4 iPad Apps to Inspire Budding (or Struggling) Writers

For some children, a love of writing comes naturally. For others, getting them to write is like pulling teeth (in fact, they’d prefer a visit to the dentist than having to write). But one thing all kids love is using the iPad. Whether your children fall into the “passionate writer” or the “I’d rather go to the dentist than write” category, we’ve got four writing apps for the iPad to inspire them to channel their inner Mark Twain or Jane Austen.

Popplet ($4.99)

This graphic organizer app for the iPad and web helps students brainstorm and organize their ideas. This is an especially great tool for visual learners. Students can use it to plan their writing or to take notes on a topic. Reviewers love this app for its simplicity and ease of use. Key features include creating unlimited local Popplet boards; taking notes with text, images, or a drawing tool; and sharing your Popplet board as a PDF or JPEG.

Poppletapp

Write About This ($3.99)

This app is easy to navigate and will kick-start your child’s writing with interesting image, text, and voice prompts. For example, students are shown a picture of a guy surfing while standing on his head and are asked to write a headline for the image. Students can also use their own photos and ideas to create custom prompts. Stories can easily be published digitally or shared.

writeaboutthisapp

Writing Prompts for Kids ($1.99)

This is a great app to use for creative writing practice. With the click of a button, your student can choose a situation, a character, a setting, and an object to get a story started. And, as every writer knows, getting started can be the hardest part. Stories can be shared using the built-in e-mail function. Bonus features include Better Word, which offers alternatives to overused words; Hard to Spell Words, which gives the correct spelling for 100+ commonly misspelled words; and Favorites, which students can use to save their stories.

Writingpromptsforkidsapp

Book Creator (Free)

Students can create their own e-book in minutes with this free app. A tutorial book with straightforward instructions is included. In addition to text, students can add music, narration, and video to their book. Their creations can be viewed in a variety of apps, including iBooks.

bookcreatorapp

Let us know your favorite writing apps, and be sure to check out all our posts about technology and tools.

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