Supporting Preschool Children (0-4) at Home in Literacy, Maths & Technology Education

Readers of this blog might know that I co-wrote an online preschool support program for parents of children 0-4 years that was released in 2018. The Australian Literacy Educators Association has just uploaded the latest modules in this free online program. No catch, just free support and practical ideas for new parents not sure how to help their children to learn. This support program started out with my co-author Anita Ayre (my co-author) preparing activities for her daughter to support her first child (Anita's grandchild). I was asked to partner with her to develop this online program for parents and grandparents. 

The online resource program is available FREE via the 'Australian Literacy Educators Association' website. The resource is called 'Little People's Literacy Learning: A guide for engaging parents and carers'. It offers practical help for parents and carers of children aged 0-5. And again, it's FREE! You don't need to be a member of ALEA to access to the resource is open to all.

This FREE online guide was launched in 2017 for parents and carers comes with hundreds of activities that you can enjoy with your child. Initially, there were 17 units. Now it has grown to 27 with new modules on 'Maths', 'Maths Language', 'Technology Use', 'Measurement', 'Space' and 'Pattern' just released. The modules will help parents to use simple activities as part of life. Some are incidental and others have some limited planning required. But all you need to know is explained in the modules. All activities are designed with an emphasis on learning through collaborative play and shared discovery. Why are so many of the recent modules related to maths? Because language and literacy have many important relationships to these topics.

Anita and I are experienced teachers, parents, and also (these days) active grandparents who love spending quality time with our grandchildren. In this resource, we offer a wealth of suggestions and hints for parents and carers who want to engage with their children in language, literacy learning and mathematics activities. Technology is also linked to many of these topics as well as now having a separate module. All activities are designed with an emphasis on learning through collaborative play and shared discovery. They can all be incorporated into daily life with very little (or often no) preparation! We offer hundreds of integrated examples throughout, including how new technology and multimedia can also enrich the learning experiences of your child with the same richness as other non-technology applications. You'll also find some advice on how to monitor and control screen time.

The resource contains practical and VERY doable common sense activities. You will find it HERE.

Parents As Examples With Devices & Technology

Above: Xbox in the pool

My last post on 'Why We Need to Bore Our Kids' seemed to strike a chord with many readers. This led to some helpful comments in response to the post. As I responded to some of the comments, and reflected on what I had written, I found myself reflecting on how as parents and teachers we need to exercise some level of guidance and control over our children's use of technology. Sometimes this can be VERY hard. Let me illustrate.

A mother in Sydney this past week got to the end of her tether with her children's use of the family Xbox. It seems that negotiating access to the Xbox led to many disputes about who went first, how long they could have and so on. Every parent should be able to relate to this if you have more than one child. With a history of problems and disputes she couldn't take it any longer. She pulled out all of the cables and leads, took the Xbox outside and threw it into their swimming pool. She was interviewed by Sydney radio and commented that it made her 'feel good' and that it was never coming back. Only time will tell if she gives in.

We also need to set a good example in relation to our own use of technology, social media, devices of all time and the way we use them. There is no doubt, that adults can also show an unhealthy attachment to their devices. In a lovely local park that has just been equipped with gym equipment I observe pretty much every day people using the equipment as a seat while they use their devices.

Above: The power of the device to distract & absorb

Let me offer some basic suggestions concerning parental control of devices, or technology time.

First, technology isn't bad! In fact, it offers us amazing opportunities to learn, communicate, elaborate, access resources and so on. But like anything it can be overused and abused.

Second, all parents need to establish some basic rules for use of technology at home (as do teachers at school).  These should cover:

a) how long they can use technology;
b) what you do and don't include in the family restrictions when you say 'technology' (e.g. TV, laptop, iPad, radio, phone etc.);
c) the purposes that they use it for (e.g. entertainment, schoolwork, fun, research, personal interest etc.);
d) Social; media like Facebook, Snapchat to be used at specified times during school weekdays (some parents have their children time this themselves);
e) No devices to be touched during shared family mealtimes (I know, some families have few, but this is a different problem);
e) What alternatives for technology use are acceptable.

Third, if things are out of control you do have two main options. You can try dramatic action (like the Mum, the Xbox and the swimming pool), but I think if you need to do this, the war has been lost. Having said this, as with many addictions (and some technology use can be one), going cold turkey is sometimes the best solution. But there will be painful adjustment consequences during 'withdrawal'. Alternatively, you can establish rules over time that place limits on access, and reward compliance when alternatives are explored. The latter will still be painful, but you can phase in some of your actions. For example, your rules might include:

• iPhones in the cupboard after a specific time each night.
• Tablets and computers only to be used for schoolwork in some specified hours of the day.
• No facetime at all between specific hours.
• Television only after all homework has been done.
• All facetime (TV, phones, tablets etc) not to exceed a specified number of hours each week.
• The home server or internet access to be timed to cut out at a specified hour.
• Specific sites might also be banned or restricted for varied age groups.

Fourth, as parents you need to set an example. It's hard to be credible when telling your children to reduce technology time, if you demonstrate an obsession with devices and, for example, never put your phone down. Like many practices in families, parents need to set positive examples. We can be just as distracted as children. It should be 'do as I do', not simply 'do what I say'. The photo of the man in the park, sitting on gym equipment while on his phone, is a stark example of how we can be easily distracted by technology as adults, when better options are available. If our children see us being distracted, it is harder for us to rebuke them.

Summing up

We live in an age where technology allows us to do the most amazing things. This has transformed the ease with which we communicate, seek knowledge, explore our world, sustain and support relationships, learn languages, engage in many creative activities, become part of many communities of interest and practice locally and around the world. Devices and technology are not the problem, our lack of discipline and control of what we and our children do with them. I'd love to hear your perspective on how you deal with these issues.

