This post summarizes my experiences with using Crack the Books during speech and language sessions. The unbiased opinions discussed below are solely mine with no other compensation other than redemption codes for these apps for trial and review purposes.
The Crack the Books series by Mobile Education Store (MES) is such a favorite among my upper elementary and middle school clients and why wouldn't it be with all that it has to offer?! Here is a great description of this product quoted directly from the MES website:
"Crack The Books™ is an multiple award-winning, state of the art, interactive book series for upper elementary students. Developed in collaboration with top universities, scientists, educators and specialists, Crack The Books™ is the first standard based, core curriculum aligned digital book series that includes both interactive enhancements and universal design accessibility features. Designed for all students, from children with special needs to students who are academically gifted, Crack The Books™ gives educators a powerful new teaching tool to help students of all academic skill levels meet state standards for reading comprehension."
The best thing about these books is their versatility. You can adjust reading levels for 1st through 8th grade to suit the reader's ability with a simple click all while maintaining content. This adjustment makes it possible for all students in one classroom to participate in a unified curriculum regardless of their reading ability. The icing on the cake for a private practitioner is that you can target 3rd to 5th grade science and social studies core curriculum in your clinical settings.
This summer, I had some time to look at all the new updates and was delighted to see additions of coloring pages, activities, word searches, memory matching, and puzzles which include vocabulary and visuals from each of the subjects featured in the apps. What a great way to carry over curriculum vocabulary in a leisurely way! Like the series, you can even adjust the difficulty levels during word searches, memory matching, and puzzle play so it can be fun, yet challenging for a variety of children.
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| COLORING PAGE |
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LESSON PLAN
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WORD SEARCH- 12 LETTER GRID
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MEMORY MATCHING- MEDIUM DIFFICULTY
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PUZZLE GAME- EASY LEVEL
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In my opinion, the interactive interface in this series is what captures the attention of my clients. One of my favorites in the Grassland series allows you to adjust temperature and rainfall and then visualize what the terrains would look like under specific parameters. Many of my private clients ask to review these visuals long after we have completed reading chapters. I believe that the interactive links and high resolution images and videos enhance learning and assist in retention of new information.
If you fancy the ability to navigate around the Earth's biomes, then you can find 3D interactive globes filed in the video gallery for each book. These videos are incorporated into the chapters; however, if you want to find one quickly for review, then you can go directly to the index. Again, I have found that using these models along with text enhances learning, especially for clients that I work with in private practice who need to visualize information and see images on a wider, dimensional scope.
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ROTATE AND ZOOM THE GLOBE FOR 3D
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One of my middle school clients will make all kinds of bargains with me when she needs to read aloud during our comprehension drills, but she NEVER wants me to take a turn when it comes to reading a Crack the Books topic! Just yesterday, she commented that the author is "funny" and she made sure that I connected with her mother about purchasing these apps for her home iPad. This particular client also delights in exploring "Fun Facts" and quickly hearing how new words are pronounced via links in the text.
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| CLICK ON THE FUN FACTS FOR TRIVIA |
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QUICKLY HEAR WORDS PRONOUNCED AND READ DEFINITIONS
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I cannot wait to see the additional series that Mobile Education Store promises to release in the future!! Right now, these five titles are HALF off for the month of September. You can purchase them for $5.99 each or buy the bundle for $14.99 right now. Happy Learning!!
- Pines to Vines- The Forest Biome
- Blades- The Grasslands Biome
- Seashores to Sea Floors- The Ocean Biome
- Parched Planet- The Desert Biome
- Aquatic Earth- The Freshwater Biome
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