Mobile apps can make toddlers smarter
Using mobile apps in preschool classrooms may help improve early literacy skills and boost school readiness for children, says a new study.
“Guided use of an educational app may be a source of motivation and engagement for children in their early years,” said study author Susan Neuman.
“The purpose of our study was to examine if a motivating app could accelerate children’s learning, which it did,” Neuman noted.
The researchers designed a study to examine the effectiveness of an educational app called Learn with Homer on low-income preschoolers’ school readiness skills.
The Apple iPad app engages children in a systematic programme that integrates word sounds and storybook reading.
Using several tests of early literacy, the researchers measured changes in children’s phonological awareness as a result of daily uses of Learn with Homer, compared with the control group using another app.
Phonological awareness is the ability to detect sounds that make up words, and is an important predictor of later reading ability.
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