Getting More Girls (& Boys) to Love Coding

I have six grandchildren and as they grow older their interests become clearer. All love learning, but not all have the same learning interests. Even when they were very young, some would love to dig in the compost heap with me, and others, not so much. Some would bring every insect inside to examine it, others were less keen. One still heads for my study (where all the books are), and we have to crow bar her out for meals. Her brother was always more likely to head to the back yard (garden) to dig around, look to the sky for birds and so on.

All my grandchildren love books in their own way, but one seems to have her head in a book most of the time. Interestingly, she is also interested in coding, and is very good at mathematics. Another grandson already shows signs of talent in coding and computing and has more recently discovered books. All children are different, but I suspect all could code if taught well. What will the girls and boys in our lives become? Hopefully, both will become wonderful people who will have many interests in life. But vocationally, what might they become? Research evidence suggests that statistically, my grandson has more likelihood of ending up in a career where he will use his strengths in STEM, particularly coding, than my granddaughter. This is a problem. 

Gwendolin Tilghman who is a private equity associate at KKR, works with technology companies as part of the firm’s technology, media and communications, is interested in this area too. She has just written an interesting post that I shared on LinkedIn, which argues for proactive efforts to get more girls into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). She writes:

"I have always been interested in topics relating to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). So, when I started college and was able to learn any subject of my choosing, it was no surprise that I decided to pursue an engineering degree. However, what was surprising was that I seemed to be the only girl to do so, or at least that’s how it felt sitting in a room full of boys throughout many of my classes. Perhaps it should not have been because even though women now represent 47% of the workforce, only 12% engineers are females." 

Clearly action is necessary to encourage girls and young women to consider careers that build on their knowledge and interest in STEM. One the most critical needs will be to encourage girls with an early interest in science and maths to explore coding.

Gwendoline is part of the 'Girls Who Code' initiative in the USA that is seeking to close the gender gap in technology. She comments:

Get Coding (Walker Books)

Where can we start to inspire young girls (and boys as well) to explore coding?  There are some great resources appearing on the market that will help. I was recently sent a great little book designed for primary or elementary school children - Get Coding (Walker Books) that has been produced by Young Rewired State (see below). This is a wonderful little book, it made me want to get to a computer, and to start doing some coding.

It is well designed and very inviting. Each page combines text, step by step instructions and projects to undertake. The first 15 pages are text-based with some headings, pictures and diagrams to make sense of the limited amount of the word descriptions. The reading level is about 8-10 years. Once the reader is through this introduction they can begin a series of missions with Professor Harry Bairstone, 'a famous explorer' who is '... in desperate need of [our] help'. Once we are introduced to the mystery of the lost 'Monk Diamond', we are ready to code our way towards completing our mission. Yes, we will need to know what HTML tags are. And we will learn how to use them as we learn to write HTML code, on our way towards completing the mission. Very soon, we are writing the code for a simple web page, with text and images. Eventually we build our own 'Monk Diamond Discovery Web Page'.

By Mission 5 our young coders will be making their own game 'The House of Volkov's Security Team' that is responsible for protecting some valuable jewels on display in the The House of Volkov'.

This is wonderful stuff, and should be part of every child's primary school education. 

Information of Young Rewired State

Young Rewired State was created in 2009 and is a network of 3000 data specialists with a female founder - Emma Mulqueeny. It has 30% female developers with 60% aged 18-25. It has an interesting methodology based on the principle of rapid prototyping, using the MVP concept of working towards a minimum viable product (MVP). It runs events and programs for technically gifted young people aged 18 and under. It draws together young developers, designers, and those with other technical skills to build projects (mainly phone and web applications) that attempt to solve real world problems. Most of the developers participating in Young Rewired State events have taught themselves or learned coding skills outside the traditional school curriculum.

Information about Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is a national non-profit organization working to close the gender gap in technology. Its programs inspire, educate, and equip girls with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities. They have been especially effective in impacting skills development for girls in their formative years. At the completion of this academic year, Girls Who Code will have reached 40,000 girls in total, covering all 50 US states during its five-year history. In fact, an impressive 93 percent of their summer program participants said that they now want to major in, or are interested in, computer science because of their participation in the program — this might well mean no longer being the only woman in the classroom!

10 Exciting New Children's Story Apps

It seems some time since I reviewed some good educational and literature apps. Earlier in the year I reviewed 'Seven New Children's Story' apps and a little later I reviewed '14 Great Educational Apps for Children'. In this post I want to review 10 story apps published in recent months. As in my most recent app review post, I have used a rating scale that attributes a score from 1 (Poor) to 10 (Outstanding) to indicate the extent to which the app meets the following criteria:

• The app is enjoyable to use
• Children learn new things because of the app
• The app makes it easier for children to learn
• The app interactive elements don't distract from the key learning goals
• The app is well designed, attractive and engaging
• The app represents good value for money

1. Who Stole The Moon? (Windy Press, 2012)

This is a wonderful story app that is based on the delightful picture book written by Helen Stratton-Would (author) and illustrated by Vlad Gerasimov's, 'Who Stole the Moon' (2010). It is exciting to see a good book turned into an eBook with interactive elements that add value to the reading experience. It tells the story of Bertie who has a top-floor attic room and a skylight that lets him stare at the moon and stars. But one night, he realizes for the first time, that he can't see them any more. Bertie sets out to solve the mystery and in the process learns more about the way his world, the moon and stars 'work'.

The app uses a number of simple yet complementary interactive elements that expand the child's experience of the book and add to the reader's understanding of what happens with the movement of the moon's phases and clouds. My favourite element is the ability on one page to move the clouds to show how and why the moon at times will disappear. The reader in the 'read to me' option is also excellent.

