Monday 7 January 2013

Apps for Kids



Many people have a mobile device, and many let their children use apps on these devices. There's nothing wrong with that, but establishing some good habits around digital media use is a good idea. While an app will NOT teach your child to read, interaction between yourself, your child, and your iPad can certainly help your child develop the skills they need in order to learn to read. An iPad, iPhone or other device is not the best choice for a bedtime story either, as some studies are suggesting that the blue light from computer devices of any sort before bedtime can disrupt sleep patterns (and not just for kids, for adults, too!) So when is the best time, and how should we be sharing apps with young children? And how do you find the best ones to share? Look for some hands-on classes at your library this winter and spring, but until then, here are a few tips to get you started!

First off, spend time with your young child as they play with apps. Just like with TV, use of tablets or phones should be limited for children under 5, and children under 2 should have very little exposure. Talk about what is happening in the app, what you can do, read together, play together, ask questions and talk with your child. 

How do you find the best apps to use? And how do you decide which ones are worth the money? There are lots of free apps, but as with anything free, quality is often an issue. I like to follow The iMums on Twittter and Facebook to get deals on apps and also free ones.    There's also Digital Storytime , which has a bank of reviews, sortable by age, price, quality, and more. A nice list of resources can be found here

I've been testing some apps, and I do very brief reviews on my Pinterest board called, you guessed it, Apps for Kids. Mostly I look for apps that are low-cost or free, educational yet fun, book-related, or ones that can help develop early literacy skills such as drawing, storytelling, and vocabulary. I especially like apps that take good children's books and make them even more fun, such as Good Night Moon, The Three Little Pigs, or the Sandra Boynton books. So take a look at some of these resources, and have fun exploring the digital early literacy world with your young child! 

Angela Reynolds, Head of Youth Services

2 comments:

  1. I agree with you. I feel as though some of the best education apps for kids are those that are interactive. They should engage the child while telling a story. I sit with my son when he is playing with the iPad, in the same way I would if I were reading him a story from a book or playing a game with him. It's important to teach them to respect the technology and to build a bond with them. Thanks for sharing all of this information. I'm definitely going to check out some of the other apps you have listed, as well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for sharing, educational apps for kids are very helpful for improving their skills. I am going to share a math app i.e. Splash math. Splash Math also have entire curriculum for Grade k-5. This app really have a lot more features than I expected and it would really be a good way to get students interested in doing math. It is used for everything and help students to study and get rewards.

    ReplyDelete