Pines to Vines-the Forest Biome App Review
App Info
Price: $5.99
Overview
Pines to Vines-the Forest Biome shows off the iPad’s educational power as it offers detailed information about forests around the world. It’s a great study tool for anyone who wants to learn about forests around the world.
Features include:
- Adjustable reading level from grade 1 to grade 8
- Multimedia presentation
- Capability to manage multiple student records
- Optional commonly-used accommodations for special needs students
- Common Core connections
Quality
Pines to Vines-the Forest Biome is an app of very high quality, from both of the perspectives of teacher and student. The app allows a high degree of individualization that teachers will prize while offering a fantastic multimedia learning experience for students. It includes a wealth of high quality pictures and video that are perfectly matched to the lessons. Families and classroom teachers alike will love the app’s ability to keep records for many students.
Education
This app is the perfect companion for science lessons usually taught in the upper elementary grades. Each lesson is clear and well-organized, the text is engaging and fun to read, and app developers did a great job of pairing multimedia experiences with each lesson’s content. The app includes a comprehensive glossary, fun facts, interactive maps, and more. It has the capability to keep track of individual students’ bookmarks, highlighting, notes and test results so teachers and parents can keep tabs on progress. The app also includes access to additional supplementary materials and lesson plans at the developers’ website free of charge, so you can easily find related information to add to the learning.
As digital textbooks go, this app really stands out in the crowd. Perhaps its most useful feature is the capability to adjust the reading level of the text and the tests between grades 1 to 8. The concepts covered in the app are generally taught between grades 3 and 5, but this feature allows teachers to provide appropriate and challenging material to match every student’s needs. Struggling students can read at an easier level while still covering the basic concepts, while those very talented kids are treated to the kinds of supplemental information that enhances lessons for them and staves off boredom. Access this feature in the Levels section when the textbook is open. You can also turn on special accommodations, such as reading text and tests aloud, adjust the actual size of the text (perfect for many struggling or visually challenged students), turn on optional voice recording instead of typing, and more in the Settings. This app is one of the most flexible I’ve seen, making it the perfect companion for classroom teachers to meet the needs of many types of students.
Be sure to read the included manual so you can take advantage of the app’s power. You’ll find the manual in the “Media” section.
Entertainment
This educational app was not really intended as a source of entertainment, but students will definitely find it to be engaging and fun. Older students who struggle will especially appreciate what the app has to offer. As e-textbooks go, this one is a real beauty. The multimedia selections will grab the attention of the most reluctant student, and the interesting facts will intrigue and engage just about anyone. The app also includes an interactive map feature that offers supplemental information to students who explore it.
Value
This app is well worth the higher than usual expense. Compare it to the price of a textbook or a workbook instead of other apps, because that’s what it truly is. Its adaptability and interactivity make it a true treasure, especially for students who need extra accommodations or those who need access to above-average complexity. Teachers and parents can set the app up to keep records of student use and to send test results automatically (using Dropbox) make it a great addition to both classrooms and families.
Child Friendliness
There are no in-app purchases, no outside advertising, and no social media links in this app. The one concern is that the Settings section is not protected, and students could access it to reset options such as the read-aloud feature, turning test images on and off, or changing the text size. This section also includes a link to DropBox and the teacher’s email address.