The app also incorporates eight original songs that complement the bedtime reading experience of sharing this book with your child, and game elements that I could do without. But at least you can choose to use the games or leave them alone, and it's easy to get back to the story. The story is simple and the language is used well to communicate a simple story that children will love. It is available in multiple languages and is a story that transcends cultural boundaries, teaching about the world, while offering a great shared book experience. The illustrations are wonderful, with simple lines and deep rich colours with the feel of a watercolour wash. The app is suitable to share with children aged 0-6 and for beginning readers to read alone. You might note however, that there are buttons on the front page that link to Facebook and Twitter, which I'd encourage the developers to remove.

This review is based on the FREE Lite version. A full version is also available. It's the best free story app I can recall. I highly recommend this app and give it a rating of 9/10.

2. Jabberwocky 3D (Mythos Machine LLC, 2012)

This app is based on the Lewis Carroll poem 'Jabberwocky' that appears in 'Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There' (1871). This 'nonsense' poem is considered one of the finest children's poems of all time. The app is illustrated by Matthew Vimislik and presented either by two readers (male and female) or in 'read it yourself' mode. It also has provision for the child to record their own reading. The interactive devices used are simple and are primarily touch and watch features, where objects move, respond, make noises etc. While this doesn't add much to the reading experience they are not too distracting.

The illustrations are bright and engaging and complement the text, and the key illustrated characters often react and speak when tapped. For a poem that is difficult for today's child reader, the illustrations help the reader engage and follow the narrative within the verse.

There are a few other features that children will enjoy, but don't add much value. For example, the reader can turn the screen and touch it to reveal the Cheshire Cat on each page. While the app has just 8 pages, it is a complex poem that will intrigue children, especially if they like language and enjoy rhyme and nonsense verse.

Recommended for readers aged 6-10. I've given it a rating of 7/10.

3. The Land of Me: Story Time (Penguin, 2012)

This is a delightful FREE story app in which the reader has a key role in deciding on the main character, the nature of the story and the ending. There are numerous options that feature three youngsters (a bear, a raccoon and a bird) who are told stories by the storyteller, Granny Olive who at the commencement of each tale asks for volunteers to shape the story.  The stories are short (about 2 minutes) and are told delightfully by Granny Olive.

The app is brilliant for teaching story structure, character development and how to engage the reader. In many ways, this is a writing app as much as it is a reading app. Children aged 3-7 will have lots of fun with the app. The app has really only one mode, 'read to' and is on auto play once the story choices have been made by the 'reader', but it does present the text so that children who can read may follow. The text is presented in a type of cursive script that won't be easy to read for younger readers.

This is not your typical story app, something I like, and it will appeal to children. While I have reviewed the free version there is a full version of the app with many additional features. The app has been nominated for the British Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) in the 'Fun and games' section.

Highly recommended for children. I've given this free version a rating of 8/10.

4. 'Franklin Frog' (Nosy Crow, 2012)

'Franklin Frog' is a beautiful ePicture book based on the story written and illustrated by Barry and Emma Tranter. It kept me smiling with delight from beginning to end. Franklin is a frog doing what frogs do, hunting and eating dragon flies, jumping around, swimming, eating snails and worms, flies and so on. But the exciting part of this app is that it 'invites' the reader to join Franklin in his daily activities, touching him to make him speak, helping him to jump, swim and catch his food. It also engages the reader in an understanding of the complete life cycle of the frog as Franklin finds a mate, eggs are laid and eventually tadpoles born.

This is another fine example of an app that engages the reader in new ways and invites a level of participation in the story not possible without the app. And it does this without compromising the beauty and delight of the text and the illustrations. As well, it teaches the young reader about the life cycle of the frog.

The app works as you'd expect with simple page swipes, text highlighting that is switched off by default, but can be turned on, and delightful child readers. This is one of the best story apps I've seen this year.

I highly recommend it and give it a rating of 10/10.

5. 'Magnus the Magnetic Dog' (Demibooks, 2012) 

'Magnus the Magnetic Dog' is a quirky story written and illustrated by Julian Damy. It was actually developed by the author using the program Demibooks Composer. It tells the story of Magnus the dog who is afraid of storms. He climbs to the top of his building to face his fears, but is struck by lightning, falls and lands on top of a truck. When he finally wakes up he has a strange new quality, he is magnetic! He meets a girl named Olivia and they work out the source of the mystery together.

The animation's use of music and subtle interactive elements, work together beautifully to create an excellent reading experience. It is a delightful story that is well written and the pen and wash illustrations are perfect for this story about a lovable terrier.

One excellent feature is the addition of extra scientific information and safety warnings that offer new knowledge for the young reader. Each instance is found by tapping a small image of Magnus below the story text. The book also ends with information on how to make your own electromagnet. One thing I didn't like was the text font used, that was a form of cursive, and was very small. A text highlight feature might also have been helpful for younger readers.

Highly recommended. I have given it a rating of 8/10.

6.  'Babel, the Cat Who Would Be King' (EPIC, 2012)

This is a remarkable story app. It tells the story of a cat with ambition! Babel always wanted to reach the clouds, but he could never quite make it, so he decides to annoy them! But one day the pesky cat is struck by lightning and experiences a great wind which sweeps him up before a great 'fall'. This leads him to reconsider his life, but his ambition only grows. The self-declared 'King Babel' with a crown (that is really a cage with a sly bird within) upon his head, proceeds on a risky path at the urging of the sly bird. This leads to the gathering of some loyal subjects and the building of a great castle. The story has many biblical echoes including the story of the Tower of Babel and Genesis, that speak of human ambition in the face of God, but for many readers these themes won't be obvious. 

