Parents' Guide to

Elevate - Brain Training

By Patricia Monticello Kievlan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Speedy, amusing games sharpen speed but not grammar skills.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android Free to try Education
Elevate - Brain Training Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Elevate - Brain Training App: Screenshot #1
  • Elevate - Brain Training App: Screenshot #2
  • Elevate - Brain Training App: Screenshot #3
  • Elevate - Brain Training App: Screenshot #4
  • Elevate - Brain Training App: Screenshot #5

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 3 parent reviews

kooltrini
kooltrini Adult
August 28, 2020
age 15+

scam

I dowoaded the app to check it out. the next thing I know after going through looking at i was charged $39.99 and subscribed. of course they make it a hard and unclear if and how to unsubscribe. i dont even know if ill receive my money back. I dont recommend even downloading this app
Mary D.
Mary D. Adult
June 16, 2017
age 15+

Annoying issues for seniors with this good ap

The writing is so tiny that it is difficult to read, even with good glasses. Then they put the tiny white writing on a pale pastel background. Very difficult for ANYbody to see. It's almost as though they want to make it harder by making it difficult for seniors. I enjoy the sessions, but not when they trip me up using these tactics.
See all 3 parent reviews

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays personalised advertising.
  • Unclear whether data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • Unclear whether this product uses a user's information to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisements.
Learn more about our privacy ratings

What’s It About?

In ELEVATE – BRAIN TRAINING APP, users play simple games to hone their skills of rapid recall and processing. Each game is designed to test a different language skill such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking. After each game, users receive a "ranking" that indicates their performance compared to other users. The games are entertaining and nicely paced. For example, users pop balloons to match antonyms, tap to spot grammatical errors, and swipe left or right to flag words with negative and positive connotations. The content being tested is solid; this is important information for users who strive for better written and spoken English skills.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Elevate's games are definitely fun, and it's engaging to open the app each day to find three new games to play. Unfortunately, the app's developers have assumed a very high level of prior knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary, and the app doesn't contain resources to help improve or build such knowledge. When users get a question wrong, it's just wrong; there's little chance to reflect or review to avoid a wrong answer the next time. Ultimately, this is a fun game to build skills such as speed and rapid recall, but it may not necessarily achieve the "brain training" users might be looking for.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • What does "connotation" mean? What impact does a sentence have when you use a word with a positive connotation versus a negative one?

  • What grammar rules are the trickiest to remember? How do you know when to use "its" vs. "it's" or "they're" vs. "their" vs. "there"?

  • What do you think about "brain training"? What does an app like this teach you? Do you think it would be helpful at school or at home?

App Details

  • Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
  • Subjects: Language & Reading : reading, reading comprehension, speaking, writing
  • Skills: Thinking & Reasoning : thinking critically, Communication : conveying messages effectively, listening, speaking
  • Pricing structure: Free to try ($7.99 a month, $44.99 a year, $149.99 for lifetime use)
  • Release date: October 1, 2014
  • Category: Education
  • Publisher: Elevate Inc.
  • Version: 1.14
  • Minimum software requirements: Requires iOS 7.1 or later. Requires Android 4.0 and up.
  • Last updated: October 15, 2019

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