Applications supporting child development
Mobile devices accompany us today in virtually every area of life, so it is not surprising that parents began to use their help during everyday activities and while having fun. There are many questions on the web about educational applications for children on the tablet or specifically "on android”, Preferably for free. Can we support the development of our children with the help of technology? How to really choose from among the multitude of available products the best apps for kids? What conditions should goods meet application for young children?
There are countless applications for mobile devices such as tablets or smartphones, including those intended for parents and children. As it is impossible to escape from modern technologies today, it is worth answering the question of how to use their enormous potential, remembering at the same time that they are only a tool - it is up to us whether it will be used for the benefit and good of our children.
Applications supporting child development, so what?
There are a lot of different ideas that can be found under the term "child development applications" - it is both about software that makes it easier for parents to care for and watch over the proper development of their childrenAnd applications prepared with children in mind. Apps for toddlers are mainly used for fun, and those intended for older users (in school age) - also for learning. Children's applications, often in the form of games, combine the element of entertainment with educational values and as such can be a useful tool supporting the cognitive development and specific interests of the child (e.g. musical, historical, linguistic).
When it comes to applications designed for parents, the ones that enable the supervision of children's independent activities on the Internet, on a tablet or smartphone - the so-called parental control applications. With the parents of toddlers in mind, applications have been created that allow you to track the proper development of the child, e.g. recording physical parameters such as height and weight, monitoring sleep, feeding times, and cognitive skills. However, it is worth approaching this type of solutions with caution and not equating supporting the child's development with constant control of everything he does or is not able to do at a given stage of development.
Expert advises
The use of applications for controlling children's development and their progress in acquiring various skills, broadly understood education, may turn out to be stressful for parents, provoking unnecessary comparison of the results achieved by their children and relating them to general or not very precise indications or standards. As a result, there may arise not fully justified fears that the child "deviates from the norm".
Educational applications for children
Children benefit from the so-called new media on an increasing scale, even before reaching school age. The results of the 2015 research indicated that in Poland, mobile devices are used by over 40% of toddlers aged 1-2 years, over 60% aged 3-4 years and over 80% between 5-6 years of age. In the entire age range of 1-6 years, the percentage of children using applications for tablets or smartphones was then 62%, and every fourth child had their own mobile device. It can be expected that these shares may have increased further, taking into account both the passage of time, the proliferation of mobile technologies and the constraints of the ongoing pandemic.
According to the parents' declaration, children most often use educational, creativity and entertainment applications. It is difficult to distinguish between these functions, since at least until the age of 8, learning takes place mainly through play, which itself plays an important role in the child's development.
Whether and what application for young children?
In order for the contact with new technologies to be safe for the youngest and at the same time to stimulate their development, it is crucial to follow certain rules. The use of mobile devices by children should take place:
- with the support and care of adults,
- within specified time frames,
- with the use of properly selected applications.
Expert advises
The younger the toddler, the more prudent and careful you should be when accessing devices and applications installed on them. It is worth remembering that even passive contact can have a negative impact on a one-year-old or two-year-old child, if it lasts longer - it is enough for the tablet we use ourselves to be within the sight of our child.
Finding the right apps for toddlers is a challenge for parents, especially given the increasing amount of software available online. They are fears issues related to network security and various types of threats to the virtual worldsuch as unfair marketing practices, exposure to pornography or violence.
How to choose the best apps for kids?
The choice is even more difficult because websites offering educational applications for children - for Android or a competitive IOS, especially those available for free - even if they categorize them by age, they are based solely on manufacturers' declarations, which are not in any objective way verified.
In order to choose the best applications for children, it is worth checking them in several respects. Good applications for are those that meet the following conditions:
- are age appropriate,
- take into account the level of development of the child,
- enable easy, intuitive operation,
- engage cognitively,
- support the child's interests.
In addition to the content offered by the application, it is worth paying attention to its interface, graphics and sound - not only in terms of their attractiveness or ability to attract attention, but above all to adapt to the perception of the child as a user. Remember that in applications for children available for free, advertisements are displayed, the selection of which we do not have any influence.
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Psychologist at the Department of Early Psychological Intervention and the Day Rehabilitation Center for Children, Institute of Mother and Child
Educational applications for children: how to use?
Without modern technology, it is impossible to function in the modern world and the use of its achievements is nowadays not only the norm, but even a necessity. Therefore, the presence of mobile devices and applications in the lives of our children should be treated as something natural, not demonizing, but also not overestimating their role. Children's applications, educational and anything else, can be of great help, as long as - like all kinds of tools - they are used in a sensible and conscious way. Wise use of them requires observing the child's needs, reacting to them, being in close contact and being active together. However, do not expect that the tablet and the applications installed on it will replace or replace us as parents.
Źródła:
- Makaruk, K., Wójcik, S. (2015). Mobile applications for children aged 3-6. Diagnosis of the needs and possibilities of support for parents. Abused child. Theory, Research, Practice, 14 (3).
- Bąk, A. (2015). The use of mobile devices by young children in Poland. The results of the quantitative study. Nobody's Children Foundation.
- Brzezińska, AI, Appelt, K., Ziółkowska, B. (2015). Human Development Psychology. Sopot: Gdańsk Psychological Publishing House.
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