The text is well written and engaging and the illustrations and animation stunning. The words, images, sound and music and subtle interactive elements, work beautifully together to offer the reader or listener a coherent experience of a truly multimodal text. The app thankfully has few features to distract from the story. It does have an annoying 'help layer' (dotted lines over images), to encourage the reader or listener to tap the images, but this can be switched off allowing children to enjoy and interact with the app without this distraction. Some of the interactive elements are clever, such as the ability to blow on the screen and move things around, and many images can be shoved or moved about, made to spin and so on. One thing it lacks is a highlighting feature for the text. I'd suggest the developers add this, preferably with phrases, not just single words. As well, I found the page turning using arrows at the top middle of the screen to be 'clunky', a simple swipe would be much better. One final addition that would help sales would be languages other than just English and French.

In spite of the final comments this is a brilliant app that I highly recommend. I have given it a rating of 9/10.

7. 'The Waterhole' - (Graeme Base, 2012)

This app is based on the well-known picture book of the same name developed by acclaimed writer and illustrator Graeme Base. This is the classic children's early counting book, but Graeme Base's books are always anything but simple. The book uses animals gathered around a waterhole to play with number and rhyme. As with all Graeme Base books the images are filled with fascinating detail, vivid colours, complex hidden detail and rich vocabulary.

The app comes with a simple 'read to me' option with Graeme doing the reading. As well, the app includes a matching memory game, a hidden animal search and game a game of leapfrog that requires logic to solve (and won't be solved by many young children). I've said many times that add on activities of this type in my view trivialize the story, but in this case it's the author who is doing it, so who can argue with him.  I would have preferred more attention to the complexity of the interactive elements that as they are don't add much to the reading experience. The main element requires readers simply to touch the animals on each page, allowing a simple count to me made.  This might be helpful for very young readers. Curiously, the app doesn't have a 'read it yourself' option.

The app also appears to have a programming glitch or two with my version stopping to 'load' several times, and once or twice my tapping of the screen led to a prompt to 'copy' the screen shot. This needs to be sorted out.

Overall, the weaknesses in the app are partially counteracted by the quality of the book and the illustrations, but to be honest, it doesn't represent for me a significant enhancement of the reading experience. I give it a rating of 6/10 based mainly on the brilliant quality of the original book.

8. 'Leonard' (Ink Robin Inc., 2012)

'Leonard' is a simple but engaging story about a little boy who has no friends. He tries everything to make some without success, and so he decides to make his own robot friend with an unexpected outcome. Leonard is a boy with a big imagination, who uses it for a great outcome. The app itself builds on this and in surprising ways engages the reader in exploring imaginative elements through the use of a small lever that appears on most of the 18 pages. This allows readers to slide the button to advance the story and see magical new scenes appear. The lever is a prompt to readers to slide it either to progress the story or to create a special effect linked in some way to Leonard's imagination. As Leonard (and sometimes his cat) appears in the scenes, we see what he is imagining. Leonard becomes a lion tamer, a deep-sea diver, he finds himself on safari, in a cafe in Paris and so on. Each of these is linked to the story in some way.

The app is very easy to use, and requires no distracting and awkward prompts or instructions. Children can find their way around the app in a few screen shots. The app works well in both 'read it myself' and 'read it to me' modes, uses clear text fonts, delightful simple illustrations, a clear reader and simple interactive elements that contribute to the reader's experience of the story.

I highly recommend this app and have given it a rating of 9/10.


9. 'Hairy Maclary From Donaldson's Dairy' (Kiwa Media and Penguin Books, 2012)

This story app is based on the well-known book of the same title written and illustrated by New Zealand author and illustrator Lynley Dodd. The book of course was followed by the many other delightful adventures of Hairy Maclary, so we can expect lots of follow-up story apps. When developers get hold of great picture books I always hope that they don't mess up something that was brilliant in the paper version. I'm pleased to say that they haven't on this occasion. They manage to keep the app simple, use a great reader, simple elements and the main gadget, the ability to colour the illustrations, isn't a great distraction (you can't see it in the 'read to me' mode). Even this element might just encourage some children to re-read the story multiple times. There is good use of sound, text highlighting in 'read to me' option, which I'd prefer to be phrase-based rather than word-based. There is also the ability to record your own version of the reading. The latter also includes the ability to record it in AUSLAN sign language. The pages are easy to turn with a swipe, and it also has the option to touch the words to hear the word read for beginning readers who are stuck on a word. Yiu can also double tap to have it spell the word (I'm not sure we need the latter). 

The story introduces us to the cute little terrier with the appropriate name Hairy Maclary and his many friends. This wonderful story is filled with repetition, beautiful use of rhyme, rhythm and verse to great effect. The characters have names like 'Scarface Claw', 'Bitzer Maloney' and 'Schnitzel von Krumm' and lively illustrations to match. This simple story comes alive in the hands of just about any reader, but David Tennant as the default reader is brilliant, and his 'mild' Scottish accent is perfect for the book.

All in all, the eBook version of this wonderful book works well. I recommend it and give it a rating of 7/10.


10. 'Dr Seuss Bookshelf' (Oceanhouse Media, 2012)

Oceanhouse Media has been producing the Dr Seuss book apps for some time, and I have reviewed some of these titles in previous posts. A new way to organize these apps is by using their new Dr Seuss Bookshelf. This is a free app which effectively locates all your Dr Seuss books in the one place and allows you to the go-to app for Dr Seuss books, and games available as a FREE download in the App Store location. This app lets users organize, launch and browse their favourite Dr Seuss apps on the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. I would predict that other developers will follow suit with this type of organizational app.

