Bluster is poor choice for most students. The app is designed to be educational but provides no instruction nor will students find this app to be any fun. As a single player game, the student chooses a grade level and then selects an exercise (e.g. adjectives, prefix/suffix, rhyming words), and directions are provided in tiny font under the selected exercise. On the next screen, the player must pick the three words that belong together. There is praise for a correct triplet, and the player must select another three from the remaining words and continue in this way until all the words are used. In the multi­-player version, players compete to see who goes fastest, but a player can “disrupt the opponent with some nasty weather.” Unfortunately, there is no explanation of incorrect answers, no option to have words read aloud (a particular loss with the more difficult spelling and vocabulary words), and no option to see the definition of the word. The lack of teaching is exacerbated by the option to inflict “nasty weather” on an opponent and the horrible beeping sound of the setting sun when time runs out.

• Provides sufficient and varied types of practice problems to maximize understanding and generalization of the targeted skill/concept
• Manufacturer claims alignment with Common Core/Known Standards
• Presents educational concepts accurately
• Explains answers so students can learn from mistakes
• Better for teaching the skill to new or struggling learners
• Better for practicing or refreshing the skill
• Skills are practiced through authentic, meaningful problems (not just rote practice)

• Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
• Subject matter and problems are relevant, interesting and authentic to students
• Visually appealing to children in the target age range
• Provides virtual rewards or incentives after meeting specified goals or objectives
• Provides a "break activity" between academic problem sets
• Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
• Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

• Has a free or trial version
• Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
• Provides an age-appropriate tutorial/first time users can work independently
• Student should be able to use independently after first use
• Has a multi-player option to foster in-person collaboration or cooperation
• Multiple users can save a profile
• Student graduates to the next level or topic only after meeting a benchmark
• Can play without sound and not distract others
• Students can save work between sessions
• Can effectively understand and monitor student's progress (email report or in product)
• Provides options to play in languages other than English/Good for ELL
• Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
• Overall - Easy to use

• Anxiety
• Displays grade levels that cannot be hidden from students
• Themes that might disturb sensitive students (death, blood, slime)
• Multi-player activity with a clear 'winner' and 'loser'
• Student cannot take as much time as needed to read text
• A player's success depends on speed
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Fine Motor Skills
• Requires challenging finger movements, motor precision or physical manipulation
• Processing Speed
• Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
• Student cannot take as much time as needed to read text
• A player's success depends on speed
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Includes long written questions or text that students must be able to read on their own
• Visual Discrimination
• Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
• Promotes purchases or upgrades to students
• Student cannot take as much time as needed to read text
• Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects
• Directions are visually difficult to read

Breeze through vocabulary building with Bluster!

This word matching game develops vocabulary and word understanding for school-aged children, or anyone brave enough to battle the elements.

Shine bright in single-player mode as you learn and practice important word skills. Match rhyming words, prefixes and suffixes, synonyms, homophones, adjectives, and more.

Collaborate with a friend in team mode. The multi-touch iPad screen allows both players to play simultaneously, so you can work together to weather the vocabulary storm.

Switch to versus mode and play head-to-head for the ultimate test of your lightning quickness. Disrupt your opponent with weather attacks like tornadoes and blizzards - it’s thunderous fun and just might give you the edge you need to reign supreme!

Bluster includes over 800 vocabulary words. Players choose a skill to practice and then try to make matches of three. Ten matches wins a round.

Features:
• Three different play modes - including two-player action.
• A variety of grade level appropriate content.
• Engaging animated gameplay with sound effects.
• Head-to-head and High Scores tables.
• Plays on the iPad in both landscape and portrait mode.
• In app purchases for additional vocabulary.

***** Want to get all the vocabulary packs? Consider Bluster Deluxe! *****