Doodle Learning English

Overview

Doodle Learning English offers engaging practice for a selection of language arts skills, including synonyms, homophones, scrambled words, rhyming, plurals, punctuation, comparative forms and antonyms.

Features include:

• Many levels to challenge students
• Interesting graphics and sound effects
• Reset button starts levels over for review or new players
• Puzzle format reveals artwork beneath problems
• Improves speed and mental agility

Game helps practice:

• Synonyms
• Homophones
• Scrambled Words
• Rhyming Words
• Plurals
• Punctuation
• Comparatives
• Antonyms

Quality

Doodle Learning English offers fun ways to practice several types of language arts skills for ages seven to nine. Players can create interesting backdrops from a selection of scenes that can be personalized using stickers and marking tools. During game play, a screen comes down over the backdrop and is divided up into small cards. Each card contains an element that matches with another card. When the matching cards are selected, they disappear, revealing portions of the backdrop. When the game is completed, the entire backdrop is visible, and the player can change it if desired. The game also keeps score and moves through levels very quickly, which helps some children feel successful. Game play is fun and entertaining.

Education

The content of Doodle Learning English levels is adequate in most sections, but parents and teachers need to be aware that the app uses British names for punctuation (such as “full stop” instead of “period”), and the task is simply to match punctuation marks instead of learning anything about their meanings. It is somewhat difficult to distinguish apostrophes and commas, which may lead to frustration for some players. In addition, the level of difficulty seems somewhat low for the age group on some word choices in the synonyms, antonyms, and rhyming sections.

Some sections also seem to be quite repetitive. The level of difficulty is based solely on the number of cards created, and not on more challenging content. The app would be improved if the content became more challenging at higher levels.

Entertainment

Doodle Learning English is quite entertaining. The small rabbit that serves as a mascot is almost frantic with his vocalizations, and is quite comical. Simply listening to him can make some students quite excited. Creative minds enjoy working with the backdrop, and having the opportunity to add to the scene after every round is enjoyable.

Value

This app is priced at $3.99 in the App Store, which is a great bargain. The target age group, seven to nine year olds, will find the play engaging and the concepts ranging from review to challenging. Older students are likely to enjoy the app, as well, making it a great investment for families.

Child Friendliness

Doodle Learning English is very child-friendly. There is no connection to social media sites, the internet or the App Store, so parents and teachers need not worry about unauthorized use or purchases. There is no advertising. It is possible to email screenshots of the backgrounds or to save them to the Ipad’s photo album.

The directions to use the app are clear and icon-based. Children will have no problem figuring out how to use the games and the gallery of background scenes.