Common Sense Media Review
By Dana Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Colorful study of North America's countries, maps, flags.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Intro to Geography - North America, by Montessorium
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
Tap the first puzzle piece on the road map to begin. A map of one portion of North America appears, along with colored icons representing each of the three countries shown. The narrator says, "Can you place the countries?" Kids then move the icons into the puzzle-like map. When they're done, three more countries appear. Other activities include tapping a country to match a name and drawing lines to match a flag to a country. Activities offer a directed, if brief, way to discover North America.
Is It Any Good?
INTRO TO GEOGRAPHY - NORTH AMERICA introduces kids to maps of North America in a concise, structured way that can be both informative and limiting. The Montessori method does introduce kids to world geography at a young age, but because the visuals in these loosely Montessori-inspired activities include only maps, country names, and flags, this app is probably best suited for kids in mid- to upper-elementary grades.
If you're looking for an app to help kids memorize the names and locations of North American countries, this is an excellent option. This is not the app to choose, however, if you're looking for detailed information about those countries; it doesn't include statistics or facts about population, topography, capital city, culture, or climate. Kids' learning experience would be greatly improved with the inclusion of some photos and a bit of information about the life in each country as well as more interactivity and some hands-on extension activity ideas. As it stands, Intro to Geography - North America is a very narrowly focused (but effective) geography app.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Use a world map or globe to show your child where in the world North America is in relation to other continents.
Go online together to search for images and information about the cultures and ecosystems in North American countries.
App Details
- Device : iPad
- Subjects : Language & Reading : following directions , naming , vocabulary , Social Studies : geography
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : memorization , part-whole relationships , Self-Direction : work to achieve goals
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : October 23, 2012
- Genre : Education
- Publisher : Montessorium, LLC
- Version : 1.2
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 5.0 or later
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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