Using iPad technology is a great way for teaching the fundamentals of art to kindergarten students. Gone are the days of messy finger-painting activities. Thanks to the iPad app Doodle Buddy, children can use multiple fingers to create works of art with brush-stroke results. There are 44,000 color options to choose from that won’t result in spilled paint on the desk. There are even creative tools that include glitter, chalk, paintbrush, stencils, text, smudge and many more. Each child’s project can be printed out to be displayed in the classroom or given to them to take home. You can even create a Facebook page for the classroom and have the children post their creations for friends and family to view.
There are a variety of apps that help children learn their alphabet and numbers. Macworld reviews top-rated alphabet apps for iPad, including "Dr. Seuss’s ABCs," "ABC Expedition," "ABC Go" and "Alphabet Fun." According to Macworld, "Alphabet Fun" has more than 70 full-color images and text that is large and easy to read. Children can scroll through letters and numbers and explore how each character is written by tracing their finger over it. Each lesson is accompanied by crystal-clear audio pronunciations to help children become more familiar in writing and saying their numbers and letters. You can assign each student a presentation in which they use their iPad to display a letter, number and color at once. For example, a child could show five red airplanes and make up a brief poem, story or song about them.
Math has a bad reputation in schools across America as being one of the most hated subjects. Perhaps if children are introduced to math in a fun and innovative manner, this attitude will change over time. Teachers are using iPads in kindergarten classrooms to help children develop a love for arithmetic. Maths Insider examines some of the top math apps for small children, including "Rocket Math," "Math Puppy" and "Doodle Numbers HD." "Rocket Math" takes any math lesson and adds real excitement. Kids ages 4-12 are able to build rockets by successfully completing math problems. When a problem is solved, a piece of the rocket is awarded until all pieces are earned. You can have your kids name their rockets and paint pictures of them with Doodle Buddy.
Finally, iPads have a great way of introducing scientific matter and unfamiliar cultures in fun and engaging ways. The app "Dinosaurs" is an interactive encyclopedia that introduces kids to more than 30 species of dinosaurs while teaching them the basics of prehistoric times. Teachers can split children into groups and have them complete projects on a specific dinosaur breed. "Google Earth" is another exciting app that people of all ages are addicted to, but is especially beneficial for kindergarten children. Educator Lori Elliot has produced a teacher’s guide to assist in implementing "Google Earth" into learning activities. These exercises will bring other countries and cultures right into the hands of your eager little learners.