“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.”
– Groucho Marx
iPads and Kids with Learning Difficulties
I am pleased to share an article about kids with learning difficulties written by one of the authors we work with at PicPocket Books. Nina Lim, whose picture book app Super Harry’s Rotten Luck was released for the iPad and iPhone earlier this month, tells of her personal experiences with her son’s language delay and the progress he’s made by using storybook apps, educational games, and speech therapy apps on the iPad. Nina describes how she works with her kindergarten age son, and the amazing steps he’s made, motivated by the iPad – like repeating words he hears on the device. Read on for the full story in Nina’s own words.
Super Harry's Rotten Luck, by Nina Lim
Getting an iPad for the first time is an exciting moment for any family. “Wow, look at all these cool features,” you say as you excitedly play around with your shiny new device. You can’t wait to personalise it and get all sorts of apps that you know you or your children will love.
Now imagine one of your children has a learning difficulty. Suddenly the iPad is more than just a great new toy, reading device or even status symbol. It’s a godsend. I know this firsthand.
My middle child Ethan has a language delay. He is the cutest, funniest and most good-natured boy I could wish for. He is also extremely bright and has an amazingly logical, scientific brain. Yet language and literacy have always been a struggle for him. Pulling forth words to ask for things has always been an effort. His brother and sister flew into words without a second’s thought and became very articulate early on. But not Ethan. No, for a long time during his toddler years he had no interest in speaking. Absolutely none at all. It is very hard to get someone to do something when they have no interest in doing it.
I did everything I could think of. I encouraged, prompted, gestured, encouraged again, cajoled, bribed, threatened, broke down in tears and cried, wiped my eyes, gave him a cuddle and tried again. It all seemed to no avail. Ethan was perfectly happy with life as it was and did not share my enthusiasm to hurry up and start speaking. Of course during all this time I was attending speech therapy and we worked on a range of skills with him. But ultimately Ethan had to want to do it. When there is a desire to learn, everything changes.
And here’s where the iPad comes in. Ethan used to flit from activity to activity. He would get bored and move on, or lose interest in something and get distracted. With the iPad however, he was full of interest. His whole body language would change. He would sit up straight and concentrate, he would focus on a task for extended periods of time. He would be engaged and interested, and repeat the words he heard on the iPad. Yes, repeat the words he heard on the iPad. For a mother of a language delayed kid it is such a joy to hear your child speaking. He was building up his vocabulary and learning to sit and focus and wait.
From then on we worked on a whole range of apps together. Ethan had found a highly motivating force. It was like a little light bulb had gone ‘ding’ in his head. We started with a lot of puzzles, moved on to dozens of storybook apps, and would do some of the purely educational games and specialist speech therapy apps. When I found a moment during the day I would go through an app with him. Essentially we were doing therapy at home. Things changed too. His interest was high and I was a lot happier and relaxed. I learnt to go with the flow and do what works best.
I don’t want the iPad to sound like a panacea for all problems. It’s certainly not that. But its use as a tool for children with learning difficulties is phenomenal. Especially for children who are visual learners. In our case it was a great help, and came along at the perfect time.
Snuggle up with a great storybook app
Ethan is four and a half now and poised to start kindy at big school next year. His language is still far behind other children his own age, but I am more confident that he will completely catch up. He has a desire to learn which is the most important thing. He loves his books, he loves hearing stories, and he taught himself how to write the alphabet and numbers. I still worry about him a lot. But he is such a happy, cheerful and content boy, I am happy to carry his worries so that he doesn’t need to.
Children and Media: How to Choose iPhone Apps for Kids
By Elizabeth Lyons
Originally published by PBS Parents
Is anyone else fascinated when parents turn to their offspring for help programming (or even answering) their smartphones? Children’s seemingly pre-wired proficiency with today’s technology is amazing. The high-tech world is advancing at lightning speed, and as “digital natives,” no one’s adapting more quickly than kids.
Case in point, toddlers love to talk on the telephone. They’ve always loved talking on the telephone. Today’s toddlers, however, are infatuated with cell phones, and parents beware: even a 20-month-old knows the difference between the real deal and a toy stand-in (and far prefer the former).
It’s not surprising, therefore, that according to a recent CNN report, four of the top 10 best-selling educational iPhone apps are designed for children under the age of five. And the benefits of such advanced technology may go beyond mere distraction from a checkout line’s candy display.
The Benefits of Apps
According to developmental psychologist Peter Gray, engaging with an app is preferable to a passive activity such as watching TV. “[Kids are] interested in tools where they can actually make something happen,” notes Gray, which isn’t surprising because “we are a tool-using species.”
“These ‘mobile kids’ are the purest breed yet of natives to the wireless world where the rest of us are refugees,” concurs Neil Swidey through a Boston Globe article. “Parents use [digital technology] to distract a less-than-thrilled child in the grocery store, but quickly become amazed by how instinctively tech-savvy even a toddler is. This generation will use technology far more than we can even imagine today.”
