Apps for Preschoolers -- Yes or No?

"Educational apps for very young children are a booming business... 72 percent of iTunes' top-selling 'education' apps are designed for preschoolers and elementary school children," writes Lisa Guernsey, in her Slate article, "Can Your Preschooler Learn Anything From an iPad App?"

Guernsey observed that while electronic games for young children are "flooding the market," research on the impact of these apps hasn't caught up yet.  In her article, she reviewed a number of initial experiments conducted by universities around the country, which had mixed results.  In some research, learning on an iPad seemed to be as effective as learning in a classroom setting and more effective than watching a video.  In others, the wow factor of all the bells and whistles on an iPad seemed to interfere with children's ability to recall a story — just as do some cardboard pop-up books [pointed out the researchers]. 

In reviewing scant research to date, Guernsey concluded:

"Child development specialists say that young children learn best when they are fully engaged and imbued with a feeling of control.  They encourage parents to seek out more open-ended games and toys in which children could explore and create their own pace.  Yet at the moment, not many apps are built with this approach in mind.  A recent Australian study showed that only 2 percent of 'educational' apps in the iTunes Store allow for open-ended discovery and exploration."

Stay tuned for developments.

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