While this is also a great way for Oceanhouse Media to promote titles that you haven't yet purchased, it is a convenient way to store your apps. The app allows you to sort by type, price or age, and use the search feature to find a specific app. In addition, the bookshelf app provides up-to-date information on new Dr Seuss releases, sales and suggestions for holidays and special occasions. I could do without the promotion, but others might like it. Of course if you're the type of person who organises your apps into folders already, then you might not find this app of much use.

I would suggest that people who have too many apps to organise them into folders might find the app helpful (but you'll need to avoid the product 'push'). I give it a rating of 6/10.

Technology takes author to the bush & animals to the classroom

About Aleesah Darlison

Aleesah Darlison has written picture books and novels for children and is also a book reviewer for the Sun Herald newspaper. Aleesah loves animals! In her words, "animals have always been a part of my life, which is why they feature in so many of my stories". She travels around Australia and internationally, delivering author talks and workshops for children and adults on creative writing and marketing.

Her latest project is to offer exciting author and illustrator 'visits' to children in remote areas. This has been made possible by a partnership with Education Officers at Sydney's famous Taronga Zoo and the availability of the NSW Department of Education and Training's 'Connected Classrooms' initiative. This has provided video conferencing technology to public schools across the state, even in the most remote regions.

‘Books and Animals’ sessions with Aleesah Darlison

It’s rare that small or isolated schools have the opportunity for children’s authors or illustrators to visit. Not only are there time and distance limitations involved in travelling to outlying regions, there are also cost factors that mean country schools often miss out. Thanks to video conferencing technology, students everywhere can now benefit from having an author visit at minimal cost.

To help celebrate 2012 Book Week, children’s author, Aleesah Darlison, has developed amazing ‘Books and Animals’ video sessions in conjunction with Taronga Zoo. On Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 August, Aleesah will be joining Kristy Robberts at Taronga Western Plains Zoo (Dubbo) to run two sessions: ‘Echidnas and Aussie Animals’ and ‘Bats and Nocturnal Animals’. The sessions can then be broadcast anywhere.

The sessions focus on Aleesah’s picture books, 'Puggle’s Problem' (listed on the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge) and 'Warambi' (shortlisted for the 2012 CBCA Eve Pownall Award for Non-Fiction and the 2012 Wilderness Society’s Environmental Award for Children’s Literature).

Several sessions are scheduled throughout each of the two days and run for 45 minutes each. The sessions are suitable for K – Year 3 and include an author talk and book reading by Aleesah plus factual information about the Aussie animals featured by Kristy Robberts. Animals at the zoo will make special guest appearances so students can see them up close and ask questions about them.

The sessions fit well within the NSW Curriculum and are supported by Puggle Packs and Bat Packs, which include Teacher’s Notes for both books. For more information, visit Aleesah’s website at: www.aleesahdarlison.com or email her at aleesah@bigpond.net.au.

NSW teachers can also make bookings at DART Connections:

http://dartconnections.org.au/upcoming/litlive.html#8-2012.

Photo courtesy 'Screen Central'

 Teacher Feedback from past video conferences:


"My class and I loved participating in the VC last week. It was very engaging for the students, and they really enjoyed the experience. Love the echolocation song!"

"Today's conference went very well and the kids couldn't stop talking about Puggles and echidnas afterwards!"

"Thank you for such a fabulous video conference. It was our first video conference and the children and staff thoroughly enjoyed it. The children were talking about it all day!"

14 Great Educational Apps for Children

Regular readers of this blog will know that I've reviewed apps for iPad and android devices a number of times. My posts have included reviews of picture book apps (here), story apps of varied kinds (here) and apps that stimulate literacy, learning and creativity (here). In this post I review a number of educational apps that support children's learning in varied ways. I have grouped them into 5 categories for convenience. Some could well fit into more than one of these categories. Because the apps are so varied I have used a simpler rating scale than I typically use. In this post I attribute a single score from 1 (Poor) to 10 (Outstanding) to indicate the extent to which they meet these simple criteria:

• The app is enjoyable to use
• Children learn new things because of the app
• The app makes it easier for children to learn
• The app interactive elements don't distract from the key learning goals
• The app is well designed, attractive and engaging
• The app represents good value for money

1. Word & letter recognition, vocabulary & sounds

Purpose: Apps in this category help children to learn to read words, letters, understand sounds and improve memory.

Giraffe’s Matching Zoo for iPad
Tomato Interactive LLC
Price: Free, the deluxe version costs $0.99
Rating: 6

In this app the traditional game of memory has been adapted for the iPad using animals as the topic of interest. It requires the user to match pairs of cartoon animals. Each animal makes a unique noise when tapped. It has 25 different animals and a selection of backgrounds; it's fun for kids aged 3-6.

Peekaboo Barn
By Night and Day Studios
Price: $1.99
Rating: 6

This is a very cute word and sound app for preschoolers (1-4) who are just starting to learn to read words or for children with special needs. A toddler speaks the words. It teaches them the names of animals, the sounds they make and shows the word. The child taps the doors of the barn that open to reveal an animal. A voice tells you what it is; you hear the animal's sound and the name is displayed. You can also buy Peekaboo Wild and Peekaboo Forest that have a similar format.

iWriteWords
By gdiplus
Price: $2.99
Rating: 7

This is primarily an app to help children learn to write letters, but in the process it teaches letters and simple words. The app is quite intuitive and easy to use. It encourages the child to form the script letters using the accepted order of stroke making (this varies from one educational system to another). Each letter sounds is given and the word when it is completed. A child drawing then appears to illustrate the word.  The letters can also be drawn automatically with the surrounding screen acting as a type of simple xylophone. This reinforces the child's attempts.

