Kindle Fire - how do your elementary kiddos use it for school?

[Tranquility7]

So we had a disaster with my kids' laptop and we are considering getting a Kindle Fire.  I'm not sure how much of what they used to do on the laptop they can do on a Kindle Fire though, and I need some insight from those who are in the know!

 

The things they could do on their laptop were:

Sheppard Software geography

SpellingCity

Starfall

Explode the Code online

Mark Kistler drawing videos

MusicLearningCommunity

Zoobuh web email

Typing Instructor

Anki online flashcards

Famzoo chore management

Chesskid.com

Listen to audiobooks and music

 

I noticed that the Kindle has web/internet, but does that mean all you can do is click on things via the touchscreen?  I've heard you can do email, but how does that work with no keyboard?  Is it a virtual keyboard like on a smart phone?

 

Also, what cool stuff could they do on a Kindle Fire that they could not do on a laptop?  

[roanna]

To see it actually do it's thing you can go to amazon and click on the Kindle and it will show you videos of how it works.  That would be pretty helpful to you I think.  

 

I had an ipad but my friend with her kindle that homeschools uses it with apps that help her kids do flash cards for math, etc.  If you have amazon prime you can also watch shows (educational or otherwise) for free.  

 

The keyboard is set up just like a regular computer keyboard but yes, you do just touch the keys like a smart phone.  If you have gmail or another mail you can get apps that allow you to go straight into the mail from the home screen.  

 

I'd check out the videos on amazon.  

 

I thought I'd add how we used our ipad , which is so similar in use.

 

We loved the Montessori Geography apps (and most of the Montessori apps for that matter, except handwriting)

The books that read to the kids like Beatrix Potter books, the voice of the squirrel was great.

The Zaner-Bloser printing app.  

Getting library books electronically

A spanish app can't remember the name.

Fun math apps

learning about the symphony

learning about the presidents app, it quizzes the kids.

 

So many more I can't remember

[Tranquility7]

Thanks for the input!  I have actually watched some Amazon videos, but their emphasis (fancy multimedia, HD display, games, movies) is so different than what we are really wanting to use it for (education).  For instance, I assume that Spelling, Typing, and email will still need to be done on a computer with a regular keyboard - not that a virtual one doesn't work, but it seems slow (texting on my smartphone drives me a bit crazy) and would take up screen space on an already small display.  Or am I wrong about that? 

 

Also, it seems like the Kindle Fire is competing with iPads and Android whatevers... but really in my mind I am still at the tablet vs. laptop stage of the discussion, you know?  What I mean is, if I just get the kids a regular laptop again, what would they be missing?  Why is a tablet better?

 

[MamaSprout]

I use an iPad mini with 3 kiddos- I actually put away the laptop I have for them. Most of what we use if for is video or app based: BrainPop, a smattering of YouTube/ PBS videos, Lively Latin, and apps: Dragon Box 1 & 2, Hands-on Equations mostly. I keep many of my answer keys on it for Lively Latin and Math Mammoth. My mom has a Kindle Fire and I have found I really don't care as much for the Android choices for Apps. I'm sure the video stuff would be similar.

[CherryBlossomMJ]

I don't use any of the programs you mentioned and I have a 1st generation, but wish I had a later because they now have a password locked-in kid's section with whatever you choose to give them access to. It is a pop up keyboard and I use mostly my thumbs to type. Spell autocorrect can be a bugger. There is definitely a limited amount of apps in comparison to iOS.

 

I love my Kindle Fire, but I'm a book reviewer and on it mostly for reading. For all your lists I think I'd lean toward a real tablet computer especially at the prices they seem to be these days. But then I wouldn't trade my fire for one. :)

[lillybell]

My daughters are not elementary anymore but one of my teen daughters has a kindle fire HD and we use it for all kinds of stuff. She uses Mr Q science and I use the dropbox app and the google drive app on it and I pretty much save all her schoolwork books that are in pdf or doc format in there so she can read them. The workbook type pages I print out for her.  She also uses IEW phonetic zoo B and I saved all the audio files to the dropbox so she uses it to do her spelling test on it. I also saved all the Learnables Spanish files on it so she can do her Spanish on it as well. They are very good for audio and video type stuff. Now as far as the websites you will be accessing, not sure all of them will work on it. This is basically because of flash. I don't think Flash works on them so if any of your websites need flash, they won't work. An older tablet like an asus transformer TF101 would be able to play flash and would probably work fine for what you need. I have one of those for myself and it can access any site just as a laptop would. I also added a keyboard to it but I dont use the keyboard much, although might be helpful to kids doing schoolwork on it. I also have the new version of the Asus Transformer but that one doesnt acess flash sites and I find myself constantly going back to my older tablet. Hope some of this info was helpful.