CPA Practice Advisor - 32

APPS WE LOVE

By Gail Perry, CPA, Editor-in-Chief

At-Home Education Apps
SCHOOLS ACROSS THE country are requiring students to learn from home. And
while the schools are providing educational material to correlate with material
that would have been taught in classrooms, there is a disparity in the teaching
methods and the materials being used. We're all in uncharted territory here, and
you might find that you want to augment what your children are learning, help
out with family members who are helping students, be a guest instructor, or
even create courses of your own. We've assembled a collection of apps that are
designed to enhance the educational experience or, for those who are opting
out of the regular school system, replace the school materials altogether.
Kahn Academy is a nonprofit organization
known for its high quality K-12 education
including AP classes and college prep, and while it
appears that pretty much all classes are included,
there is a focus on math and the sciences. Users
can study for college entrance exams as well.
Classes include videos, interactive exercises, and
in-depth articles, there are daily lesson plans and
other targeted resources. The app is free.
The for-profit K12 provides online education
for public school students from kindergarten
through 12th grade. Founded in 2000, the
company has been providing educational
materials to homeschooling parents and also

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AUGUST 2020 ■

directly to schools that offer online training. The
company has been busy adding new schools to its
list of subscribers since the start of the pandemic.
The K12 apps (there are several) include course
materials for all grades, timed proficiency tests,
practice sessions, a parent portal, and there is
even a social networking app where students,
parents, and alumni can connect. Schools can
white label the app with their own branding.
If foreign language training is on your agenda,
you might want to check out Duolingo, the free
language-learning app for both children and
adults. A paid version is available for those who
want an ad-free experience.
MathBoard was created to provide
mathematics education for kindergartners
through middle schoolers. Students aren't just
graded on whether or not they solved a problem,
but they have the opportunity to be walked
through every step of the solution to solidify their
learning. Users can configure the app to match
the ability level of the student.

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Learn World Geography uses a flashcard
technique to help students learn countries,
capitals, flags, and currencies. The program
contains an algorithm that provides the
flashcards in a customized order based on the
right pattern for maximum learning.
Reading apps start with the phonic essentials
in the Bob Books Reading Magic apps. Based on
the print books, these apps help the youngest
readers sound out simple words and learn to
spell. Jumping to the other end of the reading
spectrum, Reading Trainer takes readers to the
next level with programs that improve reading
speed and retention. Reading comprehension
is put to the test in the Quoted Reading
Comprehension app which provides hundreds
of quotations followed with questions that
challenge the reader's understanding.
If you belong to a public library, check out the
Kanopy app, available at no charge at libraries
throughout the country. One of its features is
access to the Great Courses, where you can dive
in and have an in-depth learning experience with
the college level courses in this series.
If you're interested in becoming a guest
lecturer for online learning, start with your local
school district. It's extremely likely that your
neighborhood teachers who are being thrown
into the world of online education will welcome
community members who want to share their
expertise. For those who want to offer adult
education, there are plenty of organizations such
as Udemy, Lynda, and Education2Go, just to name
a few, where qualified instructors can create and
teach their own courses. ■
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