*The brave new world of Children's Apps"
I initially saw an article about 5 classic children's tales which were converted to the iPad (http://mashable.com/2010/12/12/childrens-books-ipad/) and followed it to watch the video of the two year old playing with the iPad (http://mashable.com/2010/04/06/2-year-old-girl-uses-ipad/) I've spent a bit of time to look at several applications designed for toddlers/preschoolers on the iPad. Many of them have or will be converted to the Android platform though. There are an ever increasing range of tablets available on the Android operating system. Although these applications below are free, many of them have a purchased version as well.
Lewis Gray indicated that his kids use his ipad all the time- mostly for UTube. "In addition to that, Matthew likes all the sports games, from Bowling to Arcade Hoops, Soccer and baseball. Both like Doodle Pad for drawing and we have another app for learning animals' names."
However, there is research that is currently showing that some of these apps are shown to be educationally beneficial.
"Are Preschoolers Learning from Mobile Device Apps?
A recent report from The Joan Ganz Cooney Center (http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/Reports-27.html) at Sesame Workshop documents the growing trend among young children to engage in play sessions using applications downloaded to mobile devices such as iPhones. The sessions, most often occurring when the devices are passed to the kids by siblings or adults, last between 5 and 20 minutes and consist primarily of playing games. The report says there is evidence the kids are learning, citing research on the Martha Speaks: Dog Party and Super Why apps that focus on literacy skills. Positive effects were found for children as young as age 3. The report also provides guidelines for app creators and family members with young children."
Source: NIEER newsletter.
1. "Alice Lite" for the iPad (listed in the Mashable article)
This app is very well done. The designers have essentially recreated the book and enhanced it. The enhancements take advantage of the functionality of the ipad. For example- on page starts with the text "So she was" the "SO" is half the page and a pocket watch is hanging from it. It can be moved by touch, hangs in orientation with the iPad, and swings with movement. Most of the embedded enhancements can be moved by touch.
Primary concern with this book is the ability to move objects in random directions by touch. It seems to be a very abstract ability for young children, especially since the object "follows" the finger.
2. "Peter Rabbit"
This is an electronic book created on the pop-up of the book form. The pop-ups/ pull tabs move in an identical pattern to the book. It is very similar to an actual book.
3. "Alice HDO"
I'm not sure if this is related to the initial Alice. It is a detailed hidden object picture game. Touching one of about five objects that are listed on the bottom of the screen causes them to fly forward and then disappear. There is no audio component to the words, only music. I'm not sure of the intended audience. The words are elaborate and sometimes archaic. For example - "Hooka, camomiles, diamond-ring"
4. "First Words Sampler" (Possibly shown in the video with the two year old)
There are simple words combined with cartoon images. There is audio component that pronounces the letter name when touched. The letters are to be dragged to their matching positions, and then the word is pronounced. The image spins and enlarges. This is a very basic application and not consistent with Montessori principles. It might help to increase vocabulary, but I doubt that any child that is able to play with a tablet is lacking opportunities for vocabulary development.
5. "Snake"
Puzzle matching game. The pieces must be dragged into position almost exactly in order to fit the puzzle. 1/4 inch is not accurate enough. The puzzle pieces can not be rotated.
6. "Animal Shape Puzzle"
This starts with a full screen of advertising and moves to a "Start" that is changing size and shape. It is also a puzzle matching activity. These are cartoon pictures of animals that are then segmented into puzzle pieces. The pieces can not be rotated and requires a high degree of accuracy in placement.
7. "Smart Baby Colors"
This application teaches colors through an initial screen of color swipes and the associated word. It is then followed by a realistic picture of an object in that color upon screen touch. It repeats with different colors. This application is similar to a book except for the audio component.
*My conclusions.*
Many of the best applications actually resemble a book. What are the benefits and disadvantages of moving to electronic books when this is something that is happening currently in the adult world? The ability of the touch screen to move objects and defy gravity without an obvious connection is something to think about. Puzzle piece and matching games do not allow a child to feel the piece or rotate it. This will diminish the ability to reason in three dimensional space. Other uses of the apps vary from videos to essentially traditional computer games uses.