“Touch-based devices like the iPhone and iPad harness this fundamental human instinct and remove the complexity of the keyboard and mouse for interacting with the computer,” notes Bryan O’Malley of Axeva.com. “As a result, it’s possible for young children to explore the world of computer learning at a much younger age.”
Abbie Davies, president of My First Yoga, also agrees that many apps are “beneficial for the younger set.” Yet she also points out that “while apps can both educate and stimulate, just like any other form of media, it is important for parents to make informed decisions about the apps being downloaded for or by their children.”
Criteria for Choosing Appropriate Downloads
Parents who turn to apps as a way to educate, entertain or merely distract their children are overwhelmed by the thousands of options combined with hundreds of ratings and user comments. What guidelines can parents use to make informed decisions regarding which apps to download – and which to avoid?
Brett Singer, the founder of DaddyTips.com, advises “I’m very careful about what apps I put on the device because there is no way (that I know of) to block inappropriate content. I either stay with certain publishers (Sesame Street apps are always appropriate), or try the app out myself before I give it to the kids.”
User reviews and comments can also point parents in the right direction. Notes Singer, “Reading user reviews on the iTunes store helps, and online app guides are a good place to start. The posted age ranges are useful, but like movie ratings, parents should consider their own values and standards.”
“When choosing an iPhone app for a child of any age,” advises Davies, “make sure to think about [your] objectives. Will this app be an educational tool? A time filler? Even if an app is amazingly educational, it’s always important to remember to encourage using apps in moderation.”
Lynette Mattke, co-founder of MomsWithApps and Publisher at PicPocket Books, reminds parents to “remember [that] kids are best engaged when the features in an app address as many senses as possible and when these features offer variations on a theme, and are not too repetitive. For instance, putting different outfits on different characters offers variation and holds a child’s interest, while shooting or popping identical objects gets repetitive.”
Mattke also recommends book apps, which are “fun and educational, and often stimulate conversations that continue long after the device is put away.”
“A ‘bookapp,’” notes Mattke, “is a term used to describe a book that is downloaded as an app and displayed to be read on the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. Some bookapps have animations and other interactive features. Most have audio recordings.”
When to Be Cautious About Apps
Possibly more important than knowing what to look for in choosing an appropriate app is knowing what to stay away from. The most important goal is protecting a child’s privacy and ensuring his safety.
To that end, Stanley Holditch of InternetSafety.com advises parents to be wary of apps that require peer interaction. “Marketers and app developers are quickly learning that kids are the most active social networkers,” warns Holditch. “Peer interaction at young ages can and does lead to cyberbullying. Parents should base their decisions on whether or not to allow a child to engage in peer interaction through social networks and apps based on the child’s maturity level and the average maturity level of their peers [rather than] the age requirements of the network or app.”
Another feature of which parents should be wary: geolocation apps. “Foursquare, Facebook, Twitter, GoWalla and even Apple’s MobileMe data network are all embracing geolocation as the latest way to bring people together,” mentions Holditch. “Parents need to be wary of this trend, since the essential component to all geolocation apps is revealing the user’s location in real-time. Depending on how vigilant the child/parent is about privacy settings, these apps are capable of revealing the child’s exact location in real-time to complete strangers.”
The Future of Apps
There’s no arguing that we’re only at the beginning of the app revolution.
According to Casey Ayers, president of MegatonApps, we should “expect educational gaming to take the forefront in kid-targeted apps,” while Jesse Feiler, author of Get Rich With Apps believes that “lots of drawing programs” will soon hit the market. William Weil, co-founder and CEO of Tales2Go, believes that “niche educational apps…within categories such as behavior, writing, science, math” are about to break loose.
Barbara Pritchard, executive producer at Smashing Devices, believes that the children’s book publishing industry will hit the app world by storm. “Enhanced books allow us (as designers and producers) to add interactivity into the reading experience, fully engaging kids and encouraging them to want to read more. [Of the] Top 10 titles in the iTunes iPad app store for kids, five are ebook titles. We think this trend will only continue to get bigger.”
O’Malley summed up the trajectory of iPhone apps by noting, “I suspect that someday we’ll look back at the early 2000′s as a major turning point in the way we consume information. Our children will be the first to grow up in the Touch Generation. Without the steep computer learning curve that past children faced, imagine how much faster these kids will be absorbing information?”
Imagine, indeed!
A Bright Outlook
This video is a bit of a general State of the Union for Apps. With a record-breaking 1.3 Billion apps downloaded Christmas week, 2011, by owners of smartphones and tablets, the app space sure is looking bright!
Apps prove gold rush for Silicon Valley
Have you decorated for the holidays yet?
If you are considering an “ART”ificial tree, these examples may give you a few ideas.