3. Writing apps

Purpose: These apps encourage the development of writing (as opposed to simply handwriting as for the last app).  

Scary Story Kit
By Comicorp
Price: $1.99
Rating: 7

The 'Scary Story Kit' is an aid to enable you to add special effects to oral storytelling and assist any scary storyteller, giving them some tools to make their scary story truly come to life. It includes visual and audio effects. The tools include a reactive light which responds to sound, and adds to any torchlight storytelling. There is also an image creation, editing and manipulation suite. This has paintbrush, a camera function, filters and effects to create scary images. There is also a soundboard that allows you to develop customised sounds. While it is designed to support oral storyelling this can be extended by requiring the creation of a written story to be presented to an audience. Suitable for children aged 6-15 years.

StoryLines
BY Root-One Inc
Price: FREE
Rating: 7

StoryLines is an award-winning game of 'telephone' with pictures. You can begin a StoryLine in lots of ways. For example, you can start with a common saying that is then added to. Or it could start with an opening line "One dark, dreary night in Detroit..." (no offence intended to friends in Detroit!). You can then pass the device around your friends, use Facebook, send it by email or open it in a browser to share with others. There is an option for a friend to illustrate it, give it a title and so on until completed.  You can save your favourite completed StoryLines in your Gallery, and share them on Facebook.

3. Animation & Art Apps

Purpose: Apps in this category introduce children to some basic fundamentals of animation. In some ways they could be classified as art apps as well. I have written a post on animation apps previously (here) that has some more sophisticated apps.

App Playtime Theater from The Prism on Vimeo.

PlayTime Theater
By Make Believe Worlds, LLC
Price: $2.99
Rating: 9

This has to be one of the best animation apps around for children aged 3-6 years. It is so easy to use and enables children to feel successful almost immediately as animators. The app allows kids to create, record and playback their original puppet shows. It offers a castle as the puppet theatre setting and everything you need to put on and record your own shows. The stage has moving parts, its own set of customizable cast, costumes, action props, sound effects and a library of original cinematic music. Every child I've introduced this app to can use it within minutes and love it.

Elmo's Monster Maker HD
By Sesame Street
Price: $4.49
Rating: 8



This is a fun app that children aged 2-6 years will find easy to use and will love. This delightful animation features the Sesame Street character Elmo who wants you to make a monster friend! You get to choose a monster body and then touch its face to give it eyes, nose and a hat. There are lots of options. When you finish, Elmo dances and plays with your monster. The app encourages artistic interest, creativity and in its own way might raise interest in other more sophisticated animation or art apps. 

Kid Art for iPad
By GP Apps
Price: $0.99
Rating: 8

There are lots of art apps for kids on the App Store, but 'Kid Art' stands out from the crowd. With its engaging backgrounds, bright colours and ability three different themes, it offers plenty of opportunities for your child to explore their artistic side. It enables them to create great images by dropping in images, painting etc.

Play School Art Maker ABC
By Australian Broadcasting Commission
Price: Free
Rating: 10

The Play School Art Maker app is a fun way for kids to freely create pictures, animated movies and story slideshows using their favourite 'Play School' toys and craft items. They can add their own audio narration, upload their own photos as backgrounds, and save photos of their art.
 Children can select Big Ted, Little Ted, Humpty, Jemima and their friends and choose from 6 backgrounds to create an animation with up to 8 slides. It is perfect for children aged 2-6 years and will encourage creativity and artistic ability.

ClickySticky
By Invocore
Price: $1.99
Rating: 7

This is an app that makes it easy for children aged 2-6 years to create images using an animated sticker book. Children can interact with a variety of characters while learning about fish, airplanes and many animals. Each sticker character can be scaled, rotated and dragged onto each imaginary scene. It includes scenes and stickers covering varied themes like the ocean, aviation, space, dolls, and safari scenes. Kids as young as two will love this app.

4. Games

Purpose: Apps in this category use a game format to develop varied skills including memory, perspective, fine and gross motor skills, maths and language.

Pirate Puzzles
By Ayars Animation
Price: $0.99
Rating: 9

This has to be one of my favourite non-story apps. Kids get to enjoy completing nine pirate puzzles. But there's more. When completed, the puzzle is followed by an animated interactive surprise. Complete all puzzles and enjoy a fully animated, fully interactive mystery pirate song. The catch is that you must complete the puzzles to see the fantastic animations. This motivates the users to complete each puzzle.

How to Train Your Dragon
By Glu Games Inc.
Price:  $ 0.99
Rating: 9

This app is based on the movie of the same name. The user can take to the sky as Toothless, the sleek, stealthy, fire-breathing dragon, with his new friend, Hiccup, the Viking teenager. The child manipulates the iPad to fly Toothless through an expanded world from the Viking home Island of Berk to the sea and the beautiful but forbidding lands beyond. The game has unlockable extras such as film stills and cheat codes. Children aged 4-8 will love this app. It is beautifully animated and is easy to use. A feast of imaginative exploration of the world of Toothless.

5. Knowledge Apps

Purpose: Apps in this category focus on specialised knowledge in some field of study.

Star Walk for iPad
Vito Technology Inc.
Price: $5.49
Rating:10

This is a stunning app for anyone interested in astronomy. You can encourage your children to discover the wonders of the stars with the high definition version of Star Walk. By using the camera in the iPad 2 or iPad3, you can point the tablet at the sky to view the constellations, discovering their names and history. It identifies satellites, lets you search for specific planets or stars and offers amazing images from deep space, to satisfy the astronomer in every child. The app also offers new photos each day and other features. But without a doubt the main attraction is the Augmented Reality mode, which lets you find constellations by pointing your iPad at the sky. Great for children aged 5-adults.

