We are constantly amazed at the range of educational and entertaining apps for pre-school children. Here is a list of our favourite apps for this age group. Prices are for guidance only and are subject to change (of course!)
1. If your pre-schooler is learning phonics then the best phonics app Herok have found for the UK market is Ladybird: I’m Ready for Phonics – Penguin Books (iPad, iPhone & Android – £2.99). it’s very high quality, beautifully produced, and better than anything else in the app store.
2. We also enjoy Mr Phonics: Letters and Sounds – Mr Thorne Productions (iPad, iPhone & Android – £2.49). This is basically a comprehensive collection of videos introducing the phonics and blends that your child needs to know. These are all available for free on Mr Thorne’s YouTube channel, but we are wary of letting little ones have unrestricted access to YouTube, and so this app allows us to be sure they are watching Mr Thorne and only Mr Thorne.
3. Pre-School Classroom (iPad & iPhone – £1.49). This is a great app for pre-school children – it takes your child through a series of mini games which cover early phonics (letter sounds), numeracy (number identification and counting) and writing (line marking). The interface is simple and clear instructions are given at the start of each mini game (in a UK accent). There is plenty of reward for correct answers, and after every few games the child can add a virtual star to their virtual sticker chart.
4. The Story Mouse (iPad & iPhone – free with one story, additional stories available at £1.49 each). When they first start off, your pre-schooler will be able to select to have the stories read to them (which is done in a UK voice), but as they start school and learn to read they’ll be able to turn off the narration and read the books themselves.
5. Disney have a wealth of interactive storybooks available, but if you have an iPad the one you should get first is Toy Story Read-Along – Disney (iPad only – Free). Why? Because it’s free! It will give you a great idea of the quality and content of their other apps, and you can then decide if you want to purchase any more!
We hope you like our app selection. When it comes to storing traditional books Herok have the answer too. We manufacture sturdy Kinderboxes, book trolleys, library shelving, book and media spinners, book displays and reading corners in a great range of colours. See www.Herok.com for further details of all of our school library furniture products.
