It’s wonderful how many educational apps for preschoolers are available for the iPhone and iPad. However, there’s so many it’s often hard to find what you’re looking for in the App Store. So when I find an app that is really impressive, like Montessori Crosswords, I like to tell everyone I know about it. I also like to hear about what apps you think are the best, so please leave a comment if you have suggestions!
Montessori Crosswords
Best for ages: 3 to 7
by L’Escapadou
There is just one version for iPhone, iPad and iPod, so pay for it once and you can put it on all your apple mobile devices. $2.99
App Menu
You can see from the menu that there are lots of ways to use the Montessori Crosswords App. You can do really simple words with only 3 sound, you can do more complex words, or you can just play around with the letters as a movable alphabet.
App Options
From the settings menu you can adjust several options, including letter format (capital, lowercase, or cursive), alphabet layout, and sounds. You can customize these settings for both the movable alphabet and the crosswords game.
Making Words
My favorite thing about this app is how the letter sounds are made when you tap the white boxes and when you tap the letters, so that children can gain knowledge of letter sounds, and from there construct the words on their own. That’s exactly the skills they need for reading! If they’re stuck, they can reveal the word in the upper right corner, and copy it.
Focus on One Sound
Another really useful feature of Montessori Crosswords is the option to focus on a particular sound. This is perfect for beginning readers, as they can build reading skills by focusing on one sound at a time.
When the words are completed, the child is rewarded with sparkly graphics she can drag and swirl around the screen.
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I welcome your opinions on this app, positive or negative – leave us a comment and let us know what you think!
Disclosure: Preschool Universe is an App Store affiliate
