TOP PICKS | 27 TOOLS
Best Homework Games for Students
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Motion Math: Hungry Guppy
Kids have a splashing good time learning addition with this colorful guppy
Bottom line: Moves kids from concrete ideas to abstract concepts in a fun, appropriately paced manner.
Grades: Pre-K–2
Price: $3.99
IXL
Immediate feedback and breadth a major plus, despite emphasis on drills
Bottom line: Students can improve targeted skills with tons of practice modules and visually appealing tasks.
Grades: Pre-K–12
Price: Free to Try, Paid Skill practice is free but limited to a small number of problems a day. After a 30-day free trial, classroom licenses start at $249 per class for 25 students and one subject. Individual, school, and district licenses are also available.
Raz-Kids
Solid choice for leveled readings and progress-tracking
Bottom line: Trusty -- if a tad dated -- tool for helping younger students become proficient in many aspects of reading.
Grades: K–3
Price: Free to Try, Paid $109.95 per classroom for a one-year license. There are optional paid upgrades for the Learning A-Z suite of products (e.g. Reading A-Z) which are also offered as bundled collections.
LeVar Burton Kids Skybrary
Kids can "go anywhere, be anything" with vast book and video library
Bottom line: Wonderful and practical way to get kids excited about learning and reading -- the greatness of the classic TV series, updated for the 21st century.
Code.org
Popular games, big names get kids and teachers pumped to program
Bottom line: A well-planned, -produced, and -curated set of free resources bound to get kids hooked on learning to code.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
Khan Academy
Missions boost learning with balance of focus, freedom to explore
Bottom line: A solid resource for Common Core math instruction as well as foundational knowledge in a number of other subjects.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
Scratch
Jump-start future programmers with adaptive sandbox tool
Bottom line: With plenty of time and support, Scratch can help kids of all ages learn essential programming concepts.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
Wizard School
Curated videos and creative challenges ignite active learning
Bottom line: There's plenty of material to inspire kids to embark on learning adventures that get them to explore, create, and share safely on the screen and off.
News-O-Matic: School 2018-2019
Flexible, interactive daily stories for elementary school students
Bottom line: Engaging, high-quality news stories help students learn about the world.
LearnZillion
Quality Common Core-aligned lessons with great modeling for teachers
Bottom line: An innovative way to enhance lessons and tailor learning for individual needs.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
Book Creator
Magically easy way to create and publish digital books and multimedia
Bottom line: Top-quality creation tool empowers kids of many ages to publish their own digital books.
DIY
Design, build, and share new things offline and online
Bottom line: DIY motivates kids to tackle a wide range of problems with independent and scientific thinking.
Grades: 3–8
Price: Free
GarageBand
Amazingly powerful audio workstation unleashes creativity
Bottom line: There's exceptional functionality in this solid, all-inclusive audio workstation that's fantastic for high-quality, anytime, and anywhere audio recording and sharing.
Minecraft
Spiraling sandbox of adventure and creation gets kids to dig deep
Bottom line: An irresistible and seemingly limitless incubator for 21st-century skills that, with a little guidance, can chart new courses for learning.
Gamestar Mechanic
Captivating manga romp teaches kids game design
Bottom line: This terrific and affordable toolset teaches kids how to design games and shows teachers how to use games to teach.
Grades: 4–9
Price: Free, Paid Teachers register classes for free to give their kids access to all of Gamestar Mechanic's basic content. An educational package unlocks the rest -- including a teacher dashboard -- for $2 per student with at least 10 kids enrolled.
Project Noah
Contribute kid research to stellar crowdsourced field guide
Bottom line: An outstanding resource that makes science relevant with lots of classroom potential.
W.E.L.D.E.R. Swap
Mashup of Boggle and Candy Crush gets kids forming new words
Bottom line: Students, especially word geeks, will dig this strategic game, but it's unclear how much it'll impact learning.
Ink Blott Underground
Strategic vocab game gets students digging into roots and affixes
Bottom line: This is a win for building vocabulary and word attack skills, but teachers need to provide context and additional instruction to make learning last.
GameMaker Studio 2
One of the best creation tools available for aspiring game developers
Bottom line: Provides teachers with the best choice for a full unit or class on game design, and gives students a tool to help them realize their game-making dreams.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free to Try, Paid A free version has limited features. Educational licenses range from $30 per seat per year for desktop creation to $130 per seat per year for UWP and mobile.
iMovie
Pro-quality HD movie maker is easy enough for beginners
Bottom line: This extraordinary tool for making movies anywhere is easy enough for beginners, yet has lots of headroom for advanced users.
Never Alone: Ki Edition
Illuminating native Alaskan folktale supports SEL skills
Bottom line: A beautiful achievement developed in cooperation with indigenous folk that offers players valuable SEL skill building and a respectful window into Inupiat culture, ways of life, traditions, and stories.
DragonBox Algebra 12+
Super fun, cutting-edge approach to learning and practicing algebra
Bottom line: Kids build a strong foundation for algebra by learning the underlying concepts for solving equations with this extremely fun and educational math tool.
Sid Meier's Civilization V
Legendary strategy game is a hit with history buffs in school and out
Bottom line: For flexible classrooms, creative teachers, and sharp students, Civilization V is the perfect platform for making rather than memorizing history.
Codecademy
Terrific hands-on coding practice with live feedback
Bottom line: In this excellent coding application, in-game practice and real-time guidance crack open the world of programming and turn your students into whiz kids.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free, Paid Codecademy Pro accounts include all content from free account plus access to real-world scenarios to solve, online assessments, and advisors who will answer questions and guide your progress.
Historypin
Crowdsourcing is key to making history accessible, approachable
Bottom line: Historypin is an engaging tool to get kids interested in the history of their community and the world.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free
SAT Vocab by MindSnacks
Variety is key in charmingly effective SAT vocab app
Bottom line: Upgrading to the full version gets you great games and a thorough word list for SAT vocab prep.
Kerbal Space Program
Design and launch a rocket into space in realistic astrophysics sim
Bottom line: This accurate rocket sim encourages trial-and-error learning and makes for great (and often explosive) physics and engineering experiments.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free to Try, Paid $39.99, free demo