The Singing Alphabet

The Singing Alphabet was created by the Ministry of Letters ltd (kinda sounds like some Harry Potter reference, doesn't it?) As you can tell from the title, it's an app that combines music and the alphabet, where each letter sings its letter-sound in an artsy, jazzy, kinda way. I'm probably not doing it justice with my description, so please take a look at the video below. Price: $0.99

Device Requirements: Compatible with iPad.Requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Developmental Appropriateness: I think the purpose of this app is really to get kids exposed to letters/letter-sounds and music/rhythms, as opposed to any direct teaching. It's pretty free form, where kids can choose whatever letters to start singing. It doesn't label the letters and my version shows only the lowercase. I can see it encouraging kids to try spelling out different words or their names to see what that would sound like. But then you realize that you can't use a letter more than once, so that limits the types of words you can spell correctly. I also think it's easy to get lost in the music and rhythm than to really focus on the letter-sounds. So overall, I think this is actually a cute app to get kids in music with some light exposure to letters. But learning potential may be low. Rating: 3.5/5 (aim for around 4).

Balance: If I think of this as an alphabet learning app, then I think the music aspect overshadows the letter-sounds. I think even if kids are singing along and making the sounds, they might not connect it to the sound that particular letter makes, but rather cute sounds these cute letters are making. It would be more effective if there was a "learning" section first, where the letters at least clearly annunciate their names and sounds and then have what the app currently is as the "putting it all together" game that they could play. From reading the description on iTunes, it sounds like there was clear educational intent for letter learning, so I will rate it as such. Rating: 2.5/5

Sustainability: This is an innovative way to get kids interested in music and letters. If kids like this kind of music, then I think they will enjoy coming back to this app. However, if this kind of music is not their thing, then they might not be engaged. Rating: 3.5/5


Parental Involvement: Parents might find this app engaging for them as well. They can spell words out with their child and see what music it makes. There's no explicit role for parents, but the app can easily be played together. Rating: 3.5/5

Total: 13 out of 20 - 3 stars

RondomTali London

RondomTali London was created by RondomTali Travel CC. The goal of this app is to help parents talk to their kids about an upcoming vacation - in this case, to London. It shows famous landmarks and people and also a sports activity, which is fitting for the upcoming Olympics (but is London otherwise known for it's sports?). Kinda a neat idea - Price: $0.99.

Device Requirements: Compatible with iPad.Requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Developmental Appropriateness: I really had no idea what to expect from this app, but I did think this was a very timely app, given the Olympics. Kids follow Tali on her trip to four destinations. On each page, it shows you the landmark, like Big Ben and the Buckingham Palace, labels it, and there are some interactive elements like you can "tickle" Big Ben or see fireworks around the London Eye. The most relevant interactive feature is kids can put the appropriate hat on characters on the Buckingham Palace page - like the tall black hats on the guards. But upon closer look, it's not all exactly accurate like the crown goes on Tali instead of the queen and there's a unicorn and lion, who gets a crown as well. There's also a sports page where it shows a bunch of different sport icons, labels it, and then it does a quick demonstration of that sport. And that's about it. So I guess although I didn't know what to expect, I guess I expected more. I don't think this has all that much content or really makes you excited to go to London. There's no fun facts or reasons for why kids might want to see these places. I guess it's still a good conversation starter for parents to use, but parents will definitely have to fill in a lot of the blanks. Rating: 3/5 (aim for around 6 years).


Balance: As you probably already picked up, many of the interactive features are not relevant to visiting London. Parents may even have to tell their kids that they will not be seeing a lion in front of the palace! For the purpose of this app, I really don't see why it was necessary to include a unicorn or a ticklish Big Ben. I think it should set realistic expectations for the upcoming trip. Rating: 2.5/5


Sustainability: Again, there's not much here to keep kids coming back at all. And, this is only specific to London (looks like they will be releasing other cities). Rating: 2.5/5


Parental Involvement: Although I see parents using this with their child, and having conversations about their upcoming trip, it's not because the app offers any role to the parent. There are no prompts or suggested activities and topics. Actually, I think parents need to be involved because the app doesn't offer enough info on its own. Rating: 3/5


Total: 11 out of 20 - 2 stars


Disclosure: I received this app for free for review purposes.

Mathlands

Mathlands was created by Mamanijo and comprises of 6 games. While most of these games do require some math, this is more of an app for puzzle solvers and logical thinkers than straight-up math lovers. So where does this app fit in for the typical math student? Price: Two games are free, the rest are an in-app purchase for $1.99. There is also another in-app purchase for $0.99 if you want to play all the games together. Careful not to confuse one purchase with the other.

Device Requirements: Compatible with iPad.Requires iOS 4.3 or later.


