World of Lexica, The
© 2015 Amplify
Shattering the myth that upper elementary reading practice has to be boring, this systematic reading curriculum includes such goodies as an orchestrated soundtrack, glowing crystals, hovering platforms, and 3D characters from Tom Sawyer. Designed by Schell Games, Lexica is a big, beautiful 3D world -- 6 GB total -- that consists of a 19 app cluster for iPads and select Android tablets (Amplify makes their own exclusive tablet). We tested the first levels of the iPad version using credentials supplied by Amplify, and found it to be easy to play, and full of appropriate reading challenges from a range of classics. After you choose your avatar, you move around halls of a Hogwarts-like castle, in search of the clues and puzzles to unlock the next level. This tried-and-true technique is used in hundreds of video games, and it works. There have been many large, individualized, computer aided reading systems in the past, many times with big price tags. Each has attempted to bring leveled, individualized reading instruction to the public school system; and tap into a huge market. But none to date have looked or sounded so good, or have been so easy to play. When you mix in the advantages of the mobile technology and touch screens, you can see how this attempt has a chance of success. One reviewer called Lexica "Cliff notes meets Pokémon" raising a valid question. Do all these reading excerpts, taken out of context of the original story, remove something? We're not sure but it's a question that is certainly worth asking. In addition, it's important to note that the complete texts of each book are included. Also, while you can download the apps for free, you can't play without expensive credentials, which are sold to your school for $12 per student per year. Obviously there's a business model at work here that is designed to lock a school system into a multi-year contract. Is it worth it? We're not sure, but we can say that your kids are highly unlikely to complain about this type of reading practice.
$12, iPad 3 or later, Android
Teaches: reading, comprehension, logic, spelling, English and Spanish
CTR Rating: 94%