How to choose a good educational app for kids

The iPhone or iPad are inarguably one of the best education platforms that are irresistible to – parents, content providers and especially the kids. These engaging devices are so simple and easy to use that kids just dive in without needing to be shown how it all works. There are a good number of apps available at the iTunes App Store that are a promising educational tool that support literacy, math, science and life skills. But the challenge for parents and educators is how to choose the right app for the child. We have compiled a list of points that you just need to keep in mind before going for the decision to buy that app (s).

1. Good value = education + entertainment

Try and go for an app that gives you good combination of education and entertainment. A fun and entertaining app is something that will engage, captivate and reinforce the learning curve of the child. A good app should have ingredients like sounds, music, graphics and animation, to make it unique. The character in app may appear familiar to the child but gameplay should be new and challenging. Thus, a good app should stimulate various senses and reinforce eyes and hand coordination of your child as well as memory and observation.

Image courtesy: iTunes

Five Little Monkeys, developed by Kiwitech a Mobile Application Development Company, is one such app for children that offers both education and entertainment. The familiar nursery rhyme accompanied by lively music, specially created for this app, is something that kids will really enjoy. The interactive elements on each page provide endless fun – toys around the room move and make sounds with a touch, the water faucet turns on, the ketchup spurts and the blinds open and close.

2. Explore your child’s interest and find an app suitable to his/her development

Focus on what keeps your child occupied. For instance, does your child like to play with shapes and colors? Then you should choose an app that teaches your child in an easy but interesting way, so that he or she can learn quickly. Ideally, the combination of colorful shapes, audio instructions and rewards should make an app a great learning experience for your toddler or preschooler. A recent study, commissioned by Encyclopaedia Britannica, has shown that forty per cent of parents who download educational apps say their child’s academic performance has improved as a result.

Image courtesy: iTunes

Kiwitech’s another interesting storybook “Fancy Nancy” will also appear interesting to your child.

3. Cognitive development

Puzzles play an important role in your child’s problem-solving, understanding of cause and effect, spatial reasoning, numbering and ordering, and other cognitive skills. Remember with cognitive development, you as a parent are trying to grow and exercise thinking skills of your children. An education app for kids should reinforce the core cognitive concepts which allow kids to interpret and complete basic alphanumeric sequencing tasks.

There’s no denying the fact that we’re only at the beginning of the app revolution. Experts believe that niche educational apps within categories such as “behavior, writing, science, math” are about to break loose.