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5 Best Educational Apps for Junior High School Kids

We realise that competing for space on a preteen’s phone is tough, but we think there’s room for a few educational apps. Right?

Math 42

The app: Math 42.
Platform: iOS & Android.
Cost: Free with in-app upgrades.

Using Math 42 is like having a tutor on your kid’s phone. After they easily input a math problem, Math 42 suggests different approaches they can take to solve the problem. After they select an approach, it breaks it down in to the steps they should take to solve the problem. Then it explains each step of the process. If they need more information, Math 42 offers detailed explanations of what different notations mean. Finally, it offers a training mode, so your kid can test themselves and get feedback about their strengths and weaknesses.

Project Noah

The app: Project Noah.
Platform: iOS & Android.
Cost: Free.

Project Noah is all about getting kids outside and exploring nature. Kids can take a picture of wildlife they find and upload it to Project Noah. If they know the species of the animal they’ve found, they can include that information. If not, one of the other Project Noah users might be able to help them out. Finally, they can include their location. The cool thing about Project Noah is that kids are contributing to science. With the power of thousands of users from around the globe uploading information, scientists can use Project Noah to enhance their research.

SimplePhysics

The app: SimplePhysics.
Platform: iOS & Android
Cost: $2.79.

This is one of those apps from the “fool kids into learning” school of thought. SimplePhysics challenges kids to build things like bridges, high-rises, and dams, where the name of the game is to find the most efficient way to meet their goal. Then, they can run stress tests on their creations, to see how well they hold up. They may break, of course—but that’s physics for you.

Hopscotch

The app. Hopscotch.
Platform: iOS.
Cost: Free.

Hopscotch is an app that teaches kids the beginnings of coding without the difficulty of teaching an actual coding language. Instead, they drag and drop colourful blocks and learn the basics of thinking like a programmer. They can even build their own minigames and let other people play them.

iTooch

The app: iTooch Middle School.
Platform: iOS & Android.
Cost: Free with in-app purchases.

iTooch Middle School is a massive app. It features more than 10,000 worksheets in math and language arts for grades six, seven, and eight. Each section includes between 1,500 and 2,000 questions with hints, detailed explanations, and pictures when appropriate. There’s a lot going on, but your kid can chart their progress with badges and achievements, just like a video game.

The Bottom Line

Education may be changing rapidly, but it’s always been true that the more interested a student is in learning, the more they’ll end up knowing. One of the best things about these apps is they foster interest in learning, and that’s the key place to start.