Writing Wizard makes writing appear like magic
Practicing letter forms can be quite a chore, but Writing Wizard makes it a magical experience anywhere. At US$2.99 on the App Store, this universal app is a terrific value for your iPhone and/or iPad while children are kept engaged in the task of tracing using various methods of coaching and incentives. Parental controls are extremely well thought out. There are no ads or in-app purchases to distract your little Writing Wizard. The app is rated ages 4+ and would make a great gift for a friend or a school organization.
The App Store description reports a size of 27.9 MB, so it won't take up a huge amount of space on your device like many educational apps. Writing Wizard requires iOS 5.1 or later so it will even work on hand-me-down devices re-purposed for education. The interface is extremely customizable, fun and easy to navigate with lessons that are incredibly engaging.
A fantastic feature is the ability to view recordings of each user's session. The child can work in the app independently while therapists or parents get crucial, visual feedback of the child's progress showing where help or extended practice is most needed. Create custom words for your little Writing Wizard to trace along with audio cues recorded by you for a personalized learning experience. Use a stylus to reinforce proper grip while tracing letters and words or just use a finger to learn the basics of shapes and lines. A child's finger is the magic wand that's always with them! Audio and visual cues guide the user through the exercises which can earn rewards for accuracy in 5-Stars play mode.
For safety reasons, collecting user data goes against L'Escapadou's privacy policy, so there are no syncing abilities between devices. If you plan to use this on more than one device with multiple users, you'll need to re-enter customized lessons per user and device which could make it trickier in a school setting.
Each of the parental control buttons are locked or can be locked depending on the desired user experience. An addition problem must be solved to access each of these sections preventing children from making changes. Teaching children how to dismiss these if they tap the buttons by accident is easy enough. Enable Guided Access and make it your Accessibility Shortcut to save time when handing off the device because there are activities where swiping will accidentally invoke Notification Center and/or Control Center if you have it enabled.
In the case of multiple users taking turns, they will need to tap to select the appropriate user profile in the upper right corner. Realize that young Writing Wizards might forget to look first and play second. The profile name in the upper right corner could be a bit more obvious. An avatar or bolder name might be helpful.
Be sure to check out L'Escapadou's range of educational apps where you'll find something magical for every little wizard in your world.
