9 Tips for Managing Children's Media Time

There are few parents that don't worry about the amount of time their children spend using media of one kind or another. Thirty years ago our major fear as parents was how much television our children watched. I can recall as a teacher surveying a class I was teaching and being horrified that the average TV time was 21 hours per week.

A decade later we added electronic gaming and videos to the list of worries. But in the last decade, we've seen an explosion of options as media of one kind or another, have become available 24/7 at our fingertips (literally).



Of course, right up front let me stress that I LOVE media, but we do need to control it, rather than having it control us and our children.

Why do we worry? 

• First, worrying about the mind-numbing potential that untold hours using media might have on our children.
• Second, worrying about the potential impact on health of the mind and body (being withdrawn, depression, anxiety, obesity....).
• Third, our fears about the 'stranger danger' risks of social media.
• Fourth, the loss of time to do other things that we see as important (school learning, family time, exercise, developing 'real' relationships not just virtual ones....).

What can we do?

1. Control our own devotion to media. Ask ourselves how much time we spend on varied media. Is our iPad or smart phone almost permanently in our hands? Do I retreat for hours to my computer to check emails, do work and isolate myself from family and friends?

2. Establish some basic rules in families and schools. How much time on the computer, iPad, TV, watching videos, gaming etc? Limits on specific categories? Rules about clashes with family activities? For example, none at the dinner table or at family events, none before homework, none until after they are fed at the end of the day and perhaps get some exercise? Sites that they cannot access? Shared computers in open 'public' spaces at home? [These rules need to reflect your family circumstances and children]

3. Be prepared to make younger children understand that age makes a difference. Your 8-year can't simply do everything that their 15-year old sister does. Age makes a difference to the rules. Explain why.

4. Take the time to understand the varied social media options that your children are using. You'll be surprised by some of them.
 
5. Understand that media is part of life and can enrich it enabling us to keep in touch, make new friends, communicate instantly, learn and so on.

6. Keep media out of bedrooms as much as is practical. We once would advise that we shouldn't buy a TV for every bedroom. This still applies but today hand held devices are a TV and more that we allow children to take everywhere. Establish some limits on access. For example, why not have all handheld devices placed in a box in the kitchen when they go to bed, or when lights go off?

Above: Children enjoying media together in shared family space

7. Try something radical if the above proves difficult. Perhaps have a timer on the family WiFi router so that noone gets a signal between specific hours. Have kid friendly filters that restrict children's access to specific sites.

8. Do educate them about the risks of social media as well as the benefits.

9. Above all, act as good role models. I know, I've said it twice because I think that this one is SO important. We set the example for our kids to follow.

Other helpful advice on parenting

New York Times Parenting Page (HERE)

All my posts on Media (HERE)

The impact of new media on children

I’ve written previously on this blog about the impact of television on children (here and here). However, a new meta-analysis study has analysed the more general effects of media across 173 studies with worrying findings. The study was conducted by researchers from the National Institutes of Health and Yale University. It considered studies across a period of 30 years that adressed the impact of television, music, movies and other media on the lives of children and adolescents. The findings are worrying. For example, many studies showed that there is a significant relationship between time devoted to new media and a variety of health or behavioural problems, for example:

• 83% of studies found a relationship with obesity
• 88% found a relationship to sexual behaviour
• 75% found a relationship to drug use
• 80% found a relationship to alcohol use
• 88% found a relationship to tobacco use
• 69% found a relationship to ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

In releasing the report this week one of the researchers, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, of the NIH, commented that:

"The results clearly show that there is a strong correlation between media exposure and long-term negative health effects to children. This study provides an important jumping-off point for future research that should explore both the effects of traditional media content and that of digital media -- such as video games, the Internet, and cell phones -- which kids are using today with more frequency."

While there are many benefits of new media there are clearly disadvantages if children spend too much time with machines that generate images, and sound and not enough time with people, engaging in real relationships, exploring their physical world, playing, listening to stories and engaging in ways that stimulate them in other ways. I've written a great deal about the alternative benefits of things such as play (here), reading (here) and creative activities (here).

This latest research comes on top of an increasing number of studies that are demonstrating that excessive exposure to media like television, video games and computers, can actually change the activity and ‘shape’ of the brain as well as slowing down activity (I'll post on this later).

