Best-reviewed Educational Apps for Kids Revealed 

Educational apps can aid in a child’s development

An international mobile commerce and payments platform has revealed the best educational apps for children, based on analysis of ratings and reviews from the past 12 months, after discovering that more than two fifths of parents (42%) are concerned about the negative impact COVID-19 is having on their child’s education.

Research revealed that educational apps can aid in a child’s development, particularly improving (math), literacy and language skills, with Khan Academy Kids and Read Along by Google coming out on top.

The platform has revealed the top educational apps for children, after analyzing ratings and reviews of children’s educational apps from the past 12 months on both the Apple Store and Google Play Store.

International mobile commerce and payments platform, DOCOMO Digital, compiled the list of the top 10 best educational apps for children aged five and under, and six to ten years old, after discovering two-fifths (42%) of parents are concerned about the disruption COVID-19 has caused to their child’s education, and that educational apps have been proven to be effective tools in a child’s development, particularly improving math, literacy and language skills.

The app research found that Khan Academy Kids was the most highly-rated app for young children, and effective in helping kids develop basic reading, writing and counting skills. Read Along by Google received the most 5-star reviews for primary school aged children, with many users citing it has helped their children gain confidence with reading.

To find out more information about these apps click here. 

The top five apps for children five and under, and areas they target are (all are available in both the Apple App and Google Play store:

1. Khan Academy Kids – General skills development, reading, writing and counting backwards.
2. Jolly Phonics Lessons – Introduction to literacy, focusing on phonics and words.
3. Hey Duggee: The Big Badge App – General skills development.
4. Starfall – Introduction to a range of subjects including math, literacy and music.
5. Hungry Caterpillar Play School – Gradual introduction to math, reading and mindfulness.

The top five apps for children between six and 10 are:

1. Read Along by Google – Helps build and improve reading skills. Only available in Google Play Store.
2. Youtube Kids – Youtube specifically designed for children, features age appropriate videos on a range of educational topics.
3. Number Run – Helps improve and speed up math skills.
4. Seek by iNaturalist – Recognizing and understanding nature.
5. Barefoot World Atlas – Improve geography and history knowledge.

DOCOMO Digital is the international payments business of NTT DOCOMO, and part of the world’s third-largest telecom group – NTT. DOCOMO Digital has partnered with hundreds of carriers and merchants globally to offer innovative payment solutions to help connect digital platforms, content brands, payment providers and telecom carriers to enable secure and seamless mobile commerce at scale.

Greg Sigel, VP of  Partnerships at DOCOMO Digital said, “COVID-19 has caused widespread disruption across every industry and every cross-section of our society, so I think it is natural for parents to be concerned about the education of their children amidst prolonged lockdowns, school closures and remote learning becoming the norm. However there are now some very strong ed-tech apps at their disposal, and technology can play a vital role in shaping a child’s learning experience, even beyond the pandemic.

“With that in mind we wanted to find out which apps are proving to be the most beneficial for children outside of the regular online classes being offered by schools. Striking the right balance between being online and offline is vital but when done right the benefits can be extremely valuable to all.”