Explore Literacy Apps
Apple Books
Best for KS1, KS2 and Secondary Students
Easily Accessible via the Apple App Store
Intuitive and very easy to use
This app is often taken for granted. For many, it lurks on an iPad screen and is rarely opened. In actuality, Apple Books is an app with a wealth of reading materials that are available for free. Not only are there some literary classic on the app for free (Shakespeare, Dickens etc) you will also find titles on poetry, story writing, script development and so on. In this time of isolation, being able to access materials is one of the toughest challenges. Apple Books can help in that regard. Click
here
to access remote learning resources.
Pages
Best for KS2 and Secondary Students
Easily Accessible via the Apple Books Store
Some basic word formatting skills needed
Easily Accessible via the Apple Books Store
Some basic word formatting skills needed
Like any word processor, Pages enables learners to create documents on any given subject. However, it is a brilliant tool for literacy for a few reasons. Firstly, built-in templates, makes it easy and engaging for students to create News Reports, Brochures, Posters and so on. Pages' collaboration functionality enables pupils to work together on Literacy projects remotely. All they need to do is share their Apple ID email address. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Pages is intuitive and easy to use. Therefore, the app never interrupts Literacy learning. It only enhances it.
Khan Academy Kids
Best for EYFS & KS1, KS2
Easily Accessible via the Apple App Store
Initial set up will need parental support
For young learners who are taking their first steps into the world of Literacy, Khan Academy Kids is a fantastic app to explore. Children can read engaging onscreen books with interactive features via the app’s library, or they can create their own stories. Using a host of characters and template settings, young learners can write their own simple narratives using drag and drop options. When you initially use the app, it asks for a parents email address.
This is because Khan Academy Kids saves progress and enables learners to carry on from where the left off even if they jump on to a new device. This feature also means that literary progressions are captured and saved in the app as learner play.
Padlet
Best for KS2 and Secondary Students
Easily Accessible via the Apple Books Store
Some formatting and file-sharing skills needed
Planning, drafting and redrafting work is a big part of Literacy learning. Padlet is a great tool for making the process digital and adding a collaborative element. Essentially the app is a pinboard for ideas and notes. The creator can add images, drawing and test to their paddle wall. It's a great way to organise thoughts. However, Padlet's real power best feature is that it is collaborative. The creator can invite others to contribute ideas to the wall in a live capacity or in their own time. This results in a secure but collaborative workspace where ideas can formulate and adapt. It's the perfect tool for a group literacy task.
Easily Accessible via the Apple Books Store
Some formatting and file-sharing skills needed
Planning, drafting and redrafting work is a big part of Literacy learning. Padlet is a great tool for making the process digital and adding a collaborative element. Essentially the app is a pinboard for ideas and notes. The creator can add images, drawing and test to their paddle wall. It's a great way to organise thoughts. However, Padlet's real power best feature is that it is collaborative. The creator can invite others to contribute ideas to the wall in a live capacity or in their own time. This results in a secure but collaborative workspace where ideas can formulate and adapt. It's the perfect tool for a group literacy task.
Story Dice
Best for KS1 & KS2
Easily Accessible via the Apple App Store
No computing skills necessary
Sometimes, simplistic apps are the most effective. Story Dice does exactly what you would expect it to do. Tap the dice to generate completely random pictures. These pictures are designed to inspire storytelling and move a plot along. The app even has a simple way of performing some differentiation. The user can change the number of dice they would like to roll, from one to ten. The more dice, the harder it is to create a cohesive plot. Freewriting is commonplace in most primary school. It enables teachers to check up on literary skills within their pupil’s writing and it encourages creativity. There is no reason why this can’t be practised at home.