Is this IPhone game for kids really educational?...
- Thread starter lovelymum
- Start date
Lovelymum - Please do not post links in this forum, especially to things that are trying to be sold to our members. Thanks.
I'm currently studying different age groups and their ability to use i-phone, i-pad technology. It's extremely educational for spelling, colors, animals etc. in younger age groups. As they get older, it's more difficult to engage children since the apps begins respecting their intelligence less. We have seen the most amazing success in children ages 2-3, especially in educational settings like pre-k's and daycares.
Have you tried playing the games yourself? What kind of educational content does it look like it has?
Personally I think all games are "educational", just not sure you want your children to learn how to wield a gun and blow away enemy soldiers.
Personally I think all games are "educational", just not sure you want your children to learn how to wield a gun and blow away enemy soldiers.
My son recently bought an iPod touch with money he made selling his homemade bracelets. He hardly has any music on it, but he loves all the games. He isn't able to "buy" anything without me putting in a password. I am not strict about it being educational, but I do rely heavily on the ratings that the games are given. If it says 4+, I don't even check it out. If it says 8 or 9+, I read through the description, check out the screen shots, and go from there. I don't like guns, so anything with guns is out.
I'll admit, I like playing the games sometimes too! Bejeweled is a big hit with all of us, and it sure helps the time pass while I'm waiting in the car for him to be let out of school.
I'll admit, I like playing the games sometimes too! Bejeweled is a big hit with all of us, and it sure helps the time pass while I'm waiting in the car for him to be let out of school.
I think games that incorporate a lot of reading or logic puzzles are "educational" in the sense that it encourages kids to actively use their brains.
Hello Lovelymum!
Kinesthetic and Tactile Learning methods are a legitimate and effective way to gain comprehension of subjects. Tools such as writing and even typing allow a student to feel (another sense of the body), the information that is being communicated. To add to what "dblanketyblank" stated: though this may not be the most effective method, I definitely would not discount it!
Hope this helps!
Aaron Caddel
Educational Researcher
Whoosh Learning
Kinesthetic and Tactile Learning methods are a legitimate and effective way to gain comprehension of subjects. Tools such as writing and even typing allow a student to feel (another sense of the body), the information that is being communicated. To add to what "dblanketyblank" stated: though this may not be the most effective method, I definitely would not discount it!
Hope this helps!
Aaron Caddel
Educational Researcher
Whoosh Learning
Hi,
I and my son we are not using the iphone platform, but we found very useful online educational website with various games on health, vocabulary, spelling, recycling etc. I wont provide you the name of the site, but i just want to highlight that there are alternatives to iphone apps.
Oki, what is cool and why i dont let my son playing on iphone is because i can not control what he is playing and for how long. On this website i do know what he plays and most importantly the scores he obtained per each level and game. I like to know what he is learning and from where
.
I and my son we are not using the iphone platform, but we found very useful online educational website with various games on health, vocabulary, spelling, recycling etc. I wont provide you the name of the site, but i just want to highlight that there are alternatives to iphone apps.
Oki, what is cool and why i dont let my son playing on iphone is because i can not control what he is playing and for how long. On this website i do know what he plays and most importantly the scores he obtained per each level and game. I like to know what he is learning and from where
.Hello
There certainly are some fantastic games and apps available to extend children's learning. My only concern would be the effect regular, constant or long-term use has on their eyesight. Our eyes weren't designed to look at little screens for long periods. Maybe just putting a limit on the amount of time they are using these devices would be a good idea.
As a speech pathologist working with children's communication and learning, I am now seeing many, many more children now who need their eyes checked and are prescribed glasses or eye exercises, than even a few years ago.
Reading and playing games with your children are fantastic ways for them to learn. In the last many years as well, we've seen an increase in children who cannot visualise information (a great strategy to understand retain and information) because every image is provided for them, with all these hi-tech gadgets. Listening and reading with someone or on their own, encourages them to make their own images in their head, rather than relying on a picture that's provided for them.
All the best
There certainly are some fantastic games and apps available to extend children's learning. My only concern would be the effect regular, constant or long-term use has on their eyesight. Our eyes weren't designed to look at little screens for long periods. Maybe just putting a limit on the amount of time they are using these devices would be a good idea.
As a speech pathologist working with children's communication and learning, I am now seeing many, many more children now who need their eyes checked and are prescribed glasses or eye exercises, than even a few years ago.
Reading and playing games with your children are fantastic ways for them to learn. In the last many years as well, we've seen an increase in children who cannot visualise information (a great strategy to understand retain and information) because every image is provided for them, with all these hi-tech gadgets. Listening and reading with someone or on their own, encourages them to make their own images in their head, rather than relying on a picture that's provided for them.
