Endless Alphabet

First off, let me say that Endless Alphabet is a great app from Callaway Digital Arts Inc. It's a super creative and hugely popular app but here's my problem: the title. It's a way better spelling and vocabulary app than it is an alphabet app! In fact, I think it's a poor app for learning the alphabet, especially if used without further reinforcement and support. So parents - get this app, but be careful who you get it for and how you use it. Price - Free (beware of ads though - can purchase ad removal for $0.99)

Device Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Developmental Appropriateness: This app covers a lot - Letters, phonics, spelling, vocabulary. I think it does a great job for spelling and vocabulary, and even phonics - for kids who have already started to learn phonics. For kids who are just learning their letters and phonics, this may not be so great. It's well, just too cute! It's too distracting. Sure, these younger kids may be engaged and even repeat the letters and sounds, but that does not mean they understand what they are playing with. Being able to repeat the sounds they hear is step one of many to actually learning and understanding letters. A better measure of if they "learned" the letters is to see if they recognize the letters outside the context of the app, in various forms. Kids don't fully understand the alphabet until about 6 years of age - when they are reading. Kids are able to repeat the sounds they hear not because this is a great app, but because they are kids who are at the ideal age where they are learning to produce sounds and talk in general. Do I think younger kids CAN learn from this app? Yes - but I think only with reinforcement from parents to connect the information from the app to other examples of the letters and letter associations and with repeated exposure. Do not get me wrong on this last point - I am NOT saying have your kids play with this app as much as possible, I am saying that they will learn better once the novelty of all the cuteness dissipates.


My fear is that parents of 3 yos or even younger are the ones getting this app - because it's called "Endless ALPHABET" when really it should be parents of around 5 yos who should be getting this app to help strengthen phonics, learn new words and how to spell them. Rating: 3 for 3yo (points for that this is in fact a highly engaging app for this age), 5 for 5yo, so an average of 4/5 stars.

Balance: I think it's ok for the older kids. They know their alphabet and that letters have sounds associated with them. They can get past the cutesy-ness and learn. But like I said, this is too much for the younger kids. Perhaps if the developers specified an age group and titled their app more appropriately (seriously, I think they are selling themselves short as it doesn't mention their best features!) I wouldn't have a problem. But they don't, and I think it's misleading. Rating: 3/5

Sustainability: Kids and even adults will find this engaging. The ever growing word bank also helps give this app longevity. Rating: 5/5

Parental Involvement: There's not much here to help parents be more proactive. Parents should take it upon themselves to play the app together and relate the letters and words to real world experiences. They can even have their own little spelling bees to practice the words they just learned. Rating: 3/5

Total: 15 out of 20 = 4 stars

And don't forget to take this super quick survey on parental gating! Case in point with Endless Alphabet - should the ads here have gating on it?
Click here to take the survey!!
The survey's for parents, teachers, developers, and whoever else. The more responses, the better the results - Help spread the word!

Parental Gating

As promised, I'm introducing a couple of new features for A Matter of App: "Trend Alert" and "The Survey Spot." They're pretty self explanatory, so I'll jump right in.

Trend Alert: Parental gating is popping up in more and more apps. This is when features that are really meant for parents rather than the kids who are playing the app are "locked." The features behind the gate can be in-app purchases, links to buy other apps (cross promotions), links to social media, email, sharing, etc. The parental gate, which varies in how its implemented, stops kids from easily accessing this information, which if accessed, may lead to unapproved purchases, release of private information, etc. Here's an example:

There are other examples where you have to hold for a few seconds, do a math problem, or enter a passcode, but the purpose is the same.

Given the recent FTC children's online privacy update, parental gating seems like it's a step in the right direction. It certainly does not address all the privacy issues, but can help alleviate some of the concern.

But where do we draw the line? What exactly should be gated? Who should be enforcing the gating (parents? developers?) And for what age? A 10-year-old can do math problems and read the gating directions, so is there another form of gating that's more effective? Or maybe parents trust their 10-year-old to be responsible enough to not buy something without permission?