Developmental Appropriateness: For kids, and even adults, who like logic problems like these (The Tower of Hanoi is a typical example) this is a great app to flex those muscles. It's done in a kid-friendly way - for example on one of the more typical math word problem games, the word problem is presented within a comic strip, adding a bit of fun to what may be a boring math problem. I like that it adds some "help" materials at the bottom in some of the tasks to help kids solve the problem. For kids who are pretty strong in math already, this is a great way to get them to increase their flexibility in math thinking. However, for kids who may not be great at math and or love these types of puzzles, this app does not offer enough support to win them over. The "help" materials aren't enough to help a kid who doesn't know where to begin. There's a hint part, but it basically just tells you the answer. There's no leveling of hints - to get you going if you're stuck. Also, more kid-friendly information on the strategies would be useful too. Even as an adult, I could solve the games, but for some, I couldn't really tell you what I was doing to get the answer. Being able to express the strategy is important to truly understanding the concept. The app gives a "puzzle history" and provides the solution, but the text is long and reads like a textbook. In sum, I like that these games make kids think about math in a different way, but it doesn't offer enough support to reach kids of all skill levels and for me to think of it as educational/instructional rather than just-for fun. Rating: 3.5/5 (aim for around 7 years).


Balance: The features in each of the games are focused on the task. A bit more instruction could be given for the tasks. For example, in the water task, you have to get a goal number of liters, but that goal goes away. If you go to instructions, the instructions only talk about the goal of the first problem. I'll admit it, I kept forgetting what the goal was - and I couldn't get to that information unless I started over. Rating: 4/5

Sustainability: The games keep getting harder and harder so there's enough challenge, even for adults. If you've purchased the game portion (so it's not just free-play), it will keep track of what level you're on. However, it doesn't really save your times and records. I feel these are the kinds of puzzles that people would enjoy sharing - to tell people how they figured it out. So some sort of social, sharing element would be nice. Rating: 4/5


Parental Involvement: Parents can play too! But in terms of co-playing there's not too much here. Parents can go over the puzzle history with their kids. There's no review or measure of how kids are doing and what they need to work on. I think the leveling of hints would be good so parents get be more involved in the process so it's not just get it or don't get it. Rating: 3.5/5


Total: 15 out of 20 - 4 stars

Ready to Print

Ready to Print was created by Essare LLC along with an occupational therapist. It aims to help teach pre-writing skills and incorporates a series of activities such as touch, matching, and pinching. Price: $9.99  While I don't factor in price in the ratings, as I leave that up to you to judge for yourselves, this is really one of the pricier apps I've seen! Is it worth it? 

Device Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Developmental Appropriateness: This app was definitely designed with an educational eye. It has a very set progression with levels and a review. There is no doubt that this has educational intent, and can be used at home or in the classroom. My real question is: Is "writing" on an iPad with your finger the same as writing with a pen or pencil? I personally, don't think so. The activities here (see photo), are very basic - tap on objects, drag objects, move finger in a shape/line, etc. Sounds like to me, this is a "how to use an iPad" app rather than how to write. Having read about and been part of many usability studies, I can tell you that kids have a natural knack for using iPads. They are good at it, even at a very young age - yes, before they can write. So I'm not sure what this app really teachers them in terms of writing. It's just not the same. Even the pinching is not the same as the "pincher" grip for holding a pencil. Does this app teach things like how to follow directions, matching, and recognizing shapes and letters? Yes. Does it teach you how to write? I don't think so.  Rating: 3/5 (aim for around 3 years).




Balance: The games are simple enough and without distraction. In terms of usability and engagement, it seems designed for it to be used with an educator - the look of it, that there are no verbal directions, etc. A tutorial and other features to engage children would make it have less of a classroom feel, at least in the beginning. Rating: 3.5/5


Sustainability: Again I can see this being used by a teacher or professional, where they have a purpose in mind for the specific activities - not necessarily writing. Otherwise, I don't see kids asking for this. Rating: 3.5/5


Parental Involvement: There's a review feature, which is grab for teachers and parents. I think for parents, an explanation for how these activities relate to writing would be useful (there's a little of this on the website) so they know what to watch for and how to relate these activities to other ones in everyday life. Rating: 4/5


Total: 14 out of 20  = 3 stars


Disclosure - I received this app for free for review purposes.

The Rooster Who Lost His Voice

The Rooster Who Lost His Voice was created by iMagine machine, LLC. This is a great example of how some apps are really starting to blur the line between whether it's a book or a show. Rooster is definitely a story, told in a folktale kinda way - but it doesn't have any text and is 18-minutes long, putting it in a category all on its own Price: the initial 3 pages are free, but to purchase the full "book" is $4.99

Device Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.


