FunDog ~ Reading & Thinking Word Analogies

Common Sense Media says

Simple quizzes reinforce knowledge of rhyming, opposites.

Age(i)

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Quality(i)

 

Learning(i)

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FunDog ~ Reading & Thinking Word Analogies gallery

What parents need to know

Ease of play

This is a very simple, easy to navigate app with six quizzes of ten questions each. There is no variation in difficulty level. There is a tutorial that introduces the game, but does not explain opposites or rhyming words. After each quiz, your score is displayed along with how long it took to complete. Achievements (simply completing each level with seven or more answers correct) can be tracked in Game Center.

Violence & scariness
Not applicable
Sexy stuff
Not applicable
Language
Not applicable
Consumerism

The information page has a link to the developer's website.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Not applicable
Privacy & safety

Some privacy concerns. Players can opt in to Apple’s Game Center to track scores and achievements, and for some games, challenge friends. With Game Center, players can send and receive friend requests using an email address or Game Center nickname, revealing the first and last name associated with each party’s Apple ID and, in the case of email requests, the sender’s email address.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that FunDog ~ Reading and Thinking Word Analogies is a simple app made by reading teachers for kids to practice selecting opposite words and rhyming words. There are three opposites quizzes and three rhyming quizzes of ten questions each. Questions are set up as multiple choice analogies, for example, "good:bad::in:___" or "red:bed::hot:___." After you pick one of the three possible answers, you see the correct answer, and if you picked it, you earn a bone. Your score is shown at the end of the quiz. Results can also be tracked in Game Center, a social network, but participation is optional. Kids will need to be reading and understanding simple words and their relationships to enjoy the quizzes.

What kids can learn

Subjects

Language & Reading

  • phonics
  • vocabulary

Skills

Thinking & Reasoning

  • thinking critically

Engagement, Approach, Support

Engagement

The activities are reasonably fun, but the app is so brief that kids may run through it very quickly. 

Learning Approach

When kids answer the questions, they'll get a chime and see the word "CORRECT," but when they miss one, they'll hear a "boing" and see the red word "INCORRECT." The correct answer is then given with no opportunity to try again and no explanation of the answer. Due to the minimal guidance, this app is better suited for assessment or as a starting point for some direct instruction.

Support

There's a corresponding website with a blog and book suggestions, but there's not really extensive technical support. 

What kids can learn

Subjects

Language & Reading

  • phonics
  • vocabulary

Skills

Thinking & Reasoning

  • thinking critically

Kids can learn opposites and rhymes as well as develop a familiarity and comfort with analogy-style sentences, which are frequently used in standardized testing. Kids will need to read independently to play. With only 60 questions -- 10 each for six quizzes -- it does not offer very much content, and the format is suited more to test preparation than real-world applications. This basic app, developed by teachers familiar with standardized testing, may best be used as a quick classroom tool; it doesn't have quite enough content to recommend itself otherwise.

This Learning Rating review was written by Amanda Bindel

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What's it about?

FUN DOG READING & THINKING WORD ANALOGIES quizzes kids on opposites and rhyme. Kids choose a bone from six choices – three for opposites and three for rhymes. They are then quizzed in an analogy-type sentence to find the correct choice to complete the sentence, like fun:run::hid:DID. Before playing a round, kids can view a tutorial that shows the format of the game. Time is tracked, though there is no time limit, and correct number of answers is tracked as well.

Is it any good?

QUALITY
 

This is a basic but cute app for practicing rhyming and opposites, with Fun Dog providing words (barks?!) of encouragement along the way. It doesn't offer much instruction, or replayability once the six quizzes are completed, but it could be a really useful teaching, assessment, or practice tool for teachers working with many different kids. 

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about rhymes. Challenge your kid to write a rhyming opposites poem using as many rhyming words and opposite words as possible.

  •   

  •   Read PD Eastman's <em>Go Dog Go</em> as a supplement to have more fun with opposites and rhyming (and dogs!)

App details

Devices:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:$.99
Release date:August 8, 2011
Category:Educational Games
Size:2.30 MB
Publisher:iReadingTeacher
Version:1.1.1
Minimum software requirements:iOS 4.1 or later

This review of FunDog ~ Reading & Thinking Word Analogies was written by

Liz Panarelli

About our rating system

  • ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
  • OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids of any age.

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Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging, great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging, good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

Find out more

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