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For a first grader I would recommend real books, picture books, sketch books and crayons.
And playing outside, running around, anything that doesn't involve tablets, computers, tv.

Looks like you responded to the thread title and didn't bother to read the OP.... Here it is, just to refresh your memory:

the screen on my 1st grade daughter's ipad air 2 is totally shot, not worth it to replace the screen imo. she needs it for her school's reading assignment, so not just for fun. the current choices are kind of limited. basically i have three options: ipad mini 4, ipad pro 9.7 and ipad 2017. following are cases for each of them:

ipad mini 4: coming on 3 year since introduced, ancient but still effective (but for how long) A8 chip, nice screen with that anti-glare coating, perfect size for elementary age kid. expected black friday price: $250 128GB wifi version.

ipad pro 9.7: may be an overkill but i like pro 9.7's weight compare to the non-pro 9.7 ipad. and the screen has true tone which is kind of important for kids' vision. has A8X chip, somewhat more future proof than the mini 4. expected black friday price: $350 32GB wifi version

ipad 2017: cheapest of the bunch, has the latest hardware. but it's also the heaviest of the bunch, inferior screen compare to the other two. expected black friday price: $200-$250 32GB wifi version.

which one would you pick? not interested getting used ones on craiglists or ebay.
 
You make it sound like it's the family's iPad, not hers specifically. if it is hers, why would you want to buy something better as a replacement. particularly when the unit was quite new to begin with. wouldn't it make more sense to go with the cheapest option to get the job done? It doesn't really make sense to essentially reward your kid for breaking their stuff, that can come back to haunt you later. In that situation, i'd expect most people to buy the cheapest Android tablet available in that situation, at least as a temporary replacement just to drive home the point that iPads don't grow on trees and must be cared for. even if it was an accident that she couldn't really do much to prevent you should still not go any higher than you had to.

if you can, you really should wait for Black friday though.
 
the screen on my 1st grade daughter's ipad air 2 is totally shot, not worth it to replace the screen imo. she needs it for her school's reading assignment, so not just for fun. the current choices are kind of limited. basically i have three options: ipad mini 4, ipad pro 9.7 and ipad 2017. following are cases for each of them:

ipad mini 4: coming on 3 year since introduced, ancient but still effective (but for how long) A8 chip, nice screen with that anti-glare coating, perfect size for elementary age kid. expected black friday price: $250 128GB wifi version.

ipad pro 9.7: may be an overkill but i like pro 9.7's weight compare to the non-pro 9.7 ipad. and the screen has true tone which is kind of important for kids' vision. has A8X chip, somewhat more future proof than the mini 4. expected black friday price: $350 32GB wifi version

ipad 2017: cheapest of the bunch, has the latest hardware. but it's also the heaviest of the bunch, inferior screen compare to the other two. expected black friday price: $200-$250 32GB wifi version.

which one would you pick? not interested getting used ones on craiglists or ebay.
Quite frankly, weight difference between Pro 9.7 and 2017 iPad is pretty negligible. Also, while the 2017 iPad does have an inferior display, replacement parts (display) are also cheaper in case the screen breaks again.
 
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I don’t know what age your “graders” are, but I’ve just had to make the same choice for my 9 year old son. Got him the 9.7 iPad Pro on a discount which I thought a much better future bet than the mini 4.
 
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the screen on my 1st grade daughter's ipad air 2 is totally shot, not worth it to replace the screen imo. she needs it for her school's reading assignment, so not just for fun. the current choices are kind of limited. basically i have three options: ipad mini 4, ipad pro 9.7 and ipad 2017. following are cases for each of them:

ipad mini 4: coming on 3 year since introduced, ancient but still effective (but for how long) A8 chip, nice screen with that anti-glare coating, perfect size for elementary age kid. expected black friday price: $250 128GB wifi version.

ipad pro 9.7: may be an overkill but i like pro 9.7's weight compare to the non-pro 9.7 ipad. and the screen has true tone which is kind of important for kids' vision. has A8X chip, somewhat more future proof than the mini 4. expected black friday price: $350 32GB wifi version

ipad 2017: cheapest of the bunch, has the latest hardware. but it's also the heaviest of the bunch, inferior screen compare to the other two. expected black friday price: $200-$250 32GB wifi version.

which one would you pick? not interested getting used ones on craiglists or ebay.

