Our Favorite Back To School Apps for Teachers

September is here and teachers everywhere are busy preparing for the school year ahead. If you are one of the growing number of teachers who uses a smartphone or tablet in the classroom, you may be searching for some useful apps to help communicate with families, conduct assessments, or allow your students practice literacy skills. We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite free apps for educators, so all you have to do is hit download and get teaching! Happy Back to School, everyone!

Class Messenger: If your goal for the year is more communication with your students’ families, you’ll find this app useful. Class Messenger allows you to send reminders, surveys, and files to parents. Parents can respond to you too – without anyone revealing their contact information. Best of all, messages flow across all platforms: iOS, Android, texting, email, or push notifications, so everyone can stay in sync. Available on iTunes Available on Google Play

Kids Learning Phonics: There are many Phonics practice apps out there, but this one is free and highly-rated. Whether you’re incorporating it into your literacy block or recommending it to parents to use at home, Preschool and Kindergarten students will be sure to find the interface engaging. Available on Google Play

Running Records Calculator: Conducting Running Records can be tricky, but this basic app calculates your students’ accuracy score with the touch of a button. Available on iTunes Available on Google Play

Fry Words: This flashcard app includes 1,000 Fry Words – the most common sight words in the English language. We like it because you can customize the cards by recording your own voice, deleting cards, and tailoring the level of difficulty to your classroom’s needs. Best of all, it’s iPad compatible, so your youngest students will have no trouble using it in large format. Available on iTunes

Common Core Standards Now you can get rid of that giant binder that’s taking up space in your desk. The Common Core Standards app is a great reference for educators, allowing you to search standards by subject, grade, and category. MasteryConnect also offers free apps for State Standards as well, so you can always have the right information at your fingertips. Available on iTunes Available on Google Play