APP REVIEW

ELA - READING

App Title:
Raz-Kids
App Price:
App price is free, however in order to have full access to the app you need to have a classroom
package (license) to access Raz-Kids web-package which is $109.95 USD each for the basic
package.
Subject Area:
English
App Languages:
App language is English
Rationale for Curriculum Use:
Students have the ability to access leveled reading material at home. The reading tool is unique
in that students can first listen, then read and then be assessed (via an in-app quiz) for
comprehension. The teacher is able to assign a student a level. The student will then have access
to the level below and above that assigned by the teacher. The amount of books read (in addition
to those listened to and those assessments taken) and at what level are recorded. Students gain
points each time they complete one of the three options (listen, read, quiz) which they are then
able to use to purchase things for their personal robot avatar (i.e. outfit changes, physical features
and characteristics).
ISTE Educator Standards:
ISTE Standard #1: Learner: Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and
with others and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to improve
student learning.

ISTE Student Standards:

ISTE Standard #6: Facilitator: Educators facilitate learning with technology to support student
achievement of the ISTE Standards for Students.
NYS P-12 Common Core/NYS Standards:
RL.1.2 (Grade 1): Key Ideas and Details: Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate
understanding of their central message or lesson.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations:
Demonstrating Understanding 1.4 (Grade 1): demonstrate understanding of a text by retelling the
story or restating information from the text, including the main idea.
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MATHEMATICS

App Price:
Free! If you choose to unlock additional features within the app than individuals can choose to
pay for the upgrade.
Subject Area:
Mathematics
App Languages:
App language is English
Rationale for Curriculum Use:
Math Prodigy is a fun and interactive math program in which students complete math questions
to further themselves in this video game-esque game. They partake in battles to gain additional
points or prizes (i.e. tools, clothing, etc. for their character). They have the creative freedom to
choose, name and dress their character.
ISTE Educator Standards:
ISTE Standard #7 Analyst: Educators understand and use data to drive their instruction and
support students in achieving their learning goals.
ISTE Student Standards:
ISTE Standard #5C Computational Thinker: Students break problems into component parts,
extract key information, and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or
facilitate problem-solving.
NYS P-12 Common Core/NYS Standards:
1.NBT.1 Extend the counting sequence (Grade 1): Count to 120, starting at any number less than
120.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations:
Counting (Grade 1): Count forward by 1’s,2’s,5’s,and 10’s to 100,using a variety of tools and
strategies
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LANGUAGE

App Price:
The app is free with the option of in-app purchases at the discretion of the user.
Subject Area:
Language. With this app you can learn Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese,
Turkish, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish, Ukrainian, Esperanto, Polish, Greek, Hungarian,
Norwegian, Hebrew, Welsh, English, Swahili and Romanian.
App Languages:
Language of instruction: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, Dutch,
Irish, Danish, Swedish, Ukrainian, Esperanto, Polish, Greek, Hungarian, Norwegian, Hebrew,
Welsh, English, Swahili and Romanian.
Rationale for Curriculum Use:
This app would be a great extension for those students who are studying a different language in
their curriculum. For instance, in Canada students are required to learn french from as early as
grade one (in some districts) to grade nine. In the United States, students learn Spanish as their
secondary language.
ISTE Educator Standards:
ISTE Standard #1 Learner: Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and
with others and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to improve
student learning.
ISTE Student Standards:
ISTE Standard #6 Creative Communication: Students communicate clearly and express
themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and
digital media appropriate to their goals.
NYS P-12 Common Core/NYS Standards:
SL.1.1 Comprehension and Collaboration (Grade 1): Participate in collaborative conversations
with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger
groups.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations:
B1.2 (Grade 1): Producing Oral Communications: using familiar words and expressions, produce
planned and rehearsed messages in French containing information and ideas about themselves
and their family, friends, and immediate environment, with contextual, auditory, and visual
support.
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AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (Special Needs)

App Price:
This app is free! There are however in-app purchases at the discretion of the user.
Subject Area:
Language. ELA.
App Language:
American Sign Language
Rationale for Curriculum Use:
This app would be useful for students who are hard of hearing or deaf to support their learning in
all subject areas, as well as a useful tool for the entire class to learn sign language to connect
with students who use American Sign Language to communicate while celebrating class
differences and promoting inclusivity.
ISTE Educator Standards:
ISTE Standard 5 Designer: Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and
environments that recognize and accommodate learner variability.
ISTE Student Standards:
ISTE Standard 7 Global Collaborator: Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and
enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and
globally.
NYS P-12 Common Core/NYS Standards:
L.1.5 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use (Grade 1):With guidance and support from adults,
demonstrate understanding of world relationships and nuances in word meaning.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations:
Oral Communication 2.4 (Grade 1): Choose appropriate words to communicate their meaning
accurately and engage the interest of their audience.
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ENL/ELL