For a first grader? A sub $100 Fire tablet.
 
  • ipad mini 4
  • ipad pro 9.7
  • ipad 2017
Those are the options. Which one would you pick?
My second grader has an iPad mini 4 that she inherited from me when I got the full size 2017 iPad back in April. But she knows that if it breaks it, I’m replacing it with the same $50 fire tablet that her younger sister has.

Both kids will be getting Chromebooks from school starting in third grade.
 
For a first grader I would recommend real books, picture books, sketch books and crayons.
And playing outside, running around, anything that doesn't involve tablets, computers, tv.
Which is fantabulous, unless the school has implemented e-learning that does indeed require the use of a device.

Maybe it can be done on a computer, but a tablet is a more natural experience. He didn’t ask how to parent.
 
I homeschool, and we have the following mix of iPads.

Air1
9.7 Pro with pencil
12.9 Pro2 with Pencil
(and mini2 that my 21yo is using since her windows tab died)

The ones with the pencils are the most sought after and used. Granted my kids are doing more than reading on them, but honestly the Pencil is an amazing feature for education stuff. My 13yo has fine motor issues (strange since she was a competitive gymnast). She loves to draw on the iPad with the pencil, and edit pictures. She can do this on the Air1 (which is “hers” technically), but the pencil adds to the experience and is easier for her. She has a stylus for the Air, but it just isn’t the same. At this point, my plan is to pick up another 9.7.

And those on the infamous MR parenting advice train, never fear, my kids read dead tree books, we own thousands of them... in fact, the 13yo above hates ebooks.

So my recommendation is the 9.7, with the Pencil eventually.
 
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What kind of school requires an iPad? What if a family can't afford it? Is one provided?
 
My choices are down to iPad mini 4 and iPad 2017 model. Mini has advantages in screen, size and weight. iPad 2017 has advantage in future proof hardware.
 
My choices are down to iPad mini 4 and iPad 2017 model. Mini has advantages in screen, size and weight. iPad 2017 has advantage in future proof hardware.
Have you asked your child which one they prefer? While each has its own advantanges what about carrying weight, hand size, portability, etc? How many other things do they have to carry to school each day?
That’s where I would start with it...and not worry so much about future proofing.
 
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Have you asked your child which one they prefer? While each has its own advantanges what about carrying weight, hand size, portability, etc? How many other things do they have to carry to school each day?
That’s where I would start with it...and not worry so much about future proofing.


This iPad is for home use only.
 
The iPad 2017 model isn’t really “future-proof”. It’s slightly faster than an Air 2 and that’s it. It has an inferior display, bigger and heavier compared to the Air 2. If you want more future-proof, go for the 9.7Pro. Coming from an Air 2, the 2017 is probably more of a side-step/downgrade.

The 2017 iPad has a dual-core A9 chip, while the Air 2 has a tri-core A8X chip. The 2017 is faster on single core, but the Air 2 is still faster on multi-core. I think the 2017 iPad will only be supported as long as the Air 2 is, and that device is 3 years older.
 
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The iPad 2017 model isn’t really “future-proof”. It’s slightly faster than an Air 2 and that’s it. It has an inferior display, bigger and heavier compared to the Air 2. If you want more future-proof, go for the 9.7Pro. Coming from an Air 2, the 2017 is probably more of a side-step/downgrade.

The 2017 iPad has a dual-core A9 chip, while the Air 2 has a tri-core A8X chip. The 2017 is faster on single core, but the Air 2 is still faster on multi-core. I think the 2017 iPad will only be supported as long as the Air 2 is, and that device is 3 years older.
Compared to the Mini 4 (dual-core A8, same as iPhone 6/6+), the iPad 2017 is a better option (even if it is a sidegrade from Air 2). Apart from performance, CPU features are also a consideration. I doubt Pro 9.7 (A9X) will last significantly longer than the 2017 iPad.

