Your new post is loading...
"To find the best learning apps, we sought recommendations from several experts, including Jennifer Auten, an award-winning teacher who's been using apps in the classroom since 2010; Björn Jeffery, CEO of kids-game developer Toca Boca; and representatives from Project Lead The Way, an education nonprofit that promotes STEM curricula. We also talked with an astronomer, a programmer, and several parents on our staff about the apps their kids love. Finally, we read reports on learning app efficacy from several educational foundations and child development psychologists.
We focused primarily on apps aimed at kids 3 to 8 years old, and looked for these features as recommended by the experts we spoke to:
*Open-ended, with limits: Apps that are open-ended inspire kids to explore and create, but they should also have built-in limits to encourage them to put the game down after awhile.
*Engaging but not distracting: A good learning app uses interactive, animated, and responsive features to engage kids and promote learning, not simply to entertain.
*Encouraging interaction: Apps that encourage real-life interaction with other people can be especially strong at facilitating learning."
