The Link

7/19/2012
IOWA PUBLIC TELEVISION

Iowa Public Television Educators Offer Tips to Help Kids Learn with Mobile Devices

(Johnston, Iowa)- As kids become more tech-savvy in today's world of mobile devices, parents can find themselves overwhelmed with choices and unsure how to judge what's appropriate for their kids. Iowa Public Television's educators, in conjunction with PBS Parents, offer tips to help guide parents' decisions when selecting educational and appropriate mobile applications (apps) for their kids.

"When kids are engaged, they learn," said Terry Rinehart, director of educational services at Iowa Public Television. "Apps on mobile devices make that kind of engagement possible, allowing today's 'digital natives' to learn in a world their parents couldn't imagine. The challenge for parents is to find apps they can trust to help their kids learn while keeping them safe."

CNN recently reported that four of the top 10 best-selling educational iPhone apps are designed for children under the age of 5. With so many choices available, parents can feel overwhelmed.

Apps can be effective learning tools when used with parental involvement for education. Research findings on the effectiveness of apps as educational tools can be found at www.iptv.org.

Suggestions for selecting apps include:

* Apps should combine education and entertainment. Educational apps balance engagement with learning, providing children with opportunities to play and do something new.

* Parents should explore and play with their children. Research shows that kids learn more when parents join in the fun - something that's true for all media. Parents are encouraged to take an active role by choosing an app and taking turns with who gets to control the screen.

* Developmentally appropriate games are important. Not all 4-year-olds are created equal, so different apps will appeal to different children at different times. Parents should ask themselves, "Is this a skill or storyline my child is capable of following right now?" before proceeding.

* Setting limits and encouraging other forms of learning and play are key. Parents should consider setting the right "media diet" for their children. A balanced media diet is like a balanced food diet - variety is healthiest.

* Determine whether apps are trying to market to your children. Apps labeled "lite" or "free" often attempt to make money by trying to sell virtual items while a child is playing a game. Many such apps are tastefully done and sensitive to kids' needs, but some rely on frustration as a means of driving children to nag parents to make a purchase.

PBS KIDS offers families plenty of educational and appropriate apps for tech-savvy youngsters, including:

* Super Why! (Reading, ages 3+) - Help children gain the power to read with four unique games featuring Super Why and the Super Readers.

* D.W's Unicorn Adventure (Nutrition, ages 4+) - It's D.W. to the rescue! Help Arthur's little sister save a lost unicorn using the power of rainbow foods.

* Dinosaur Train Camera Catch! (Math, ages 3+) - Kids can become ace photographers and help take pictures of flying dinosaurs in just the right pattern.

* Martha Speaks Dog Party (Vocabulary, ages 4+) - This app features four games designed to boost oral vocabulary, as kids train and play dress-up with characters from Martha Speaks.

* Sid's Science Fair (Science, ages 3+) - this app encourages kids to explore and classify collections in three math and science games with Sid and friends from Sid the Science Kid.

A complete list of kid-friendly apps offered by PBS KIDS is available at www.pbskids.org/mobile.

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Iowa Public Television is Iowa's statewide public broadcasting network. IPTV provides quality, noncommercial programming to make a difference in the lives of Iowans. As one of the last locally controlled media enterprises in the state, IPTV is committed to telling Iowa's stories like no one else can. Our mission to educate, inform, enrich, and inspire Iowans enables IPTV to present an unequaled array of programs of lasting value to Iowans regardless of where they live or what they can afford. More than 2.2 million viewers a month turn to IPTV for programming that reflects a range of interests for Iowans in all demographic categories. Iowa Public Television offers three programming channels statewide: IPTV, IPTV LEARNS, and IPTV WORLD. Iowa Public Television stations include: Channel 11, Des Moines; Channel 12, Iowa City; Channel 21, Fort Dodge; Channel 24, Mason City; Channel 27, Sioux City; Channel 32, Waterloo; Channel 32, Council Bluffs; Channel 36, Davenport; Channel 36, Red Oak. Information on programming channels, reception, and more can be found at www.iptv.org.

(CONTACT: Jennifer Glover Konfrst, Communications Manager, Iowa Public Television, 515-242-3146 - Desk, 515-238-9297 - Mobile, Jennifer@iptv.org)