Benefits of Using Apps in Special Education
The use of technology in the classroom helps special education students in many different ways. Using free apps in the special education classroom enables students to learn in a way that is accommodating to their individual learning styles. Students use apps to reinforce what they are learning in school. You can also use apps across many different settings as they are very versatile. Another benefit of using apps in the classroom is to help with fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination. Apps are also very engaging and can incorporate a variety of skills together.
Starfall App
Classroom teachers developed this app as a free service to teach children to read. It has expanded since it was first launched to include standards in reading and math for grades kinder to fifth grade. Because of this expansion, there are parts of this app that require a low cost membership. Aside from that, there are many free, research-based activities that are focused on learning to read. There are multi-sensory interactive games that allows students to see, hear, and touch as they learn.
Khan Academy Kids App
This is a free, fun, engaging, and educational app for ages two to eight. This is ideal in a special education classroom because of the varying degrees of learning. With this app, you are able to create a class roster to add your students. You can assign students specific skills and games for them to complete. There is an adaptive path that allows students to learn at their own pace. As a teacher, you can also run reports and get data on the assignments for each student. This app focuses on early literacy, reading, writing, language, and math. Khan Academy encourages creativity and building social-emotional skills.
epic!
Epic is free for teachers and students with a class code. This app has thousands of books for all ages that focuses on language arts, social-emotional, math, science and social studies. This app has extra support with read-to-me and dictionary look up. You can also track reading progress and assign books to students added to your roster. An interesting aspect of this app is that students can only access it for free during school hours, 7-3pm. If access is wanted after that, there is a fee. This app has instant, unlimited access to many books, videos and quizzes.
Skill Champ
This free app works on basic skills including picture match, 1:1 correspondence, letter match, number find, color concepts, big vs little, emotions, patterning and puzzles. You can either build a lesson or simply work on a random concept. The app is very simple and easy to use. Students can drag an item and when building a lesson, you can use items a student likes, for example, vehicles, farm animals or toys.
IXL
This free app has hundreds of math and language arts lessons for grades Pre-K to 12th grade. There is a desktop version of IXL that includes subjects like social studies, science and Spanish lessons for free. The games at IXL require a membership fee. On the free app, you need to sign in as a guest and then you have the free access to language arts and math for any grade. The questions are read aloud and there are many skills where students can master essential skills at their own pace. They’re are fun and interactive questions, built in support, and motivating awards.
In Conclusion
These free apps for special education are interactive, engaging and fun for every level of student. Students benefit from using technology in the classroom. Apps will help create life-long learners, expose students to many different types of skills, and bring real world experiences into the classroom. Apps can bring flexibility, new tools, and more connection with students. Using apps in the classroom can also give you access to learning material you might otherwise not have access to.
Have you tried any of these educational apps?
