in educational apps for children – it just doesn’t seem to add value to either my children or I. I’d much rather see an option to email out the child’s statistics and progress. The app isn’t set up for multiple users – with a several grade range it would be nice to have that option to track progress for multiple children for larger families. I did find a few grammatical errors in the sample sentences included in the Language Arts modules but they don’t seem to be very common.
Overall:
iTooch is a pioneer – leading the way towards traditional, grade level based, comprehensive curriculum being available on mobile devices. Children can learn, practice, and test their knowledge in all the core skills taught in grade 6-8 language arts and math (and also health for grade 6) with iTooch: Middle School.