iTrace App Updates

A while back, I did an app review of iTrace. If you remember, iTrace is a handwriting app, that helps your child learn to write or help them practice. I am so excited to share with you that iTrace has some cool new features!

 
iTrace — Handwriting for Kids from Michael Bogorad on Vimeo.

They added all three popular handwriting styles. Basically, in most schools teachers are using one of the three styles: Handwriting without Tears, Zaner-Blosser or D'Nealian (the last one is probably less popular than two others). In the original release we used letters similar to Zaner-Blosser. In this release they added all three of them, so the app can be used in almost any US school. I know that iPads are becoming a popular classroom tool for children to use.

 Noah has been asking me how to write in cursive. I honestly have to think about a few of the letters, like Z and Q. iTrace has now added cursive letters. Most US schools don't teach cursive anymore, so parents were asking to add cursive letters to the app. Now with the three styles mentioned and the cursive letters, iTrace now has 300 letters on the app!

iTrace is now available on iPhone. iPhone support was one the most requested features since day one. The reason it wasn’t available for iPhone before was because they thought the screen of an iPhone would be too small to learn handwriting on. The developer redesigned every single screen to make the app really work on the smaller device, and they have been receiving good feedback from our beta-testers.

Now for the coolest and the most unique feature on iTrace is the ability to print paper worksheets. Now I don’t have to spend time looking online for worksheets online that are poor quality or purchase some paper worksheets in the bookstore and spend like ten dollars on one book. Now parents can easily print as many worksheets as they need right from the app. You can choose the letter and the size, and iTrace will generate a worksheet for you. You can either print that worksheet right from the app if you have a device with AirPrint support, or you send a PDF to yourself and print that PDF from your computer.

 I can also make worksheets with words, not only letters. Finally, each worksheet has a maze puzzle at the bottom, so kids can have some fun solving that puzzle after they complete the exercise. The new puzzle is generated each time you open the worksheets page in the app. Noah loves mazes. For those who don't want to spend $3.99 without trying the app, we will also release a free light version very soon. Free version does not allow you to create multiple players, print worksheets, and provides limited access to letters and words. However, it should good enough to feel how cool the app is.


iTrace School Testimonials from Michael Bogorad on Vimeo.

Here are some of the iTrace stats:
The iTrace app has been downloaded over 20K times.

There are several thousands educational downloads, so I guess the app used by at least several dozens of schools.

The apps average rating is 4.5

For more information please visit the iTrace website.

iTrace is available in iTunes for $3.99

 

iTrace iPad App Review

 Now that Noah is in school he has to write a lot more. His handwriting isn't the best but it is legible.  He is only six but handwriting is something he needs to practice. He knows all of his letters and how to read but he hasn't mastered how tall to make a lowercase t. Sometimes he forgets how long the lowercase p is. He needs to have a way to practice more. I have him write it on paper. If he does it wrong I ask him to try again.  He is always in a hurry so I think that has something to do with it.  I am having him slow down and make sure he is making the letters the proper size. 

He loves to spend time using technology. I think that with the educational apps that in moderation he can use them as a learning tool.  It doesn't replace traditional learning but it can supplement it. A great app called iTrace came out yesterday. It is definitely the answer for us. It teaches Noah about letters and how big they are supposed to be. I am sure it will help him and let him have fun at the same time. I used to teach at a Montessori school  and I know that when a child learns letters they trace them a couple times. They also write them in sand a couple times. It is kind of the same concept but a lot less messy. 

Here is some information about iTrace from the developer:

iTrace Features
- 600+ different rewards
- 50 animated objects
- Supports multiple players
- Saves the entire history of each child's progress
- Supports multiple methods of writing the same letters
- A simple switch adjusts the entire system for left-handed kids
 

Not only does iTrace teach your child how to write letters. It also teaches your child to write words. There is a really cool option where your child can write their name and include their picture. You could do this for other members of your family. It would be a great tool to teach your child how to spell and write different names. iTrace also teaches your child how to write sentences. They do it a few times in a row to help them remember. I love that there is a left handed system. I am left handed and I know how much trouble lefty kids can have in a right hand world.  Practice makes perfect. It also has great graphics  and teaching tools so your child will learn maybe without realizing it. 

I am confident that with iTrace and some practice that Noah will improve his handwriting skills a lot. 

iTrace is available on the iPad for $3.99. You can find it in iTunes here.

For more information please visit the iTrace website.