Available in the App Store

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Word Book and Puzzle Box HD, an iPad only app, offers your child a safe and friendly environment to play and learn.

The app contains two learning areas; Word Book and Puzzle Box. In Word Book, users will learn the sounds and names of letters and the order in which they should be placed to build words. For Puzzle Box, the child completes a wooden puzzle; for the animals section it is a picture of an animal. Hints and guidance are provided, in some levels, to assist the child in the proper placement of letters or puzzle pieces.

With the initial download of the app, Word Book contains 30 animal words and Puzzle Box has 40 puzzles; each of those is then broken down into three levels. Because each word or puzzle in the learning area is broken into three levels, the age range for this app could be preschool to Grade 1. Stars are earned upon the completion of each level. Stars can then be redeemed to earn toys or decorations for their rooms. We’ll get to rooms in a bit.

The app can be used for up to four users; making this app ideal for families or classrooms. Upon entering the app, you customize the profile for each user. When creating the profile you are able to add a photo, choose a room color, and enter their name. Having a profile for each child allows you to check their individual progress.

What are rooms for? Rooms are the child’s play area. The rewards (toys and room decorations) the child has earned are stored there; you will go there to choose which learning area the child goes into and this is where the child can play with the items they’ve earned. The photo you chose when customizing their profile will appear in their room as a portrait on the wall above the dresser.

The developer has done a fantastic job designing this app. Everything about this app is kid-friendly; colors, music, voice (for instructions and feedback), and user interface. Mechanisms are in place restricting the child’s access to the profiles and links for e-mail and such; access to the profiles can be restricted with a password and to access some areas you must hold down the button until the screen changes.

Two suggestions for the developer would be to; one, make the learning progress easier to access; not so many clicks. Consider making it accessible at the profile level. Second, give parents the option to choose the level in the profile. This would allow the parent or teacher to customize the app for the child’s learning ability; allowing for more flexibility.

The animals pack is in the initial download; vehicles and shapes/colors are available through separate in-app purchases.

A lite version is available in the iTunes store.

Bottom-line: Word Book and Puzzle Box is a great educational and entertainment app with endless possibilities in how it can be used. It’s such an inviting place; it makes you want to stay all day.
In an nutshell:

“Word Book and Puzzle Box HD” is an educational app for the iPad that includes two games featuring adaptive and personalized learning. The Word Book that teaches phonics, letter names and spelling to children from preschool to Grade 1. And the Puzzle Box that helps children develop their observational skills through extraordinary shape and frame tray puzzles.

“Word Book and Puzzle Box HD” keeps children engaged through a unique star reward system, where children earn a star for completing successfully a word or a puzzle. Every five stars they have the chance to redeem them for toys and items to decorate their own interactive iPad room. The items are decorative such as wall decorations and growth charts, and toys that may be positioned anywhere in the room.

An amazing navigational interface allows children to enter uninterrupted play within a few taps and monitor their own progress. Regular Price: 1.99