Peterkin Meets a Star, by Emilie Boon – a video trailer
…There was once a star that twinkled…and a boy who reached for it. Thus begins a simple but profound story about friendship, holding close, and letting go.
Right Brain or Left Brain? How about both?
When’s the last time you paused to take some time to think about the way you (and your children) see the world, figure out what is going on around you, and how you tackle tasks? This visual walk with psychologist and writer Iain McGilchrist gets at the very nature of existence as he explains how “our ’divided brain’ has profoundly altered human behaviour, culture and society.” I think that the best quotation of McGilchist’s presentation about the “divided brain” is “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, … and the rational mind is a faithful servant.” But he notes that we have created a society that honors the servant, but has forgotten the gift….
Make some time to celebrate intuition, creativity and imagination!
RSA Animate – The Divided Brain, Taken from a lecture given by Iain McGilchrist
“In The Middle of the Lake,” a new, beautifully illustrated book app, explores the world of the brook trout
This unique storybook app offers a way for children to understand connectedness, being part of the natural world – all seen through the activities of a brook trout. Realistic detailed illustrations depict an idyllic lake environment, evoking the spirit and beauty of nature and engaging the reader to experience nature’s essence.
Subtle animation brings a brook trout to life as well as others in its habitat. The touch-screen sound effects make the reader aware of the unseen life also living near the lake, and contribute to the ambiance of the lake’s environment.
This meditative story can be enjoyed on its own by following the activities of the fish. But multiple layers of meaning can also be revealed if questions are asked. A fish has to eat to survive but discovers a new way to get food, there are many bugs with remarkable capabilities and functions, and the natural cycle continues and there is beauty in this constant rhythm and activity. The duality of being an individual but also belonging to a group or community, suggest another concept of connectedness – being part of something bigger – that can be explored by families or in the classroom.
With adult guidance, the fun facts and related web links offer ample opportunity to discuss and learn more about brook trout and their habitat, the biology of fish, insects, birds and water life, and natural ecosystems and their conservation. Creating an awareness of nature – our environment that everyone shares – can help us learn to enjoy it, utilize it wisely and take care of it for the future.
“Scrapstore PlayPods™” – bringing a new, old-fashioned idea for creative, open-ended play to schools
The Scrapstore PlayPod™ provides a container full of materials and equipment (loose parts) that can stimulate, facilitate and enhance children’s play.
The video below gives an example of how access to materials like tires, cloths, crates, and spare, loose parts from the “Playpod” can offer children the opportunity to experience higher levels of creative activity and cooperation during playtime.
When I was a kid, my friends and I had “forget-to-come-home-for-dinner” fun building “forts” and other installations in empty lots using scraps of construction materials, fallen branches, leaves,…whatever we could get our hands on. Not only were we building with our hands, but we made up elaborate stories about our “village” as we went along. Watching the school kids play in the video below reminds me a lot of those magical playtimes!
Introducing author Gina Ricci and her new picture book – and app – “Boo!”
Click on the image above to go to the YouTube trailer!
Meander Art’s new release – “BOO!” is a Halloween-themed picture book by Gina Ricci featuring Sophie and Sam. It has also just been released as a PicPocket Books app. Get to know the author, Gina, as she describes the inspiration behind her writing and illustration, and especially her newest picture book, Boo!
"Boo!" picture book by Gina Ricci on the iPad
About Boo!:
Sophie (the little witch in Boo!) and Sam (her cat) have been in my life for years. In fact, Erin, my daughter, was my inspiration for Sophie. 
Sophie and Sam celebrate Halloween!
With her cat Sam, tucked under her arm, Sophie made her debut in “Splish! Splash! Splosh!” the first of many adventures Sophie and Sam take together. Their latest story is “BOO!” – a Halloween night full of black cats, bubbling cauldrons, and a haunted house.
Sophie and Sam in "Splish! Splash! Splosh!"
“BOO!’s” richly detailed illustrations bring to life the magic of Halloween and the playful, rhyming adventure, which young children will love to read.
About Gina:
I was born in England, but have lived in America for the last 30 years. I’ve always loved to draw and paint. One Christmas, my sister Louise was visiting, and we had such a bad snowstorm that we were stuck indoors for a week. We sat at the dining room table and decided to make our own Christmas cards. On the back of them we wrote “from Me and ‘er.” And that’s how Meander Art was born.
Each year I designed another card, wrote a poem for the inside, and from those first few cards came my designs and the stories for our children’s books.
At the heart of Meander Art’s books are wonderful childhood memories, splashing in puddles, building sandcastles, trick-or-treating, and more. We want our stories and artwork to make children smile, and for the parents to remember when they were young–those days of endless summers, the first chill of Autumn, memories of building snowmen, and best friends.
Look out for another Sophie and Sam–whimsical tale from Meander Art– coming this winter “Snowflakes are Falling.”
