(Newswire.net — June 29, 2018) — A child’s development and learning rely on many different factors. Kids growing in the digital world are highly exposed to the wide range products of technology and science. Jim Taylor, Ph.D states that a person’s brain development has been more and more dependent to the advancements of technology as the generation progresses.
In a report published in 2015 by New Media & Society, 46% of European children aged 9-16 years have their own smartphones. Meanwhile, in the United States, it’s reported that about 42% of children aged 8 years and below already received their own tablets, according to Common Sense Media.
With the growing percentage of children with access to smartphones, tablet devices, and internet, kids tend to stay inside their homes and have fun using their gadgets. Thus, a wise parent must take advantage of this opportunity and find alternatives on how they can use technology to improve their child’s learning development.
For instance, Kids Academy Talented & Gifted is an electronic learning platform ideal for kids aged 2-10 years. It is equipped with complete learning courses and over 5000 fun learning activities designed by experienced and professional educators.
Smartphones and tablets are composed of different types of applications that may or may not be essential to the growth of your child. The key is to select the perfect app to support your children’s learning. Here are few tips to take note of:
Do your research first
To get started, a little reading and research will not do you harm especially if you are not the tech-expert type of parent. There are numerous articles and parenting blogs online that will enlighten you about the innumerable options you can choose from that will best fit your child’s learning abilities and growth.
Application Source
Who made the app? Is the source reliable and trusted? Common Sense Media’s parent education senior editor, Christine Elgersma, highlights the benefit of an app that is made by educators because there is a better chance of attaining the learning objectives presented by the app.
Read the application reviews and ratings
Numbers don’t lie. Reading reviews can help. Reviews and ratings reflect the performance and effectiveness of apps. Save yourself from the tedious task of uninstalling irrelevant applications.
Do a test-trial
See for yourself and try it out. Before you let your child explore the app, test it first. As a parent, you will know if the application is fun, age-appropriate, effective, and easy to understand and use.
There are apps that will ask for personal information. Ms. Elgersma warns parents to observe if the app is Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (Coppa) compliant. It means that applications intended for 13 year olds and below should comply with the Coppa policy and cannot collect too much information from the user.
Evaluate enjoyment vs learning factor
Dr. Piotrowski believes that parents mistakenly think that once it is entertaining, then the child is not learning. He says that the more the child enjoys an activity and the more engaged they are, the greater the chances of learning.
It is important to know what apps are intended only for fun and what are designed for deep learning.
Final Thoughts
Allowing your child to spend too much time on their smartphones or tablet devices will not be helpful. The key to everything is having the perfect balance. Dr. Wartella states the significance of the parents’ usage of technology resources because it should show the kids what’s right and suitable.