How to see if educational apps will really help your child learn

Imagine if someone told you that a brand new technology would be available to you in a few years that had the potential to change childhood and early education. There’s one downside though, you will have to choose from among 80,000 possible options.

This is the current problem facing many parents. After the invention of the iPad in 2010, there were apparently 80,000 apps marked as “educational” in the beginning of this year!

Here are four ways to tell if an educational app will actually help your child learn…

Minds-on, not Minds-off
Have you ever used your GPS to drive to a new location, but then realised you have no actual idea of where you are and how you got there? The thing is, instead of actually processing the direction you were traveling in and the make-up of your surroundings, you passively followed the instructions. Research shows that these kind of “minds-off” activities are exactly what you want to avoid when it comes to selecting educational apps for children.

In a study that was conducted on word learning, children who actively used a process of elimination to figure out what object a new label was referring to showed better learning than those who were plainly told that same information.

Apps should always try and use this kind of deeper processing. Before you download an app – make sure to pay attention to whether your child will simply be watching the screen or swiping flying fruit, rather than actively using their brain and thinking deeply.

Engaging, not Distracting
Imagine this, you've just opened the fridge and your phone rings, when you get off the phone you have no idea why you opened the fridge in the first place. These kinds of distractions take your attention away from what is happening around you, yet surprisingly these kinds of “bells and whistles” are precisely what many app developers include as “enhancements” in many apps.

A study comparing reading of electronic and traditional books found that when younger children read traditional books with their parents, parents will talk more about the story and are less likely to direct the behavior of their child. Plus, those reading the traditional books showed increased comprehension and were better able to remember the order of events in the story.

There is this difference because electronic books can distract your child with extra bits and bobs, like sound effects and games. Apps should be fun, but as a parent, you should look for apps that help your child to stay on task and not become distracted.

Meaningful, not Insignificant
Yes, learning the ABC song is an important building block, if your child doesn't know that there are letters that relate to those sounds and that they form our ability to communicate, this knowledge is really just a song with no deep understanding.

Researches have shown that children learn better when their parents help them play in a way that helps them to build meaning. In other words seeing triangles in pieces of pizza is more meaningful than simply seeing them in perfectly drawn shapes on a screen. Apps that teach the letters or numbers are fine, but it is actually crucial for children to know why this knowledge is important. They need to see the information in use.

Social Interaction = Learning
Research always shows that the best resource for young children is not a fancy TV program, DVD or even an app – it is other humans! We are the best resource for deeper learning. A study recently looked at children’s ability to learn the meaning of a new word from different formats. They were taught the word in a live interaction, a digital interaction (Skype) and then in a straightforward video. The children learned the new information best when it was presented socially – so that people actually responded to them either live or on screen.

This is just one of the many studies that show that humans are the best at teaching other humans. While the idea of an app can sometimes seem unsocial, newer apps hitting the app store are encouraging children to play alongside their parents and other friends. Even feeling as if they have a social relationship with famous characters like Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse appears to help children feel connected and can help them increase learning and engagement.

Here are some of the top educational apps for children:

- Endless Alphabet

- Cookie Monster's Challenge

- Fish School HD

- Ansel & Clair's Adventures in Africa

- Monster Rainbow Color School Lite

So, when you ask yourself these few simple questions, can you determine whether the apps your child is using as “educational” apps are in fact educational? Always make sure of this before simply putting a screen in front of your child.

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Written By: Christine Romans
CopyWriter at The Computer Guyz in Cape Town