Summer break is almost here, and students and teachers across the country are no doubt counting down the days until their well-earned freedom. But for many students, summer break also means a “summer slide”, where a significant portion of the knowledge that they’ve acquired during the school year will be lost. In fact, according to Scholastic(new window), elementary students lose roughly twenty to twenty-seven percent of their learning progress during the summer months.
So, in an attempt to prevent some of that inevitable learning loss, we’ve compiled a list of five apps designed to keep students on track as they enjoy their summer break.
Khan Academy(new window) – Khan Academy offers a ton of subjects across a wide range of grades including Math, Life Skills, Social Studies, Economics, Science, Test prep, and Computing. And the best part? It’s completely free. So if budget is a concern for you, this app is an absolute must-have. Khan Academy is available for PC, iOS, and Android.
Prodigy Games(new window) – Prodigy offers a variety of gamified learning experiences for students from grades one to eight. The games are well-drawn and genuinely fun, and they offer plenty of video game staples designed to keep students invested in their progress, including pets, gear, buddies and mounts. Prodigy games are available for PC, iOS, and Android, and memberships are currently available for between about seven and fourteen dollars Canadian.
Night Zookeeper(new window) – Designed for children aged six to twelve, Night Zookeeper offers a gamified learning experience similar to Prodigy Games, with a specific focus on building reading and writing skills such as grammar, vocabulary, spelling, reading comprehension, and creative writing. Night Zookeeper is available for PC and iOS only, at a cost of twelve to twenty dollars per month Canadian. A seven day free trial is also available; however, a credit card is still required.
IXL(new window) – IXL has been around for decades, and it’s considered to be one of the top learning platforms around. From Junior Kindergarten to Grade Twelve, IXL offers a variety of Math, English, and Science Skills. It also offers region-based curriculum, so you can be confident that the course materials align with what your child is learning in school. The platform is available on PC, iOS, and Android, and prices vary from about ten to twenty dollars a month. And it just so happens that they are currently offering twenty-five percent off for their Summer Learning Sale!
Brilliant.org(new window) – This highly rated, AI-powered virtual tutor covers a variety of STEM topics, including Math, Computer Science, and Data Analysis. The app is highly interactive and fundamentally visual. It’s designed to allow students to experiment with STEM concepts within a controlled yet malleable interface. Brilliant is available for PC, iOS, and Android at a cost of twenty-five to fifty dollars Canadian per month.