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Review by Dana Villamagna, Common Sense Education | Updated July 2013

Leo's Songs

Name: Leo's Songs
Item: Leo's Songs
Rating: 2
Author: Dana Villamagna

Sweet songs tell kids to dream big, but no deep learning here

Subjects & skills

Grades This grade range is a recommendation by Common Sense Education and not the developer/publisher.

Pre-K–K

Common Sense says (See details)

Teachers say (1 Review)

Pros: No bad news, just positive songs sung by happy characters.

Cons: Limited interactivity and a few typos.

Bottom Line: Kids will hear important messages about emotional development, but content and interactivity are lacking.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

If you're already using Leo's Pad: Preschool Kids Learning Series in your classroom, Leo's Songs may be a fun way for kids to soak in those appisodes' main messages that science, art, and invention are fueled by imagination, creativity, teamwork, and hard work. But be aware that although kids who already use that app will recognize some of the themes in the songs, they'll also find that items they see in the videos won't have the same interactivity they may be expecting. If you're planning to use the interactive series in your classroom but aren't yet, these four brief songs may be a good way to introduce your students to these historical characters, as well as to the idea that all famous scientists were once kids just like them!

What Is It?

Editor's Note: Leo's Songs is no longer available; however, the developers continue to update and expand their primary app, Leo's Pad: Preschool Learning Series.

Leo's Songs is an animated song app that includes four songs based on characters found in the interactive Leo's Pad: Preschool Learning Series app. The young Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, and Galileo sing kid-friendly songs about following dreams, trying again, practicing to get better at skills, and using imagination to invent. Kids simply tap one of the four song icons on the main screen, then watch and listen. In "Follow Your Dreams," Leo sings to Gally about the dream of going into space, while in "Try Again," he sings about not giving up. Marie Curie encourages kids to practice in "Practice Makes Perfect," and Marie and Leo both sing on the song "You're an Inventor."

The app displays lyrics for kids to follow during the songs, but there are a few typos -- mostly relating to missing apostrophes.

Is It Good for Learning?

These beautifully animated videos and fine songs are engaging and fun to watch. It's also encouraging to see a girl kid scientist, Marie Curie, represented here along with Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo. Leo's Songs can help kids learn some positive messages about not giving up, using your imagination, and the importance of practice -- concepts that are relevant in their lives. It would be nice to see more interactivity with the app -- and fewer typos.

Rating Details

Overall Rating

Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

Cute kid versions of famous historic scientists create engaging, friendly characters. The well-designed animations in the videos are nice to watch and the songs are fine, but there are only four songs, and little interactivity.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

Though the app doesn't go into much depth, kids learn by watching the four videos and absorbing the positive messages of perseverance, practice, imagination, and dreaming big.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

The main page of the app encourages kids to extend play with the characters on the related Leo's Pad: Preschool Kids Learning Series app.

Common Sense Reviewer

Dana Villamagna Classroom teacher

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Teacher Reviews

Featured review by
Denise W. , Classroom teacher

Classroom teacher

Fairview Elementary School
Roanoke, United States

Cute animations and song message, however, very little educational content.

It is very cute and animated however it lacks educational content. The words are highlighted as the characters sing, however it is often done quickly and it is difficult for struggling students to keep up with. If the child is familiar with the songs from using the app "Leo's Pad" it is easier to keep them engaged. If it is used as a stand alone app the students find it boring after the first half of the song. It is basically 4 songs ( with words on the screen) that animated characters sing.

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