Best Educational Apps for Middle Schoolers

Learning apps can be excellent resources that supplement the traditional educational system. In contrast to the conventional classroom approach, these apps use gamification and interactivity, which keeps learners engaged and motivated.

Another reason to rely on educational apps is that, as children reach middle school age, screen time is almost impossible to avoid. So, using educational apps is the perfect strategy for parents and educators to help middle schoolers make worthwhile use of screen time.

Plus, integrating technology into 6th, 7th, and 8th graders’ learning experiences can enhance their digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The cherry on top is that kids don’t even realize they’re studying, as the lessons and activities are designed for them to have fun throughout the learning process.

Best Educational Apps for Middle School Students of 2023

Best for Math and Science: Education.com

Education.com offers over 30,000 learning resources, including worksheets, games, and workbooks. It covers reading, writing, and math Common Core Standards subjects, plus other topics, such as coding, fine arts, and social-emotional skills.

What makes Education.com the best for math and science are the numerous worksheets, games, and exercises provided for 6th to 8th graders. There are activities related to topics like multiplication, algebra, geometry, and many more.

Meanwhile, science-related resources cover – but aren’t limited to – physical science, ecosystems, and genetics. The extra sparkle is the Science Projects, which are thorough, ready-made projects with research questions, materials, and experimental procedures.

There’s even a free version, but it only gives access to three resources per month. So, opting for the Premium subscription is worthwhile – especially if you get the annual plan, which comes with a 40% discount. Plus, the money-back guarantee allows you to get a refund if you cancel your subscription within seven days.

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Best for Reading: Amazon Kids+

Although Amazon Kids+ isn’t solely focused on reading, it’s the best option for middle schoolers to develop an interest in books. Android and iOS users can download the app to access thousands of age-appropriate books, including audiobooks and picture books.

The books are categorized by themes, and the stories vary from fables and fairy tales to classic literature and chapter books. Plus, Amazon Kids+ features kid-friendly movies, TV shows, games, and educational content.

What’s more, parents can set educational goals and screen time restrictions, block access to entertainment content if the goals aren’t met, and manage web browsing and content usage.

Although Amazon Kids+ isn’t free, it’s possible to thoroughly test the service at zero cost for 30 days. Another advantage of this app is that four different people can use it under the same subscription from any device, including computers, mobile devices, and e-readers.

Best for Arts: Google Arts & Culture

Google Arts & Culture is perfect for middle schoolers wanting to study cultural content from around the world. Accessible from computers and mobile devices, the app is entirely free and provides virtual tours of museums, interactive exhibitions, and detailed artwork images.

The app is also well-designed with a clean interface that allows users to explore specific museums, themes, artists, historical artifacts, and more.

Moreover, Google Arts & Culture stands out for allowing users to interact with its high-quality visual content, providing an impressively engaging and hands-on experience. Students can explore the museums with a 360-degree view, zoom in on high-quality images of artwork, and explore virtual exhibits.

Best for Social Studies and History: BrainPOP

BrainPOP is an excellent supplement to traditional classroom studies. The platform uses several learning resources to provide educational content across various subjects.

Middle schoolers can learn social studies and history through animated videos and interactive quizzes, with age-appropriate content aligned with the curriculum expectations for their level. Along with these subjects, the platform provides engaging activities for learning science, math, English, arts, and others.

Moreover, BrainPOP offers valuable resources for educators, too. Teachers can assign activities and create assessments according to their students’ learning goals.

Unfortunately, BrainPOP isn’t free, but all subscription plans allow up to two kids’ profiles and access from computers and mobile devices. Plus, the platform can be tested for free for 14 days.

Best for Foreign Languages: Mondly Kids

Mondly Kids is the go-to option for middle schoolers who wish to learn a new language. The app is perfect for learning the fundamentals of over ten languages, including less commonly taught yet valuable languages like Russian and Arabic.

The app appeals to middle schoolers because of its gamified lessons, allowing students to learn a new language as if playing a game. Plus, learning goals can be set and interactive exercises help check students’ understanding and progress.

What’s best about Mondly Kids is that the app is free, so iOS and¬ Android users can download Mondly Kids on all their mobile devices. However, keep in mind that additional features like unlocking certain languages and removing ads are only available as in-app purchases.

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Best for Coding and STEM Learning: codeSpark

codeSpark is fantastic for boosting kids’ creativity, communication, and problem-solving skills while learning code. With hundreds of puzzles and games, the app uses a gamified approach to help kids learn the ropes of coding.

The curriculum used to develop the highly interactive and engaging lessons is based on MIT, Princeton, and Carnegie Mellon research. The app also allows kids to become creators and build their own games within just a week.

A paid subscription is required, and up to three children can use the same account. Plus, there’s a 7-day free trial to test the service before subscribing.

Finally, it’s worth noting that there’s a free version for educators. This version allows teachers to use codeSpark to explore math, science, and computer science subjects with their students.

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4 Benefits of Using Learning Apps in Middle School

There are plenty of benefits of using a learning app as a middle-school student. Four of the main ones are:

1. Engaging and interactive learning environment: Colorful flashcards, animations, and drag-and-drop tools make study sessions more joyful than a textbook does.
2. Personalized learning paths and adaptive content: Thanks to their algorithms, educational apps tailor the content learners should focus on. The data used is based on the student’s preferences and performance across the activities they’ve answered.
3. Focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills: Many apps provide challenges and exercises based on real-world scenarios, which is essential for kids to develop or enhance their problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
4. Gamification and rewards for motivation: Most educational apps design their activities using games, making learners so engaged that they don’t even realize they’re studying. Plus, the activities provide instant feedback and a reward system that keeps students motivated to reach the goals set according to their learning journey.

Considerations Before Choosing an Educational App for Middle Schoolers

Learning apps for kids come in all shapes and forms, so it’s important to keep the following in consideration:

• Age-appropriate content and skill level: Parents and teachers should keep in mind that not every educational app suits their kids’ age and skill level. Some apps are designed for young learners, with activities that don’t appeal to middle schoolers who require more challenging and advanced activities.
• User-friendly interface and navigation: As there are so many distractions that easily attract kids’ attention (streaming apps, games, and social media), the educational app has to be as easy to navigate and visually pleasing as possible to immediately catch the learner’s eye.
• Compatibility with devices and operating systems: Make sure the app chosen is accessible from as many devices as possible. Plus, it’s excellent if you can add multiple users to the same subscription.
• Educational value and alignment with curriculum: It’s crucial to ensure that the content reinforces the subjects students learn in school.
• Parental controls and privacy measures: Fundamentally, it’s essential to choose an app that respects students’ data privacy and allows parents to set screen time limits and other parental control measures.

Best Practices for Making Mid-School Kids Interested in Learning

Educational apps aren’t the only ways of keeping middle schoolers interested in learning. It’s good practice to also:

• Relate learning to real-life situations to help learners understand why it’s important to study and how to apply the content learned. Try to connect the target subject to daily situations and career possibilities.
• Provide choice and autonomy to give students a sense of responsibility and the opportunity to manage their learning experience according to their interests.
• Integrate pop culture and current events into the learning process to keep kids interested. Doing this helps students process and memorize the information by relating it to their interests.
• Celebrate achievements and progress to make sure that students realize how much they’ve learned and feel that their effort has been paying off.

All things considered, combining education and technology can do wonders for middle schoolers’ learning journey. Educational apps provide students with interactive lessons, engaging activities, and a personalized learning experience.

Still, before choosing the appropriate apps to support your child’s study sessions, make sure to browse related pages on our website to get the whole picture of the educational resources out there.