Ed. note: App of the Week picks are now being curated with help from Graphite [1] by Common Sense Media. Click here [2]to read the full app review.
What’s It Like? News-O-Matic, School Edition, 2015-16 is a daily news and activity app for kids in grades 2–5. Teachers and kids can read five current events articles daily, answer questions, chat with classmates about the stories, and send comments or questions to the editor. Topics include everything from religion and politics to scientific discoveries and kid entrepreneurs.
Rating: 4/5
Price: $10
Grades: 2-5
Pros: High-interest stories are engaging and appropriate for the audience.
Cons: Users must be added individually, with teachers creating a username and password for each student.
Bottom line: Engaging, high-quality news stories help students learn about the world.