Common Sense Media Review
By Christopher Healy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fascinating science ebook has three reading levels.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
The Strange & Wonderful World of Ants
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
In this interactive book app, kids learn where ants live, what and how they eat, and how they work. It's like three books in one, with a beginning level, an intermediate level, and an advanced level of text; each level covers the same ideas but with different depth, complexity, and vocabulary. The main text is written in a conversational second-person narrative, but E.O., the Ant, roams the screen adding first-person -- or, rather, first-ant -- perspective when tapped. The glossary includes words from all three reading levels as well as additional resources. Discussion questions at the end are all higher-level questions, including questions that ask kids to think about what human society can learn from ants. The three levels, each increasing in detail and vocabulary level, make THE STRANGE & WONDERFUL WORLD OF ANTS a standout among interactive science-related books.
Is It Any Good?
The ability to adjust the reading level of a book's text is amazing -- and that's just what The Strange & Wonderful World of Ants allows you to do. Both a 5-year-old and a 10-year-old can read this fascinating piece of nonfiction and come away with loads of new knowledge about the insect kingdom -- but they'll have read completely different words (or, in the case of the younger child, they'll have heard different words). The advanced level may technically provide more information, because it has more text, but the main ideas are still conveyed in the beginner version. In addition to this awesome technical feature, the collage-like artwork is absolutely beautiful. It's also fun to tap an ant crawling across the pages to get little nuggets of bonus information. This is a truly special book app!
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Take time with your kids to watch ants at work, either outside or in an ant farm.
Don't limit younger kids to the easy version with the read-aloud. If they're interested, read them the advanced levels; kids can absorb vocabulary from read-alouds beyond their independent reading level.
App Details
- Device : iPad
- Subjects : Language & Reading : reading , vocabulary , Science : animals
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : thinking critically
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : April 3, 2011
- Genre : Books
- Publisher : Amos Latteier
- Version : 2.0
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 4.2 or later
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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