It’s important to keep stressing that new media has many benefits and that while excessive use can be a problem, it can also have benefits. For example, one interesting study at UCLA found that computer use for older people (aged 55-76) might even increase brain function for some (here). But the overwhelming message that we are receiving from research is that too much television, gaming or computer use can be harmful for children.

From my perspective, as a research interested in children’s early learning, my sense is that we haven’t even begun to consider the questions related to this topic. For example, what is the impact of the loss of play, book reading and human interaction on children? Evidence of a general nature and developmental research, shows that adult child interaction is critical to early emotional and intellectual development. This work alone would suggest that the loss of time spent playing, talking to others, listening to stories and so on, will be detrimental. There are other related questions. Readers of this blog will be ready to ask, how much time is too much? How little time with adults is too little? It’s difficult to answer such questions but here’s are a few suggestions based on what I know of research in learning, interaction, language and communication and emerging work on new media:

Children aged 0-2

• Constant interaction with adults (preferably a parent) – singing, talking to, providing different experiences, reading to them etc.
• No TV, videos etc - this is almost impossible if there are older siblings, but there are much more important things to do for the very young child.
  

Children aged 3-5

• Shared mealtimes – most if not all.
• Lots of interaction as part of everyday life – talking with them in the car, in the kitchen, in the bath, while watching TV together.
• Planned experiences – exploring the garden, the house, the physical environment, creative play, craft, music, and introduction to computer sites for kids (together!), lots of stories read to them (at least 30 minutes a day in several blocks), ‘writing’ and drawing.
• Deliberate efforts to cultivate shared interests with your children (special TV, favourite past-times or hobbies, music, sport etc).
• Limited TV or computer use (no more than 60 minutes per day).

Children aged 6-12

• Shared mealtimes – at least 10 meals a week together (with at least one parent, preferably two if there are two at home).
• Lots of interaction as part of everyday life – debriefing after school, chatting at mealtime, planned talk (ask them questions) as part of other activities.
• Planned experiences – provide varied experiences for your children including outings, the movies together, visit the library, shop together, visit people, do some outdoor physical activity together (the pool, some sport, the park etc), develop some shared interests and hobbies – build common ground!
• Read with them and listen to their reading.
• Spend some time exploring the Internet with them and not just as part of school activities, show them how to use the Internet as a tool.
• Try to limit TV and video games to 60-90 minutes per day
  

Adolescents (aged 13+)

• Shared mealtimes – at least 6 meals per week together (with at least one parent, preferably two if there are two at home).
• Lots of interaction – make time to talk and be deliberate about it if they are reluctant. Make the effort, many teenagers find it easy to withdraw from adults, don’t let them!
• Planned activities – still try to do things together; find common interests, watch some TV together, play some sport or follow their sport, engage yourself in at least one of their interests.
• Talk about their schoolwork and have active involvement.
• Encourage and demonstrate wise use of media – don’t give them a TV for their room; avoid providing a state-of-the-art sound system in their room; don’t have a computer in their room have one that they use in a more public space.
• Open your house to their friends and get to know them as well; make your home welcoming to their friends with you as part of it.
• Try to discourage large blocks of individual time on computers, playing video games, TV and Internet surfing (2-3 hours a day is more than enough).
  

Conclusion

While there are wonderful benefits from new media (I'm enjoying one right now!), research is showing us that over-use can be harmful for children. There is a real danger that as parents lives become more busy and complicated that we will allow new media to fill spaces that previously would have been filled by family interaction. We should not allow this to happen if we value the wellbeing of our children and the quality of the relationship that we have with them.

Other posts

Washington Post article, “Media Bombardment Is Linked To Ill Effects During Childhood” here

Media Awareness Network article, “Television’s Impact on Kids” here

“TV Numbs the brain” here

My posts previous posts that address the impact of TV here

The dangers of television for young children

General research on the impact of new media

As I have written previously on this blog, a study conducted by researchers from the National Institutes of Health and Yale University has analysed the more general effects of new media across 173 research studies. It considered studies across a period of 30 years that addressed the impact of television, music, movies and other media on the lives of children and adolescents. Many studies showed that there is a significant relationship between time devoted (i.e. excessive time) to new media and a variety of health or behavioural problems, for example:

• 83% of studies found a relationship with obesity
• 88% found a relationship to sexual behaviour
• 75% found a relationship to drug use
• 80% found a relationship to alcohol use
• 88% found a relationship to tobacco use
• 69% found a relationship to ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

In releasing the report one of the researchers, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, of the NIH, commented that:

"The results clearly show that there is a strong correlation between media exposure and long-term negative health effects to children. This study provides an important jumping-off point for future research that should explore both the effects of traditional media content and that of digital media -- such as video games, the Internet, and cell phones -- which kids are using today with more frequency."