This brings me to "The Survey Spot." This new feature is just a quick and dirty survey to try to get some answers and for you to voice your opinion. I'm going to try to limit them to just one question (ok, one main question - and I may cheat and make it one long question ;)  and a couple of demographic questions). Should take no more than a few minutes.

So for the inaugural "The Survey Spot" - tell me what you think about parental gating:

Click here to take the survey!!

The survey's for parents, teachers, developers, and whoever else. The more responses, the better the results - Help spread the word!

Putting Research to Practice

I thought it would be a good idea to do a refresher on a few of the  research findings that I've discussed and also to see how far we've come in terms of incorporating those findings in the app world.

Less is More: This has been my bread and butter as a researcher. As you may remember, much of my research has shown that preschool-aged children learn better from materials that are simple in presentation. Most directly related is a study I worked on with the Cooney Center showed that kids recalled more when reading a traditional book and an e-book with simple interactions than when reading the same book but with a highly interactive e-book version. I've found the similar findings with pop-up books versus plain, and across different learning domains (learning letters, numbers, facts, etc.) Although this "less is more" theory is more prominent with young children, it can also be applied across the ages into adulthood. A new study found that slightly older kids, 6-8 years learn better from graphs that are plain and simple than from graphs with more colors and pictures (Kaminsky & Sloutsky, 2013). One of the first studies I did in graduate school with a couple of colleagues was very similar, but with middle-schoolers and adults comparing their accuracy in reading plain vs. 3d graphs. They were of course more accurate when looking at plain graphs. So while all the interactivity that can be incorporated in an app may seem cool, it may not be beneficial for learning.

*Check out the Publication section for some of these studies.

Where are we now? Right before my hiatus, I talked about how we were starting to see a shift from let's explore what we can do with apps, which resulted in some apps throwing the kitchen sink in there, to more purposeful inclusion of interactive features. I feel we've definitely continued down that road. It's much less frequent that I might tap on something just to see it sparkle or animate with no purpose. Instead, I might tap on a character in the book and he would say something related to, but not in the text, or tap on the tv to turn it on. However, I think there are still plenty of cases where we could still scale back. Not EVERY item on the screen needs to do something. Is what the character is saying really adding to the meaning of the story? Do we really need to label the chair EVERY instance it appears? And while I've seen more apps incorporate encouraging features like a linked dictionary, many are not well done (understandably, animated dictionaries take a lot of effort).
Grade: B

Realistic vs. Abstract: What is it about seeing letters as animals or other images that make adults think it's so cool? Well, it may be cool to adults, but kids probably just don't get it. I found that kids did not recognize this picture of a dinosaur as the letter D until about 6 years-old - when they already new their letters. So for kids who need to learn their letters, well, this is cute, but not what you need to teach. Other research has found that kids learn labels better from photographs and realistic drawings rather than cartoons. Think about it, if you're trying to teach kids about something they don't really know yet, shouldn't you show them what it really looks like first?

Where are we now? While I've seen many apps now use realistic drawings (especially in the special ed realm), I'm still seeing anthropomorphic numbers and more. While I'm not saying apps should be devoid of amazing art and fun characters, but if it's the to-be learned material, show it in multiple ways making sure to include a realistic version.
Grade: C

Scaffolding: This is probably one of the oldest and more prominent tenants in the education world. In a very general/loose explanation, it's when a teacher, parent, or whoever is helping a student learn and offers the needed support. This person gages the student's ability level and offers prompts, guidance, etc. when needed to help the student reach the goal. This individualized level of teaching is of course effective, but hard to accomplish for a teacher of 30 students or a busy parent. This is where I think an app can shine.