All the best
I personally avoid letting my 7 yr old play on my phone, just seems bad for her eyes. The computer is better that way, but as long as you can limit the time and make sure they are not too close to the screen. Most browsers allow you to increase text size with the click of a button, something my daughter now uses a lot. i don't have an iPhone but have heard good things about apps. I would say, if there is something that is also available on the web, go for that, else go for it on iPhone or even better the iPad isince it has a bigger screen.
Hi.
Interesting thoughts about this ipod /iphone educational gaming craze.
I work a lot with kids teaching them to play musical instruments.
I think the machines inherently encourage social detachment and can have detrimental effects on the development of communication skills. That is if the user has long unmonitored exposure to them.
The game concept is fun, so thats fine - but not too much fun at the expense of other skills development.
The experience can be addictive and problems can arise here.
Dynamic educational resources used with some guidance are proven to be very effective at increasing a child's intelligence and aptitude and enthusiasm for a subject etc.. (I use these in some classroom teaching work and they respond very well to them)
So i think some of the 'educational games' need to be careful how they define these terms, and parents must not trust or assume that the games are giving a worthwhile experience to their child.
I was brought up without a computer in my house and i was always spending time playing guitar all day and reading books, riding my bike etc..
i was insanely jealous of other kids with computers, and i loved going to the arcades to play on the machines.
So now i have 4/5 computers in my house and smart phones/ iphones etc. i love them but i get borred with games.
i wouldn't ever buy a nintendo wii or any of the game consoles for me or my daughter because i think they are a slippery slop and the kids will rely on them/ need them. like too much t.v.
Discuss!
Interesting thoughts about this ipod /iphone educational gaming craze.
I work a lot with kids teaching them to play musical instruments.
I think the machines inherently encourage social detachment and can have detrimental effects on the development of communication skills. That is if the user has long unmonitored exposure to them.
The game concept is fun, so thats fine - but not too much fun at the expense of other skills development.
The experience can be addictive and problems can arise here.
Dynamic educational resources used with some guidance are proven to be very effective at increasing a child's intelligence and aptitude and enthusiasm for a subject etc.. (I use these in some classroom teaching work and they respond very well to them)
So i think some of the 'educational games' need to be careful how they define these terms, and parents must not trust or assume that the games are giving a worthwhile experience to their child.
I was brought up without a computer in my house and i was always spending time playing guitar all day and reading books, riding my bike etc..
i was insanely jealous of other kids with computers, and i loved going to the arcades to play on the machines.
So now i have 4/5 computers in my house and smart phones/ iphones etc. i love them but i get borred with games.
i wouldn't ever buy a nintendo wii or any of the game consoles for me or my daughter because i think they are a slippery slop and the kids will rely on them/ need them. like too much t.v.
Discuss!
Please don't teach your child with something that's two dimensional! The iphone/ipad/ipod/computers/video games/television all of these things are very useful for someone who had already learned more than, let's say, a 5-year-old. Children have to learn the world and the nature of the things in the world before you can instruct them on how technology manipulates it. Think of "manipulates" in a good or bad way. Much of technology is wonderful because it makes once difficult things to do, now much easier. But we can't graduate college without first going through grade school. Let your children learn the basics, PLEASE, before you introduce them to electronics and your iphone.
it is only a marketing trick to call these time-wasters in phones "educational". i simpy don't buy it. both me and my husband have very basic phones. myself i use the phone only for calling/texting, sometimes login to the web to look up something. there are only two games in my phone -- Snake and Sudoku. My kid isn't really interested in them, though i let him play when extremely bored (like a long trip in a car).
at home we have several pc's and game consoles -- so more than enough.
at home we have several pc's and game consoles -- so more than enough.
Games on phones should be monitored by the parents I think. They are going to want to play what everyone else is playing but that doesn't mean that you can't limit the hours you let them play.
As a speech pathologist, I've been working with children's communication and learning for the last 30 years. The trend I've noticed which I feel may be related to all sorts of incresaes in technology, is that fewer children are now making images in their mind of what they hear or read. Making images is the most efficient way to retain information. With all these gadgets and 'educational games' the images are provided, so children rely on them rather than using their own brains! Studies have shown that children who watch lots of tv/computer games, show reduced areas of the brain where they visualize. Reduced visualizing reduces oral and written comprehension skills.
I don't think so...:twitcy:Vikas1 said:
My daughter has been using an online math program from beestar. She enjoys it very much and gets more and more interested in math. Computer will help kids a lot as long as we use it properly.
Lisa