Developmental Appropriateness: This is a well-done story with great graphics and effects. On the spectrum of book to show/movie, this leans heavier on the show/movie side. One of the few book feature is the tone of the story is told like a classic tale, not like a tv show or movie. And while some scenes advance on their own, there are moments where the child must "turn the page". But even this is not the typical swipe, it's pulling a rope, like you would to close or open the curtains to a stage show. This little pull feature along with very limited interactive features is just enough to make sure kids are still paying attention and not just passively watching a show. The main interactive feature is I guess comprehension questions. Kids have to choose what "gift" they think the characters are giving. I like this "active thinking" idea, and I think it's an important feature to have especially in this format, but I think there could be more feedback here. The picture options at least need a label as they are not always obvious what they are. And the answers require background knowledge not given by the story so a little reinforce/feedback would be nice to make sure kids "got it". 


So, since there is no text here, is this as "literacy-focused" as a book? Are apps like this one even meant to be thought of as "literacy-focused"? There is no doubt that listening and I guess in this case, watching a story has great value. I guess I'm just wondering where do we draw the line - do we need to? Rating: 4/5 (aim for around 5 years)


Balance: The developers really kept it simple here in terms of interactivity, but I don't think they lost anything in terms of engagement. Not sure where to put this, but one feature I'd like to see added would be a page menu or something. 18 minutes can be a bit long for a story - depending on the situation, and there's no way to jump to a certain page - you start from the beginning each time. Actually, mine froze once, and I had to just scroll through everything again to get to where I was. Rating: 4/5


Sustainability: I think it's a cute story kids would keep coming back to. It'd be great if the questions switched up a little so that kids don't already know all the answers if it's a repeated reading.  Rating: 4/5


Parental Involvement: So without the text, it kinda takes away that co-reading experience that books automatically give. But perhaps this will free up the parents to elaborate on the story and provide some  "active thinking" prompts that could go along with the comp questions. Rating: 3/5


Total: 15 out of 20 = 4 stars


Disclosure - I received this app for free for review purposes.

Expedited Reviews

Hi Everyone


Just wanted to give a quick update and really big thank you for the great feedback and for taking an interest in my blog!


My reviews are free - and I'd like to keep it that way! 


Given the amount of requests and that I do this on my free time, the wait time has risen to be around 2 months and will probably keep creeping up (thank you for your patience!). If you are willing to wait, great. Same as usual.


But if you would like more immediate feedback because you're still in development, trying to meet a release date or for whatever reason, I'm now offering "Expedited Reviews" where for a fee, you can receive the review in 3 business days. Please see the "App Suggestions for Review" tab up top for the details.


Thanks, and I hope you keep reading,


Cynthia

Plants HD

Plants HD was created by Sprout Labs and aims to teach kids all about the plant life cycle. I definitely think we need more apps that tackle this kind of subject area. Multimedia can definitely make learning this material easier and of course, more fun than say a typical text book. The question is, does Plants HD hit the mark? Price: $1.99

Device Requirements: Compatible with iPad.Requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Developmental Appropriateness: Overall, I think Plants HD provides a lot of great information (total flashback to science class for me!). For each stage of the cycle, it provides a lot of text (which can be read aloud), some fun facts, some photos, and a quiz. The "play" part is arranging all the stages in the correct order. Actually, before I move on, here's what the main page looks like: 

My first instinct, and I think any kid's, would be to hit play. But play just means that all the pictures drop down to the bottom and you're to assume that you have to put them back in order. While I think that this is a good activity, it should come after kids have learned all about the stages and should be presented separately, or at least not as the first thing and without any instruction. So points off here for usability.


So back to the content...

So, yes, lots of info - but I don't think it really capitalizes on what it could offer. You can see that there's a lot of text (it keeps scrolling down too!). It'd be sooo much better if it could show a video or a series of pictures that go with the text. There are a lot of new vocabulary here for them, so that really needs to be highlighted somehow. The photos that are provided are usually just examples of whatever stage generally, and don't go along with the text. Given the amount of text, it's important to have some visual that keeps kids engaged in it. Instead, they could just be flipping through the photos or the fun facts at the bottom and not listen to or read the actual text. Up top, you can choose to take the quiz - but not all the information you need to answer the questions are provided in the text. You earn coins, but no scores are kept, and nothing to review for teachers/parents. Rating: 3/5 (aim for around 8 years)


Balance: As mentioned, I think kids could easily not pay attention to the text. I'm not saying that there's too much going on - I like the photos and I like the fun facts. But maybe something could be done about how they access these other sections and what can be added to keep focus on the text and to reinforce their understanding of it. Rating: 3.5/5


Sustainability: I guess I need to view this a little differently as I can see this being used in the classroom as a supplement to the lesson. Still, I think the addition of videos and making the text more engaging would make this app go from oh, something a teacher is making me look at that is more interesting than a text book to something kids really want to use and even ask for. Rating: 4/5


Parental Involvement: Again, the quiz feature is nice, but there's no review of it, not even a saved score. And, maybe if there were definitions section or vocal highlighted in the text, teachers could more easily relate it back to their lessons. Basically, although I can see this in the classroom (or at home with parents guiding the way), I don't feel like it was designed with that in mind. Rating: 3/5


Total: 13.5 out of 20 - 3 stars


Disclosure: I received this app for free for review purposes.