Where are we now? I've seen some, but not a lot of this. Most of the time when I do see efforts of scaffolding, it's in the form of a character providing "hints." However, often the hints are so basic you can barely call it scaffolding. Repeating the question does not count. Just offering up the answer does not count. Rephrasing the question *may* count if maybe new information is offered. But most of the time, I feel apps are still really just focused on right or wrong answers and not providing the extra information to help deepen understanding.
Grade: D

Phase 2 of A Matter of App

I'm baaack!

Hello to those who still follow this blog - I hope you're still there! First off, thank you to those who contacted me about your app while I was on hiatus. While I could not reply back to you, I did read every email and checked out every app!

As I explain in the "About" section of this blog, I feel in the last year or two, I've accomplished my goal of seeing what apps are out there and really just familiarizing myself with apps. My head is filled with apps - I even dream about them (Is that sad?) - reading or chemistry apps, apps with parallax or the gravity feature, apps you shake or just watch, iOS apps and even android apps at times and so much more. So I'm ready to move on to Phase 2 - taking all this information I've gathered and trying in my own little way to synthesize it in a way that I hope can help push the field forward. I'll still do reviews - just less and more selectively - meaning I'll probably only be responding to a small percentage of the emails I get (apologies in advance - but I promise I'll at least be reading them!) And stay tuned for some new features.

I'd also like to bring your attention to the new tabs up top here. I've merged my former Digital Kids Research website here so everything is all in one place and more importantly, because I want to inject more research into this blog rather than just reviewing apps. I've also added to my research services "app consulting." One thing I've learned is that reviewing apps often meant that it was too late to make any substantial changes, so I'm now offering services to get involved earlier.

I hope you continue to join me on A Matter of App.

Cynthia

The Matter of App Awards!

I'm excited to present to you the very first A Matter of App Awards! I started this blog partially because people would ask me to recommend apps and I just didn't know. But now, here are my answers. While I've not reviewed a terribly large number of apps here, I've also been reviewing for YogiPlay and Common Sense Media. So all together, I've officially reviewed a few hundred apps in less than a year! That may not make in a dent in the grand scheme of the app world, but I think it's not too shabby for one person. With the knowledge that I've probably missed out on many great apps, here's what I've loved so far...

E-books

Best become part of the story experience:

• Even MonstersGet Sick –Busy Bee Studios
• Teddy’s Day – Auryn Inc.
• Little MonsterAt School - Wanderful
• Moo, Baa, La LaLa! – Loud Crow Interactive

Best overload of literacy-focused features

• Ice is Nice!All About the North and South Poles  – Oceanhouse Media

Most gorgeous and inspiring book about books:

• The FantasticFlying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore – Moonbot Studios LA

Literacy

Best apps for direct instruction of phonics:

• Starfall ABC’s– Starfall Education
• Alphatots (updated since my review) - Spinlight Studio
• Reading Raven – Early Ascent, LLC

Best taking it to the next level for comprehension

• Wubbzy’s PirateTreasure – GoodTalkApps

Best app for learning vocabulary in context:

• Beck and Bo – React-In

Math

Best math app with a focus on concept:

• Motion MathWings – Motion Math

Best think about math in a different way:

• Numbers League – Bent Castle Software

Art and Music

Best virtual piano lesson:

• Juno’s Piano – The Juno Company

Best adaptation of a song and turning it into so much more:

• Itsy BitsySpider – Duck Duck Moose

Inspiration:

Best apps that inspire you rethink what an app can be:

• Makego – Cowly Owl Ltd.
• AlienAssignment – Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College

Best inspriation be a good teacher by providing the support and feedback needed:

• Team Umizoomi - Nickelodeon
• Starfall Learnto Read – Starfall Education

Best inspiration for kids to say, “When I grow up, I want to be a…”

• Toca Doctor – Toca Boca
• AC Cretaceous Dinosaur – Cognitive Kid
• Sid’s ScienceFair – PBS Kids

Best inspiration for family fun:

• Doodlecast – zinc Roe
• Out-A-Bout - Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College

Best inspiration for those know-it-alls:

• Barefoot WorldAtlas – Touch Press

Best inspiration to take any topic and make it educational:

• Why Kids Poo – KTH

Best Parent Center within an app:

• iLearn with… series: Tribal Nova
• Mermaid Waters – Stickery PTE. LTD.

