As the summer winds down, it’s time to swap out the beach bag for a backpack. But just because the school year starts doesn’t mean the fun is over. Our Back-to-School App Guide is neatly divided by school level, ensuring you find the perfect apps tailored to the needs of elementary, middle school, high school, and college students. Plus, don’t miss our section for all ages, which includes accessibility-related apps for students with individual learning needs. Keep reading for more info on apps to get you (and your kids) through everything from late-night study sessions to tests, papers, and more!
Elementary School
Busy Bee Studios—Busy Bee Studios offers a suite of interactive books for kids ages 2 to 7. Each book helps kids learn about sight reading, and the accompanying apps and games focus on comprehension, helping to ensure kids understand what they are reading.
Price: $0.99
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Education
Khan Academy Kids– From the creators of Khan Academy comes a kids’ version of the original app! Khan Academy Kids makes learning fun by offering thousands of educational activities, books, and games tailored to children ages 2-8. With topics ranging from reading, math, and language to social-emotional skills and more, this app is sure to be a hit with elementary-aged kids.
Price: Free
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Education
Kodable– Kodable is a super fun, award-winning coding program for kids ages 4-10! Trusted by half of U.S. elementary schools, it makes learning computer science a blast, taking your kids from beginners to JavaScript whizzes! The app teaches through interactive games and activities.
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Education
Epic!– This app is perfect for any bookworms or kids just learning how to read. Epic! is an all-inclusive reading platform with thousands of children’s books, graphic novels, audiobooks, and more available at any time.
Price: Free to download, with monthly or annual subscription options
Compatibility: Smartphone
Category: Education
Middle School and High School
Google Arts and Culture – Ever wondered what the Mona Lisa looks like up close? Look no further than the Google Arts and Culture app. Students can use the app to go on 3D visits to the famous museums and important historical sites they are learning about in school.
Price: Free
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Education
Kahoot—Making class presentations doesn’t need to be boring! Kahoot allows students to design game show-like quizzes for themselves or the entire class. The app also offers access to millions of ready-to-play quiz-based learning games.
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Education
Duolingo—A foreign language class is a requirement for most middle and high school students across the country. Duolingo can help your learner build upon their classroom skills in a fun and interactive way! Whether it’s to help students study for a test or learn a language offered outside their school’s common curriculum, Duolingo is a fantastic resource for building students’ language skills.
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Education
myHomework Student Planner—Students have a lot to juggle between schoolwork, after-school activities, and social events. The myHomework app can help students stay organized with its easy-to-use planner interface. The app allows students to track assignments and classes, receive due date reminders, and more!
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Productivity
Quizlet – Quizlet is an excellent app for on-the-go studying! Students can create a variety of study materials like flashcards or personalized quizzes that can be reviewed at their fingertips. Users can also tap into the community of cards and materials uploaded by other students to bolster their study materials!
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Education
Niche – Applying to college can be extremely daunting, but the Niche app can take some of the pressure off. Students can build a niche profile based on their interests and priorities and are then given recommendations for colleges that may be a great fit based on their unique needs. The app also gives student and alumni reviews, scholarship opportunities, and personalized academic recommendations.
Price: Free
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Education
College +
Chegg Study – Chegg Study allows 24/7 help for students who may be struggling with homework or papers. Simply snap a picture of what is causing problems, and a Chegg tutor will respond in two hours or less. There are millions of TextBook Solutions (AKA step-by-step instructions straight from textbooks) to help guide students, and are available for users in a wide array of subject areas.
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Education
Calm – Being a college student is stressful, but the Calm app is here to help! The app offers a variety of guided meditations, breathwork, sleep stories, stretching exercises, and exclusive music to help students wind down. Recommended by top psychologists, therapists, and mental health experts, this app is a fantastic way for students to decompress and prepare for long days in the classroom.
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Health and Wellness
Grammarly – Grammarly is designed to assist students by giving real-time writing feedback to help improve papers on grammar and clarity. The app can help students make their writing more engaging and, most importantly, ensure it is readable. Gone are the days of losing points over a forgotten comma with this app!
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Productivity
For All Ages
Bookshare Reader – Bookshare is an app designed for people with reading barriers such as dyslexia, blindness, low vision, and physical disabilities. The app offers the world’s largest library of eBooks, including audiobooks, bestsellers, textbooks, and more! It also provides customizable reading experiences with tools like text size adjustments and reading speed controls.
Price: Free
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Productivity
ModMath – This app is for students with individual math learning needs. ModMath helps students who struggle with mathematical notation through tools like a custom keyboard, digital graph paper, and the ability to solve math problems on the touch screen.
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Smartphone and Tablet
Category: Productivity