Best preschool learning app

[Anonymous]

DD (age 4) loves Teach Your Monster to Read. I think it's actually helping her learn how to read, which is a small miracle.

A friend recommended DreamBox, so we're trying a trial this week. A to Z kids was also recommended, but I haven't tried. KhanKids and ABC Mouse have both been fine, but not huge hits. She loved the Toca games and I get that the "open ended-ness" is supposed to be good for her development but they weren't giving her the skills (reading, math, etc.) I was hoping for for an educational app. We also do video books on storyline.

Would love more recs, if people have them!

[Anonymous]

Any of the "endless" apps:

Endless Reader
Endless Wordplay
Endless Numbers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unstructured, imaginary play
Writing name with: sidewalk chalk, fingerprint, in shaving cream, making it with leaves, legos, play dough, Cheerios, blocks, twigs...
Making letters and numbers with all of the above
Being read to and having adult ask questions about the books read (what happens first/next/last, what part did you like? What did this remind you off?)
Playing restaurant, make up menus, scribble out receipts
Play book store
Play vet
Play kitchen
Build with blocks
Open ended art experiences

Teach your child how to entertain themselves, without a device, for small periods of time.
Show them how to llook at books and make up a story by looking at the pictures. Give them coloring books or blank paper and crayons.
No app can teach the skills these activities will.
—-PreK teacher

Given the situation, and our area, another +1 for this being a seriously obnoxious post. We all know what’s ideal.

Mom of a 3 year old here. Agreed.

Would it be great if she could play on her own while I work? Yup.

But it's not happening. You can judge all you want, but my choices are either to spend all day yelling at her to play on her own, or give her some iPad time. I can't force a 3 year old to entertain herself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unstructured, imaginary play
Writing name with: sidewalk chalk, fingerprint, in shaving cream, making it with leaves, legos, play dough, Cheerios, blocks, twigs...
Making letters and numbers with all of the above
Being read to and having adult ask questions about the books read (what happens first/next/last, what part did you like? What did this remind you off?)
Playing restaurant, make up menus, scribble out receipts
Play book store
Play vet
Play kitchen
Build with blocks
Open ended art experiences

Teach your child how to entertain themselves, without a device, for small periods of time.
Show them how to llook at books and make up a story by looking at the pictures. Give them coloring books or blank paper and crayons.
No app can teach the skills these activities will.
—-PreK teacher

Great list! Thank you. Hopefully OP will try some.

Do you seriously think OP has never done any of these things with her kid? Especially since this list is absolutely basic. Play with blocks? These are suggestions you’re impressed by?

[Anonymous]

Agree about how obnoxious that post was! Some of us have more than 1 kids and imagine juggling wfh and two small kids. Oh wait, I bet this is the same poster on the 3 hr screen time thread who suggested waking up at 4am to work.

[Anonymous]

I haven’t had luck getting my kids to actually learn anything from apps, but the preschool prep videos are good for teaching phonics to prepare for read.

[Anonymous]

EPIC! The app gives you access to books that the app reads to you and highlights the words as it reads

[Anonymous]

+1 more for Sago Mini and the Toca games.

We also got DD (3.5) the Osmo Little Genius kit. It’s awesome - she has a lot of fun playing with it. It comes with 4 apps and was well worth the money, as DD absolutely has a blast with it.