Endless Spanish
© 2015 Originator
Originator's fifth "endless" app breaks new ground in foreign language instruction by connecting a learners fingertip to the sounds of language. This type of virtual manipulative has already worked with short English words and vowel sounds, and touch and hear technique is effective and powerful; in part because it makes the learning social (multi-touch allows for collaborative word building). It brings an element of repetition to the play. In this case, the letters are used to build common Spanish words. Content includes 27 words; one for each letter of the alphabet including the Spanish ñ. As with other Originator apps, the words are drawn from real life -- so they're not watered down. The app mixes spelling, meaning, and usage of Spanish words to both English and native Spanish speakers through clever finger-driven animated routines. The app is designed for two learning settings: to introduce beginning Spanish to English speakers, and to introduce Spanish sight words to native Spanish speakers. This app follows Endless Alphabet, Endless Reader, Endless Numbers, and Endless Wordplay, and features the Endless monsters. Each letter and word comes to life when touched. At the end of each word lesson, an animated routine reinforces the meaning and usage of the word. The free version gives you 6 words, giving you a sample. Word puzzles reinforce spelling using lower-case letters, and the sentence puzzles introduce definition, usage, and sight recognition. There are no high scores, failures, limits or stress; only playful interactions with the building blocks of decoding. Apps like this one remind us why tablets are worth the investment. See also Endless Learning Academy.
$4.99, iPad, iPhone
Teaches: Spanish, ESL, English
CTR Rating: 100%