Posts Tagged Applications

Comments on comments and an upadate to WordFlash!

Got a good comment the other day and I was so impressed I took the time tonight to add mudixon’s suggestion to WordFlash. Here is the comment as I found it listed on 2nd grade app.

Could use one feature
by mudixon – Version 1.3.1 – May 15, 2010
This app is okay for what it does, but it would be better if you could turn off the word announce BUT allow the child to press a button to say the word if they are unsure of it. As of this review, the word announce is either on or off.

I thought that was fantastic! A review that is useful and intelligent with a valid suggestion that is meaningful and worth taking action on.

Recently I have found myself in many conversations regarding comments and ratings of iTunes apps. I always try to explain to people why they are basically useless. So many of the comments that are seen in iTunes are negative rants that add up to basically nothing informative. Cost’s too much, not enough features, to easy, yata yata yata… Well folks what do you really expect for a product that cost less then an average cup of coffee? 2 dollars for an application that may have taken me several weeks to develop seems to me to be a fair deal to me, given that most apps do not hit the charts and do not score the 100,000’s of downloads that make the headlines. Who says you have to buy our apps anyway? It’s your choice, just like that cup of joe, or a couple of cans of pop. Yet, after spending that buck or too, people feel totally and completely compelled to tear down the developer, the app or anything else they can wrap words around.  Not fair given the fact that we have no way to directly respond to the reviewer.

Anyway, enough with my little editorial. Hope you like the new feature.

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Download Meghan’s WordFlash for FREE!

To celebrate our 1 year anniversary from when our first iPhone app published we are giving away Meghan’s WordFlash for FREE now until May 31st!

WordFlash - Audio Flashcards for the iPhone and iPod TouchWhile you’re here, be sure to subscribe to our mailing list and we will help you keep up with what’s going on at RatCat by sending you an email each time we post to the blog.

Meghan’s WordFlash – Audio Flashcards are designed to build your child’s vocabulary utilizing sight, sound and repetition. Each version of the game contains age appropriate words along with grade level specific sight words. As an added feature, the app uses the same word lists as Meghan’s Matching Games giving you another option for developing your child’s vocabulary.

preschoolkindergarten

1stgrade2ndgrade

3rdgrade

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DirtMovers – Construction Counting

DirtMovers - Construction CountingIt’s Done! (Well Almost)

After 3 months of off and on development work, RatCat Software’s newest iPhone App DirtMovers – Construction Counting has been uploaded to Apple for review and approval.

Construction Counting is an action packed construction yard playground for your preschool aged kids that gives them multiple opportunities to learn numbers 1 to 10.

There is the excavator that announces the number and displays a new pile each time it takes a swipe of dirt.

Then there is bulldozer pile up, where you child pushes the desired number of piles of rocks then chooses when to check his answer to see if he is correct.

The dump truck fill up is where your child is instructed to load the dump truck to a desired amount, then the answer is checked when the dump truck pulls away.

There is the tap and count game where your child taps a number then watches the screen as that amount of items appears with real voice counting to follow along with.

For the more advanced counting fun, there is the count and tap game, where your child is instructed to count the number of dirt movers on the screen and tap the correct answer.

Features:
• Real Voice Counting
• Realistic Construction Site Sounds
• Illustrations by Cartoonist Robert Salanitro
• Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later

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My Firefighter – An iPhone action packed playground!

My Firefighter – Now Available on iTunes!

Joining our line of educational apps is My Firefighter. This action packed interactive playground lets you be the firefighter and is our first work with Illustrator Robert Salanitro.

You can explore the fire engine as it heads to the fire and see if you can make the ladder go up, the wheels turn and many other hidden surprises. Touch the siren and hear it roar. Push the horn and listen as it blasts out its warning.

Then you can try to put out the house fire by positioning the Firefighter’s hose up or down and spraying water. But wait, it starts back up again keeping the action going.

Be sure to check out the bucket truck and use the controls to guide the Firefighter up towards the roof. Then position the hose to spray water on the roof fire and side windows.

As an added bonus your child can read along with the words that are displayed as each item is reveled, with settings to display in English, French, German and Spanish.

Download your copy today!

Download from iTunes.

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Adding to the collection of vocabulary building apps

Today we uploaded our latest vocabulary building app to Apple for approval to be entered into the iTunes App store. If all goes as planned, the app should be available in about 10 to 15 days, sometime after October 25 th. We started off with a first grade edition, but plan to quickly add preschool, kindergarten, second and third grade editions.

Meghan’s Spelling Quiz is an interactive app that helps your child learn to spell basic grade level specific words. The quiz utilizes the same word lists as Meghan’s Word Flash and Matching Games providing continuity in developing your child’s vocabulary.

There are two types of quizzes available; Random and Alphabetical and the quiz length is configurable from 10 to 50 words. At the end of the quiz, the percent number correct is displayed, along with the option to retry the same quiz or to start a new one.

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