Subject Area:
English Language Arts
App Title:
Little Bird Tales
App Price:
Premium Teacher Account $24.99 which includes 1 teacher + 20 students. Additional students
can be added for $1.25 each.
Rationale:
This app can be utilized in the classroom as it is well equipped to create digital stories,
interactive lessons, and engaging presentations. It is ideal for English Language Learners as it
utilizes pictures to help get their message across. Educators can also manage student accounts,
view student work, and import their own images for students to use. MP4 files of student work
can be created and put on a disk as an end-of-the-year gift or post your favorite tales to your
website or blog. This app has no advertising or links to other websites which makes Little Bird
Tales a safe and friendly environment that teachers and parents can trust.
ISTE Standards for Students
ISTE Standard 1D: Understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate
the ability to choose, use, and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their
knowledge to explore emerging technologies.
ISTE Standards for Teacher
ISTE Standard 3B: Establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical examination
of online resources and fosters digital literacy and media fluency.
New York State P-12 Common Core Standards
Speaking and Listening 1SL5 (Grade 1): Create or utilize existing visual displays to support
descriptions to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations
Speaking to Communicate 2.7 (Grade 1): Use one or more appropriate visual aids (e.g., pictures,
photographs, props, puppets, masks) to support or enhance oral presentations.
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ELA WRITING

Subject Area:
English Language Arts
App Title:
Boggle With Friends: Word Game
App Price:
Free
Rationale:
Boggle is a time-honored game where players find words in the form of letters connecting with
each other. The app takes the classic game and makes it current by integrating it with
technology. This app can be utilized in the classroom to help students identify short words that
are connected as the game pieces are scrambled. Students will have an opportunity to learn to
identify words as they appear. This app will also help young learners with spelling by earning
points throughout the game for each word they are able to identify and spell accurately.
ISTE Standards for Students
ISTE Standard Creative Communicator 6a: Choose the appropriate platforms and tools for
meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication.
ISTE Standards for Teacher
ISTE Standard Citizen 3a: Create experiences for learners to make positive, socially responsible
contributions and exhibit empathetic behavior online that build relationships and community
New York State P-12 Common Core Standards
Writing 1W7 (Grade 1): Recall and represent relevant information from experiences or gather
information from provided sources to answer a question in a variety of ways.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations
Spelling Familiar Words 3.1 (Grade 1): spell some high-frequency words correctly (e.g., words
from their oral vocabulary, the class word wall, and shared-, guided-, and independent-reading
texts).
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HEALTH APP

Subject Area:
Health
App Title:
Toca Kitchen 2
App Price:
$5.49
Rationale:
Toca Kitchen 2 is a fun way to get young learners thinking about healthy eating. Students will
be exposed to a variety of food that they can choose for their character to eat. This app is fun,
engaging and interactive. While young learners are having fun choosing food items for their
character, parents and/or educators can sit with them and have a discussion about the food
choices made. Some food items are rejected by the characters in the game which could lead to a
real life discussion of the foods that the learner likes and dislikes, which could then lead to
further discussion as to why they feel about certain foods the way they do.

ISTE Standards for Students

ISTE Standard Knowledge Instructor 3a: Plan and employ effective research strategies to locate
information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits.
ISTE Standards for Teacher
ISTE Standard Leader 2a: Shape, advance and accelerate a shared vision for empowered learning
with technology by engaging with education stakeholders.
New York State Standards
Health Education, Family and Consumer Sciences 1 (Grade 1): Students will use an
understanding of the elements of good nutrition to plan appropriate diets for themselves and
others. They will know and use the appropriate tools and technologies for safe and healthy food
preparation.

Ontario Curriculum Expectations

Healthy Eating C1 (Grade 1): Explain why people need food to have healthy bodies (e.g., food
provides energy for the healthy growth of teeth, skin, bones, muscles, and other body
components).

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MUSIC

Subject Area:
Music
App Title:
Toca Band
App Price:
$5.49
Rationale:
Music is such a fun medium to introduce young learners to the concepts of rhythm, pattern and
dynamics. Toca Band is a lively app that is sure to keep students interested while exploring the
different aspects of music. The app showcases different characters that each possess their own
unique musical sound. Once selected, the band members are placed on the stage. The character
placed on center stage is then raised up above the other band members and students are able to
play with that character’s musical qualities in solo mode while the remaining band members
create beautiful music together.
ISTE Standards for Students
ISTE Standard Innovative Designer 4b: Select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design
process that considers design constraints and calculated risks
ISTE Standards for Teacher
ISTE Standard Facilitar 6d: Model and nurture creativity and creative expression to
communicate ideas, knowledge or connections.
New York State Standards
The Arts (Grade 2): Facilitate use of multiple platforms to access exemplary curriculum and
instructional resources.

Ontario Curriculum Expectations

Music (Grade 2) C3.2: Identify, through performing and/or listening, a variety of musical forms
or pieces from different communities, times, and places (e.g., “O Canada”, an Iroquoian lullaby,
Indian classical music, Obwisana from Ghana).