Today I am blogging about something a little different.
There is no book review, excerpt, interview, vlog, or guest post. Rather, I
want to inform you of a fairly new app that Scholastic has come out with. Some
of you might have heard of it, but I have just recently discovered this. Storia, Scholastic’s new app, is making
reading more fun for my five and three-year olds.
As a rapacious reader and former language arts teacher, I
know how important reading and comprehension are to one’s development and
academic success. As a result, I am always looking for new and fun ways to
heighten my children’s reading experience.
In the age of educational electronic devices, children have
a plethora of options available to them from Leapsters and Leappads, to
interactive, educational websites such as Starfall and Funbrain, not to mention
the thousands of educational apps available for smartphones and tablets.
Storia takes the fun, interactive properties of the LeapfrogTag reading system, and combines them with the classic storytelling of read-along
books. Aubrey, my three-year old, spent a half hour the other morning “reading”
three books plus playing the interactive activities that accompany each story. I
have to tell you, she is having the most fun with this new app and is
constantly asking me to purchase more books. A girl after my own heart.
Here is a list of the many features I like about the Storia
app:
- It highlights the word being read.
- It will not only read the whole story to your child, but it will also turn the pages for him/her. (Or you can self-turn the pages)
- Many books are enriched with engaging activities such as puzzles, word searches, sequencing challenges, and much more.
- It has a dictionary with text, image, and read-to-me narration, allowing your child to look up the meaning of any word on the page.
- Your child can tap on a word and Storia will highlight and read the chosen word.
- Each child has his/her own bookshelf, helping you keep your children’s books organized.
- It’s an app. I can take it anywhere and my child will be happy. She can play it while in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, while her brother is at speech, on long car trips, etc.
Problems I hope Scholastic fixes:
- Not every book gives you a “look inside.” I would like to be able to see a few pages before I decide to purchase a book. (I must be spoiled by Amazon).
- Not every book is enriched with activities like they are with Leapfrog Tag
- It appears that books for older kids (grades 1 and up) are not read-to-me enabled; however, some do have enrichment activities.
- The Storia website does not tell you which books are read-to-me enabled; yet, they do tell you which ones are enriched with activities. I would prefer knowing since my three-year old likes the books read to her.
For the most part, I have been pleased with Storia, and my
children have been well entertained.
Now, I want to know, what are some of your favorite
educational apps, websites, and games for your children. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Jakki! It looks like a can get books for my older kids too! I might try it for Jack, since he doesn't have a kindle...yet! ;)
ReplyDeleteYes, you can, Candy! It's for all ages. Pretty neat. For the older kids, I think it works the same as an e-reader. They can read, highlight, and look up meanings. You can even use your PC to read the Storia books.
DeleteOh brother! See I only read about half of everything! I see you mention it has books for older kids. haha! It does look like a cool app!
DeleteWe have a frog dissection app that my kids used to do all the time. Also a rat. Very interesting and not as messy. :)