As our children get older, the homework they bring home and ask for help becomes more and more incomprehensible. The math they learn looks completely new, we don’t quite know what a soliloquy is anymore, and we don’t remember anything about chemical compounds.
Being unable to answer their questions, and seeing the confusion in their eyes, makes us feel incredibly helpless. While relearning the material with them is a great exercise for our brains, sometimes we’re just not going to get it. This is where we say “Thank you!” to the invention of smart devices and the apps we can access through them!
Here ARE the top 5 apps parents trust to help them help their children:
1. The Khan Academy
This app is great for students who might have missed or didn’t completely understand, a lesson as well as parents who want to help but don’t quite understand the material themselves. Through Khan Academy, students and parents have access to multiple lessons, lectures, and reading material covering a broad amount of subjects. All of the material is available for download for people wishing to continue the studying process offline and away from distractions.
2. Smartfeed
The Smartfeed app allows parents to customize media playlists for their kids based on their child’s interests, education, and character traits. Through this app, parents create a visual learning experience that their children can access at home to continue engaging their brains as well as encouraging them to seek out more educational material themselves!
The Smartfeed app not only offers tailored media playlists but also provides an avenue for more targeted educational support. For instance, parents in Southern California looking to bolster their child’s math skills can find resources through the app, but for the tutoring help, they need to search for local math help in San Diego. This feature ensures that the app is not just a tool for entertainment but also a gateway to academic assistance and enrichment, seamlessly blending with a child’s daily routine and the unique learning environment of San Diego’s educational landscape.
3. Powerschool
The Powerschool app allows parents and students to manage school grades and reports while also keeping parents and teachers under a close line of connectivity. Parents can view handouts, attendance records, bulletins, and other school-related information to keep up to date on their child’s activities while students have a transparent view of where they might need more assistance from other resources.
4. Brainly
The Brainly app is an online learning mentoring platform connecting students, parents, and teachers with peers and subject matter experts, to lend a helping hand on seemingly impossible assignments. Through this app, many students who felt lost in common core subjects were able to advance in their studies and even become a peer mentor themselves! That’s good parenting!
5. Parenting Hero,
This app created by adult-to-child communication experts Joanna Faber and Julie King is an app showing parents how to create better communication practices with their children. Many times, while trying to help children with their homework, parents in their confusion may experience moments of frustration, which they accidentally take out on their child. This app helps to keep tension low and resolve unneeded conflicts before they arise, allowing parents to help their child as best as they can.
Research shows that students are more effective in school when their parents take an active role in helping them learn at home. That’s a heavy burden to lay on moms and dads, but thankfully all these apps are effectively relieving some of the stress and frustration that goes along with helping kids complete tough homework assignments.
Seana Turner says
My daughter really loved Khan academy. The ability to watch videos and review tough things over and over is really terrific. I think apps like these are of the best uses of technology!
Janine says
So glad to hear your daughter used and liked Khan academy. I couldn’t agree more it helps to watch videos to review the tougher concepts at the very least. Thanks for sharing with me, Seana 🙂
Dara says
I usually just use google…thanks for the recs!
Janine says
Aw, you are so welcome and always happy to help you if I can, Dara 🙂
William D Holland says
Valuable information for parents. Great stuff here, Janine! Thankfully I no longer have a school-aged child. lol He’s the reason I’m so gray. 🙂 Happy Tuesday my friend.
Janine says
Aw, thanks again, Bill and Happy Tuesday to you now, too!! 🙂
Meredith Spidel says
I honestly never thought of using an app to help us, and appreciate the suggestions–will check these out! Thanks, Janine!
Gloria Spagnoli says
Good advice and good suggestions. So glad your girls are doing well in school. xxoo
Janine says
Aw, thanks, Aunt Gloria!!! xoxo 😉
Gloria says
Good advice and good suggestions. So glad your girls are doing well in school. xxoo
Jen says
We use Powerschool for everything and love it! Also Khan Academy. I am going to look into the others. Pinned!
Janine says
Aw, thanks so much for pinning and always happy to share with you, too!! 🙂
Tamara says
Oh wow – I don’t know these! I’m super against homework. Down with it! Scarlet’s fourth grade teacher didn’t believe in it so that was a nice reprieve and I hope Des gets that same teacher!
Janine says
Sign me up for Scarlet’s teacher as much as I once was a teacher I am so not a fan of homework either!!