Smarter Kids App Review
App Info
Price: Free In-App Purchases
Overview
Smarter Kids offers a selection of letter and number games for young children. Options include counting, number recognition, number concepts, letter recognition, simple spelling, and same/different.
Features include:
- Several types of games
- 5 games available for free, additional three with subscription
- Multiple narration languages available
- Colorful graphics
- Intuitive game play
Quality
This app performs as expected and responds quickly to touches and drag motions. There is a “help” section that offers some explanation of the games and of the subscription plans. However, the narrator’s voice is quite robotic and expressionless, which while may be a novelty to the kids for short while, could be an overall detraction from the app’s enjoyability.
Education
This app is designed for the very young. Though developers list it as being appropriate for children from 18 months through 14 years, this is a gross misstatement. The app actually covers counting, number recognition, letter recognition, initial sounds, and some beginning spelling. It actually is educationally appropriate for children from early preschool through possibly late preschool or kindergarten in the free version, and possibly grade 2 in the paid subscription, but there is not much content here for older children.
The games are quite repetitive, but some do allow a fair amount of free choice. For example, choosing a letter to see a word that begins with the letter, or choosing a number to see that number of items. Some games offer a choice of items/animals to see or count in the free version. The subscription versions do offer a few more options, but still seems pretty limited.
Entertainment
Aside from the robotic, expressionless voice, this app offers little in the way of entertainment in the free version. Successful responses receive a mechanical praise word or phrase that is repeated in print at the top of the page. Level completion is acknowledged verbally, but not congratulated. And many of the games stay on level one unless the subscriptions are activated.
Value
Though this app is free on the App Store, it does not have much to offer most children. Young children are likely to tire of it quickly, and older children won’t find any helpful activities at all in the free version. Subscriptions can be purchased for monthly fees of ninety-nine cents or $5.99. The Basic Subscription offers additional levels of most games and additional animal characters. The Elite Subscription offers multiplication and the capability to add or change hats, glasses and other accessories on the characters.
Child Friendliness
This app is not particularly child-friendly, especially considering the target age group. There are unprotected links to the App Store, social media, and other online services.
- Parent area
- NO 3rd party ads
- YES unprotected links
- YES unprotected in-app purchases
- YES unprotected social media
- YES unprotected email links
