Learning alongside an app

During the summer holidays you have a great opportunity to keep your children interested in learning the English language while doing something fun. In today’s modern tech society, we tend to rely on apps, and this does not have to be a bad thing. A learning app can be very stimulating to the learning process as it uses bright colors, sound and image to create a learning experience. These English apps combines learning with playing and allows the children to properly interact with the content. And as mentioned in last week’s blog post, when a child has a parent or a babysitter willing to take part in their learning process, they will find it more fun and feel encouraged to make the mistakes necessary and continue their development in the English language.

Finding your app

To make the most out of these apps, adult supervision by you as a parent is recommended, or you can hire a bilingual babysitter via our website to assist your children with the English learning app. Are you going on vacation somewhere or want to have some English fun in your everyday lives? Here are some apps that you or your bilingual babysitter can use to interact with your children:

• Duolingo: Available for Apple and Android

This app is probably one of the most well-known language apps out there. But it deserves a spot on this list because it is very versatile. You can learn several other languages apart from English, so your children can use it to perfect their Spanish and develop their English. The app also allows you to choose level of difficulty, this is a great feature so your children can continue to develop their level of English with the same app as they are progressing, and if you have older children that might enjoy something more “mature”, this app is right there for you. There is also a specific “Duolingo Kids” version intended for the ages 3-6, only available in App Store. But because of the very easy layout of the original Duolingo version, it will work perfectly for your young children too, if you don’t happen to have an App Store.

• Lingokids: Available for Apple and Android

This app is focused on the ages 2-8 and has a “learning through play” approach by being game-based and interactive. It is particularly good in the sense that it has a feature called “The Parents Area” which has resources for you or your bilingual babysitter to learn alongside the children. Furthermore, the curriculum in this English learning app is based on learning the language while understanding the importance of critical thinking, diversity and equality, as well as caring for the environment. This is a truly forward-thinking app!

• Monkey Junior: Available for Android

This app is intended for the ages 0-6. Monkey Junior has over 1000 different lessons divided into easy, medium, and advanced. These advancements in the levels allows your children to develop with the app; if easy becomes too easy, move on to medium and continue from there. This app is mainly focused on learning how to read and has educational games after each lesson, a great way to combine structured learning and playing. It also supports offline learning so your children can learn in the car on your way to your holiday destination, on the way to grandma’s house or together with their babysitter when going to the park. The app is especially great if you have several children at various levels in your family, because it supports multiple profiles, allowing you to jump back and forth when necessary.

• Fun English: Available for Apple and Android

This app focuses on the ages 3-8 but is also suitable for parents and babysitters to enjoy together with the children as it has two features. “Free Play” is intended for the children to play and learn by themselves and the “Structured Learning” feature allows you as a parent or your bilingual babysitter to learn alongside the children. This app is rather comprehensive in that it teaches both reading, speaking, listening, and spelling, allowing your children to practice what they need, and think is most fun in the English language.

Let’s get started!

This is just a snapshot of all the great English learning apps out there. Some apps are solemnly intended for children to play by themselves and some are more “parent friendly”. The above-mentioned apps are a little bit of both, to give you and your child the most effective and fun way of learning English. So, lets download an app and get started, maybe give your children the option, what looks most fun? What will stimulate their learning and experience the best? Maybe you want different apps for you and for you bilingual babysitter? Don’t be afraid to test a couple and see what suits you and your children the best!

If you want more information about finding a bilingual babysitter for you and your children, watch our informative video or click here to sign up for free.