Studying 2.0: 8 homework apps to help your kid through the school year

Homework can make or break your kid's school year, not to mention set a positive or dreary tone at your home on school nights.
To get off on the right foot with your student's homework, consider the appeal of technology.

Many apps are designed to help both students and their parents with the media and programs they already enjoy or are at least familiar with. Give these eight homework apps a try. All you've got to lose are school-night headaches.

The myHomework app syncs programs students use for homework, including Kindle, iOS and Mac.

Credit: Contributed by myHomework

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Credit: Contributed by myHomework

Student Agenda
Updated: June 26, 2017
Current version: 2.5.18 
Requires Android 4.0.3 and up 
Content rating: everyone

This is a free handy planner and diary designed by students to be uncluttered and easy to use. Simple and lightweight, it lets your kid log class schedules, project due dates, academic and social events and receive notifications for their schedule. Users can add photos to events, check tasks off as completed, and log their grades.

Updated: July 14, 2017
Version: 2.14
Android requirements vary with device; requires iOS 9.0 or later

Quizlet brings flashcards into the modern day for languages, history, vocabulary and science. Students can use it to create their own flashcards to study for a test or project, or choose from millions of flashcard sets created by other Quizlet users on thousands of subjects. A new feature is "Quizlet Learn," where students tell the app their deadline for learning material and the app creates an adaptive plan, complete with checkpoints, study reminders and other tailored materials.

You can also study on the go with the Quizlet study tools designed for mobile. Hello, test prep during long drives.

The Toot app connects students for timely face time with tutors, coaches and instructors.

Credit: Contributed by Toot

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Credit: Contributed by Toot

Current version: 1.2.1
Requires: Android 4.0 and up or iOS 8.0 or later.
Content rating: Everyone
A new-this-year app out of Los Angeles, the Toot creators employ texting as part of this app that connects students with knowledgeable tutors, coaches, and instructors for face-to-face, in-person tutoring.

The Snapsolve app helps with homework by letting your child send an actual photo of a math problem.

Credit: Contributed by Snapsolve

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Credit: Contributed by Snapsolve

Snapsolve
Luma Education, Inc.
Updated: May 16, 2017
Version: 2.2.3
Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
Snapchat, meet Snapsolve, which lets your student literally snap a picture of a problem. The app then sends it to their tutors to answer and provide a complete explanation, from elementary algebra to graduate level nuclear physics. Some of the questions involve fees, but they're modest if you need very specific help in a hurry.

myHomework Student Planner
Rodrigo Neri
Updated: May 08, 2017
Version: 6.7.3
Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
This is the digital student planner that will help kids, and parents too, get organized once and for all. It syncs across devices so a student can access classes and assignments any time from iPhone, iPad and Android to Kindle Fire and Windows.

The myHomework app syncs programs students use for homework, including Kindle, iOS and Mac.

Credit: Contributed by myHomework

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Credit: Contributed by myHomework

SHAREit
SHAREit Technologies Co Ltd.
Updated: uly 12, 2017
Current version: 3.9.28_ww 
Requires Android 2.3 and up 
To connect to computer, your SHAREit for PC must be v4.0 or above. Download the latest version from www.ushareit.com.
Not precisely for homework, the SHAREit app shares all kinds of files at 200 times Bluetooth speed and without requiring USB, data usage or internet. It's a huge plus for study groups and even if Mom is proofreading a paper. It is the top downloaded app on Google Play in 24 countries and regions.

Wolfram/Alpha Android App
Wolfram Group

Updated: July 11, 2017

Current version: 1.3.1.2017070501 
Requires Android 2.1 and up 
Content rating: Teen

This is ideal for those sticky questions that come up in all levels of homework, from simple math and earth science all the way up to nuclear science and engineering. Parts of Wolfram/Alpha are used in the Apple Siri Assistant and this app furnishes access to the full power of the Wolfram/Alpha computational knowledge engine. Just fire away with a question, and Wolfram will compute and answer.

Ready4 SAT
Updated: July 3, 2017
Current version: 7.2.3580 
Requires Android 4.4 and up 
Content rating: Everyone
For that all-important studying that determines your high school student's future ed. Ready4 lets you study on a phone and ditch all the books and paper flashcards. It provides more than 1,000 questions with detailed answer explanations and gives in-depth score analysis.