Frog Dissection
By Emantras Inc.
Price: $4.49
Rating: 10

This is an amazing app. As the name suggest it leads you through a virtual dissection of a frog. It is a 'greener alternative' for teaching dissection in the classroom and many children will find it a much easier experience to handle (no blood!). It offers an amazing introduction to anatomy and is suitable for children aged 8-16 years. It is ideal for children already learning about organs and organ systems as part of their life science curriculum. As well, younger gifted children interested in animals will find it fascinating. It allows children to dissect the specimen with clear step-by-step visual instructions and audio commentary. It allows 360 degree rotatable close ups of organs, additional information on every part of the body and the frogs’ life cycle. It also offers an anatomical comparison of frogs with humans, an interactive quiz and detailed descriptions of the organs. Brilliant!

Great Science & Technology Books for Boys Revisited

'Science and technology' is an important book category for children interested in understanding the natural and man-made world. In this post I thought that I'd focus on a variety of good books in this category for children aged 3-12 years. There are a number of good reasons for this:

a) Some children are fascinated by science and find it more engaging than literature.
b) Boys have a particularly strong interest in books that show how things work, or which offer a different angle on understanding the world.
c) Through such books children are introduced to new written genres and new language.
d) These books also teach and encourage children to value problem solving, observation and learning.

In choosing such books I'd consider the following:

• Look for varied genres, not just books that read like high school science texts.
• Choose books that use a lot of visual literacy as well as words.
• Look for books that use colour, drawing, diagrams and photographs.
• Identify books that adopt innovative approaches to observation and inquiry.
  

Please note that the age categories below don't have 'hard' boundaries. For example, some preschool children will enjoy books from the 5-8 category and some of the preschool books will work with older children. As well, many children will enjoy the preschool books prior to age 3 years.

1. Books for preschool children

It's harder to find science and technology books for preschoolers but there are some good ones around.

Pond Walk by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace (ages 4 to 7) and published by Marshall Cavendish Children's Books - Buddy sets out with his mother one day to take a walk around a pond. On the way he gets to observe the animals and insects that live there. His mother takes a field guide and along the way answers all of Buddy's questions as she reads the book and explains what she knows. Buddy (like the reader) learns how to observe and gains knowledge of language and the world. Buddy has a notepad in which he draws pictures and writes captions. This is a book that models what it is to 'do' science and have fun as well.

Puggle (2009) by Catriona Hoy and Andrew Plant (Illustrator), published by Working Title Press - This story was stimulated by a visit by Catriona to the home of wildlife carers and a 'real life' orphaned echidna. The book tells the story of a baby echidna named Puggle who is taken to an animal refuge after his mother is hit by a car. The book traces Puggle's slow development from being helpless to being independent. It shows how it learns to suckle, how its body changes, being released into the wild. While the book is in a narrative form it communicates factual information about echidnas and has additional factual information on the end papers.

A seed is sleepy (2007) by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long (Illustrator), published by Chronicle Books - This is a delightful picture book that describes how seeds germinate. Each double page features a different aspect of seeds with a poetic statement in large-size handwritten calligraphy. The book uses very simple narrative and poetic, for example 'a seed is clever'. Scientific information for each simple statement is offered on the back page. The botanical illustrations are outstanding watercolour plates. As it is an American book it uses imperial measurements not metric.

Let's try it out with towers and bridges: Hands-on early learning science activities (2003) by Simon, Seymour and Nicole Fauteux, and illustrated by Doug Cushman. Published by Simon & Schuster.  This is one book from the 'Let's try it out' series that presents simple experiments with everyday materials. This book uses blocks, drinking straws, cardboard tubes and pieces of paper to show how buildings and bridges of different shapes can be made strong enough to withstand various forces. Australian readers may not be familiar with the introductory section about the American pioneers going west but this is a minor issue. Other books in the series can be found at the author's website: http://www.simonsayskids.com/

Where in the Wild?: Camouflaged creatures concealed…and revealed (2007) by David Schwartz and Yael Schy (text) and Dwight Kuhn (photos). Published by Ten Speed press.  This is a lift the flap book which demonstrates how camouflage works for young children It uses a stunning visual format. Each page opening has a heading and poem on the left-hand side and a full-size colour photograph opposite. In each photograph is a well-camouflaged animal. The child can lift the flap to find out what the camouflaged creature is. On the reverse of each flap is extensive information about the creature. The animals are primarily North American and feature mammals, birds, amphibians, insects, and reptiles.

2. Books for children aged 5-8 years

Some of the above books are probably suitable for 5 and 6 year olds as well but there are many other wonderful books for this early school-aged group.

Bird's-eye View (2006) by Maria Gill and with photographs by Darryl Torrckler & Geoff Moon. Published by Penguin Books - Bird’s-eye View reveals what 13 New Zealand birds see in their natural environment. The idea came to the New Zealand author as she watched a hawk one day while driving her car. Could it see her? What do birds see? She was surprised to find only limited research on the topic. The book introduces the reader to the range of visual capabilities that a bird has compared with humans. Using recent avian-vision research a bird’s-eye view is shown in stunning panoramic images. This innovative book offers a new perspective on the way birds live. Sure to fascinate many children.

'How Machines Work: The Interactive Guide to Simple Machines and Mechanisms' by Nick Arnold & Allan Sanders, published by Quarto Children's Books and distributed in Australia by Walker Books.

This book is a unique interactive guide to understanding simple machines and mechanisms. It introduces basic physics both in words and through models that the reader manipulates. It has 9 double-page spreads that introduce the reader to a key mechanical principle that you then put into practice by building one or more working models. The text and illustrations offer an easy to understand description of the mechanical principle and how to make a model that demonstrates it. This hands-on approach makes it easy to understand how these principles work and how they can be applied to everyday objects, such as cars, bicycles cranes and seesaws. Everything that you need is within, or attached to the book. The concept is brilliant and would be well received by 7-10 year olds.
 