Just For Fun:

The Cuteness Factor Award:

• Toca Band (come on, Mr. Whizzle Whiz, Shaky McBones and gang have their own music video…)

Best kids app that adults probably secretly love:

• Millie WasHere, Book 1: Meet Millie – Megapops LLC

Best upgrade of the “Where’s Waldo” game:

• Pictureka! – Electronic Arts
• Haunted Manor:Lord of Mirrors – Big Fish Games, Inc.

Best combo of things you probably love:

• LEGO HarryPotter – Warner Bros. Entertainment

**Note these are all iTunes links, but some of these also have android versions.

       ENJOY!

Update and Hiatus

The good news: I have a new gig! I'll be joining Apple's Education Content Team for the next several months.

The not-so-good news: This means that I'll be taking a hiatus from reviewing.... but I hope to return with more knowledge that'll help inform my reviews.

A big apology to those who have written me about reviewing an app in the last several, several weeks - I did not mean to ignore you, but I did not want to promise a review that I may not get to. I look forward to all of your future apps.

Don't take me off your reading lists quite yet - stay tuned for the inaugural A Matter of App Awards!

Kindergarten Kids Math

Kindergarten Kids Math was created by Infinut and includes 6 different math activities for kindergarten students. This is my first review on this blog of an app that is in the Google Play market only. While android markets have certainly expanded greatly recently, it still lags behind the iTunes market when it comes to educational apps for young children at least in terms of quantity. Let's see how this android math app stacks up quality-wise. Price: $0.99 (there's a free version as well).

Device Requirements: Requires Android 2.1 and up.

Developmental Appropriateness: The six activities are Counting, Maze (where you follow a specific number to complete a maze), Sequence (fill in the missing number), Tens and Ones (use coins to make a specific amount), Add and Subtract. These activities are appropriate for kindergarteners, but what it's missing or where it could be improved is in the details. My biggest complaint is for Counting. See the picture to the right. Kids are asked to put a target number of balls in the container, going from 1-20 in order. A little boring, but ok, we're teaching quantity, one-to-one correspondence etc. But you can see in the picture that the balls line up in rows of 6. Yes, kids should be able to count by 6's, but it would make more sense, especially for beginning learners if it were by rows of 5's or 10's. These are more common quantities to count by especially as the numbers get bigger. Since it goes up to twenty, having rows of five would make it all even where you can have 4 rows of 5. It's just an easier number to group by (grouping being a good strategy!) Other little details that carry over to the other activities are that it doesn't count when you place each ball in the container nor when you tap on them to count them or once you've submitted the answer. These little details can go a long way to reinforce the material.  Rating: 3/5 (aim for around 5 years)

Balance: There are verbal instructions for each task. Maybe a quick demo would be better. For the Tens and Ones task, I actually did not really know what to do! It says, "Move 10 and 1 coins into the jars to make 5" Does that mean put 5 coins in the jars? When you press the "how to play" setting, it says, "Move 5 balls into the box using your finger." I think this needs some updating. Aside from that, it should really be saying, something with the words "cents" or "amount" to indicate that it wants you to add up some coins to make the target number. The instructions for Sequence sound a little weird to, but it's clear what to do. Rating: 3.5/5

Sustainability: For each task, it shows how much you've gotten through and there are hundreds of items, so it'll take awhile to complete everything. However, overall, I find these activities to be nothing more than drill. There's no goal or premise, the voice is not very engaging - so basically unless you're a kid who just naturally likes to do make activities, this won't be very motivating. Rating: 3/5

Parental Involvement: Nothing much here either. No settings to limit the range of numbers, reports - the only thing you can do is turn off the instructions. Rating: 3/5

Total: 12.5 out of 20 - 3 stars

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