Language- and Literacy-Focused Apps for Young Children: A Market Scan and Content Analysis

• In Event: Content, Context, and Consequences of "Educational" Apps in the Lives of Children

Abstract

Developing language and literacy skills is a primary task of early childhood, and many US parents report downloading language/literacy-focused apps for their young children’s use (Rideout, 2014). This study examines the nature of apps that parents likely encounter when they search for such products. The sample consists of the most popular educational apps during Spring 2014 that claimed to teach language/literacy and targeted children birth to eight (n= 125), as well as language/literacy apps that were highly-rated by experts (i.e., Common Sense Media; Children’s Technology Review; n = 55). App descriptions were coded for aspects such as price, skills targeted, teaching strategies, target age, and child development/education experts on the development team. Content coding included features such as interactivity and contingency of touch, parent- and child-directed feedback, and co-use mechanics. Results highlight the range of features in these apps as well as inter-relationships between these features.

Authors

• Sarah Ellen Vaala, Vanderbilt University

• Anna Ly, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop

• Alan Nong, University of Kansas

• Sadaf Sajwani, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop

• Mackenzie Shea Swirbul, Vanderbilt U