Bat loves the night (2001) by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Sarah Fox-Davies. Published by Scholastic. This book uses a simple narrative to follow one night in the life of a Pipistrelle Bat, as it flies out between broken tiles, under trees and over bushes catching insects, before returning to its roost and its baby. Like many factual books for younger children it offers a secondary text that offer extra information on echolocation, food and roosting sites. The beautiful illustrations by Sarah Fox Davies add to the text. The book was reissued with an accompanying CD in 2008.

Robert Crowther's amazing pop-up house of inventions (2000) by Robert Crowther. Published by Candlewick Press. Crowther has been making incredible pop-up books for many years, including the well known 'The most amazing hide-and-seek alphabet book'. This book is an introduction to the history of technology, as he moves room by room through a house, including the kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom and garage. The reader lifts flaps, opens doors and turns dials to reveal when appliances, machines and other forms of technology were first invented or used.

Stephen Biesty's incredible cross-sections (1992) by Stephen Biesty (illustrator) and Richard J.C. Platt (author) C. - This fantastic book was one of the first to offer detailed cross-sections of various inventions. The large format book uses double-page pages spreads and cutaway drawing formats to reveal the inner workings of a building or vehicle. Captions are used to label relevant parts and explain the key components of each construction. The book includes castles, cathedrals, skyscrapers, coal mines, oil rigs, various ships, planes and trains. Boys will look at this book again and again. Richard Platt has also done many more books in the last 20 years (here).

The pebble in my pocket: A history of our Earth (1996) by Meredith Hooper and illustrated by Chris Coady - This books starts with a pebble small enough for a child to hold and describes geological processes from a time of volcanic activity 480 million years ago. It shows how things change as uplift and erosion of the Earth's crust, sedimentation, new cycles of uplift and erosion, and changes in living things over that time lead to constant change. The author uses simple but effective language that enables children to grasp the process of change on the Earth over millions of years.

The Emperor's Kingdom (2010) by Roger Kirkwood - This book tells of the life cycle of the Emperor Penguin. Using wonderful photographs, and an accompanying DVD it traces the cycle of life from February as they feed and build energy, April as they gather in colonies, May when the one egg is laid and the male takes responsibility to balance the egg in the freezing cold for 50 days before, June and July as the females journey to feed, the hatching and the return of the mothers. Told with simple text and stunning visual support.

3. Books for children aged 9-12 years

The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science: 50 Experiments for Daring Young Scientists (2010) by Sean Connolly and illustrated by Robert James  - This is a fantastic book. It has 34 short chapters each of which starts with an account of a major scientific or technological discovery or breakthrough. After this, the science of each is explained and simple experiments are offered to explore the topic. Topics are as diverse as Galileo's homemade telescope, Jenner's water microscope, Curie's Popcorn carbon dating, Wilbur's flying machine, Fermi's chain reaction and Gagarin's orbit. This is a book about serious science and technology presented in a simple, clear and fun way. Boys (and girls) aged 11-14 with an interest in science and discovery will love this book.

The Way We Work: Explore the Human Body Head to Toe (2009) by David Macaulay and Richard Walker - Macaulay changed the way we look at science books with his stunning first book 'The Way Things Work' (1988). His work communicates complex scientific and technological concepts in ways that young children can understand. His use of diagrams and visual material changed science for many children from a dull subject from a creative and engaging area of inquiry. He won the Caldecott medal for his book 'Black and White' in 1990.

This latest book has Macaulay turning his attention from technology to how the human body works. The 336 pages in double page spreads offer rich texts and (as usual) complex visuals. This is another wonderful example of how science can be made accessible for children.

The Usborne internet-linked science encyclopaedia (2000) by Kirsteen Rogers - This is a stunning comprehensive encyclopaedia that introduces a wide range of scientific topics to the young readers and in the process lists hundreds of excellent websites. It is beautifully produced, with many coloured illustrations and excellent well-written content. It is a stunning reference work for young and old. You can find the various websites mentioned in the book here.

Paper airplanes and super flyers (1996) by Neil Francis and illustrated by June Bradford - This book offers instructions on how to make gliders and paper aeroplanes, including fantastic stuff like how to add elevators, wing flaps and rudders. It also shows how to make parachutes, and kites and describes the principles of how they work.

How cool stuff works (2008) by Chris Woodford (and others) -

This excellent book examines the modern components behind a great deal of science and technology. It is divided into chapters with key verbs as headings (eg. 'Connect', 'Play', 'Move' and 'Survive'). It has full colour illustrations and graphics and is very well designed. Each page offers brief explanations of how new technology like MP3 players, voice recognition, microwave ovens, submersibles, virtual keyboards and pacemakers work.



'One Small Step' (2009) by Jerry Stone - This is a wonderful recent example of a factual book about science. It was produced to commemorate the first moon landing on July 20th 1969. The book is a replica of a scrapbook put together by a 12 year old boy whose grandad was working in the Houston Control Room on the day when man first made it to the moon. It’s a collection of Moon-landing memorabilia (e.g. space menus, certificates, transcript of the first steps exchange etc), photographs and so on. It also has more recent space science information, including the future of space travel.

Related posts and resources

Previous post on 'Getting Boys into Reading Through Non-fiction' HERE

'Good Science Books for Children', Australian Academy of Science HERE

'Make and Do Books: Engaging Readers in Different Ways' HERE

Usborne 'Quicklinks for Internet-linked Books' HERE