It really depends on the price point. At $250-300 for the 2017 iPad and if the Pencil isn't a big consideration, I'm more inclined to get that over the Pro 9.7 for battery life and cheaper screen replacement. Besides, one could always use the $100-200 or so saved to buy a new iPad down the line once the 2017 iPad stops performing up to par.
 
the screen on my 1st grade daughter's ipad air 2 is totally shot, not worth it to replace the screen imo. she needs it for her school's reading assignment, so not just for fun. the current choices are kind of limited. basically i have three options: ipad mini 4, ipad pro 9.7 and ipad 2017. following are cases for each of them:

ipad mini 4: coming on 3 year since introduced, ancient but still effective (but for how long) A8 chip, nice screen with that anti-glare coating, perfect size for elementary age kid. expected black friday price: $250 128GB wifi version.

ipad pro 9.7: may be an overkill but i like pro 9.7's weight compare to the non-pro 9.7 ipad. and the screen has true tone which is kind of important for kids' vision. has A8X chip, somewhat more future proof than the mini 4. expected black friday price: $350 32GB wifi version

ipad 2017: cheapest of the bunch, has the latest hardware. but it's also the heaviest of the bunch, inferior screen compare to the other two. expected black friday price: $200-$250 32GB wifi version.

which one would you pick? not interested getting used ones on craiglists or ebay.
Go for the 2017 iPad. Has all the latest hardware and it will run next years iOS. It’s not a bad device, is cheaper, and will be supported in the long run. Otherwise get your kid a cheap Kindle fire tablet. They’re pretty good and I’ve seen Amazon sell them as low as $50 in some recent sales.
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For a first grader I would recommend real books, picture books, sketch books and crayons.
And playing outside, running around, anything that doesn't involve tablets, computers, tv.
Outside? What is this child abuse? :D /s
 
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the screen on my 1st grade daughter's ipad air 2 is totally shot, not worth it to replace the screen imo. she needs it for her school's reading assignment, so not just for fun. the current choices are kind of limited. basically i have three options: ipad mini 4, ipad pro 9.7 and ipad 2017. following are cases for each of them:

ipad mini 4: coming on 3 year since introduced, ancient but still effective (but for how long) A8 chip, nice screen with that anti-glare coating, perfect size for elementary age kid. expected black friday price: $250 128GB wifi version.

ipad pro 9.7: may be an overkill but i like pro 9.7's weight compare to the non-pro 9.7 ipad. and the screen has true tone which is kind of important for kids' vision. has A8X chip, somewhat more future proof than the mini 4. expected black friday price: $350 32GB wifi version

ipad 2017: cheapest of the bunch, has the latest hardware. but it's also the heaviest of the bunch, inferior screen compare to the other two. expected black friday price: $200-$250 32GB wifi version.

which one would you pick? not interested getting used ones on craiglists or ebay.

So OP, after all of this discussion, which option did you end up purchasing?
 
So OP, after all of this discussion, which option did you end up purchasing?

iPad mini 4 is out. She said she prefers the bigger screen now. So it’s down to iPad 2017 and iPad Pro 9.7. Not a fan of iPad 2017’s weight and added thickness since she’s coming from an iPad Air 2.

just ordered a rose gold ipad pro 9.7 32GB wifi on bhphoto for $399, no tax for outside of NY. 32GB had me worried a bit but i saw she only used up 7GB so far on her Air 2, so it should not be a problem. now she got her own rose gold ipad next to my rose gold 10.5 pro lol.
 
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First grade? You get what you get and you don't get upset.

Best Buy has 128GB Mini 4 for 276
 
iPad mini 4 is out. She said she prefers the bigger screen now. So it’s down to iPad 2017 and iPad Pro 9.7. Not a fan of iPad 2017’s weight and added thickness since she’s coming from an iPad Air 2.

just ordered a rose gold ipad pro 9.7 32GB wifi on bhphoto for $399, no tax for outside of NY. 32GB had me worried a bit but i saw she only used up 7GB so far on her Air 2, so it should not be a problem. now she got her own rose gold ipad next to my rose gold 10.5 pro lol.
Get her the Pencil too down the road. She may enjoy scribbling and colouring etc.
 
oh pony up dad, it’s christmas... pro 10.5. do you get him shoes from payless also? :D
That’s super overkill... a 5 year old kid should not be getting a 700 dollar iPad. Go with the iPad 2017, it’ll be perfect for your needs. And if something happens to it (because they are only 5 years old and 5 year olds can be rather clumsy) it’s no big deal.

Also I don’t like the Payless analogy, buying a 2017 iPad is not the equivalent of getting shoes from Payless, buying some Acer tablet or something would be more like it.
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Good point. Does the same pen work on both 9.7 and 10.5 Pro?
Yes the Pencil absolutely works with the 9.7 Pro.
 
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