The impact of media and technology on very young children

While there are many wonderful benefits of new media, the upshot of the above studies is that too much exposure to 'new' media appears to be harmful. There has also been more recent research into the impact of media on very young children, particularly the impact of television in the preschool years. This research has raised very serious questions about the potential impact that video games, television and related technology mediated images may have on children's learning. In fact, some researchers have suggested that too much exposure to television may have an impact on the developing brain (see my introductory post on early brain development here). We know from the research of neuroscientists that environmental experiences can shape brain development due to the plasticity of neuronal connectivity in the young brain. They suggest that significant and repeated exposure to specific stimuli may have an impact on the child's intellectual and emotional development. This they believe can occur by setting up specific "habits of mind" or by depriving the child's brain of other significant experiences.

The same experts suggest that language rich environments with lots of interaction with adult caregivers, stimulating opportunities for play and other forms of stimulation to learn, enhance brain development. However, they conclude that in contrast, those that encourage passivity and limit social interaction, creative play and problem solving "...may have deleterious and irrevocable consequences". As a result of such findings the American Academy of Paediatrics has recommended that children under 2 years of age do not watch television and that children over two should have no more than two hours of media (e.g. TV, computers, gaming) use per day. This recommendation reflects the repeated identification of varied effects from too much television viewing, including those listed at the beginning of this post.

What does this mean for parents of toddlers?

The first thing to note is that the potential damage caused to the young child's intellectual development is caused as much by what the child isn't doing as the screen-based stimulation itself. If, for example, lots of television viewing replaces, play, story reading, interaction with adults etc, then this is problematic and could have a negative effect on your child's health, development and learning.

The second thing to note is that in a multi-child family where there is a television that it's hard to stop toddlers from watching. As well, children do learn many things from television and this can stimulate other worthwhile activities like storytelling, creative activity, literacy learning etc. TV isn't all bad! It's simply a problem if uncontrolled and over-used.

The third thing to note is that small amounts of televisions seen around the edges of family life should not be a major concern. This type of inadvertent viewing is not likely to cause significant harm if in limited amounts. There may be issues with children seeing adult content, but this is another topic and once again, it requires parent care and control.

Finally, I'd stress that the first 12 months of life is the most critical period. I can't see any good reason for television viewing as a planned activity at this age. If you do allow your toddler under 2 to watch television I'd argue for it to be strictly limited. Short sessions of 5-10 minutes with your active participation are a very low risk. Choosing the right programs is important. I see value in programs that invite the active participation of the child (e.g. actions, dance, singing, clapping etc). If television can be avoided for the first two years it may well be wise, but in many families this won't be practical. For me the key is to emphasise play, language stimulation, story telling and reading, physical activity, problem solving, manipulation of objects, real life experiences etc. Don't allow television to become a baby sitter for children under two years where they sit transfixed for long periods. This is what research is showing to be problematic and potentially harmful. I've listed some of my previous posts that relate to this type of stimulation below.

Related links

My previous posts on play (here)

My previous posts on learning (here)

My posts previous posts that address the impact of TV (here)

My previous posts on language experience (here)

American Academy of Paediatrics policy on 'Children, adolescents and television' (here)

'Understanding TV's effects on the developing brain' (here).

Media Awareness Network article, “Television’s Impact on Kids” here

Brain wave: How technology changes our thinking, by Gerard Wright

Seven New Children's Story Apps

I recently reviewed a list of my 25 top children's apps in 2011 (HERE); this is my first review of new apps for 2012. Most of these were released late last year and are suitable for children aged 4-8 years. Of the many new releases, the following seven are worthy of consideration. It's pleasing to see that many of the negative things that have been commented on in previous reviews seem to be being addressed in some newer apps. While developers still need to work hard at maintaining a priority on the quality of the story, they have been using more engaging material with rich language and more complex story. There is also more evidence of use of sound, image and word in more effective ways, without simply producing an app with cute and fun interactive elements.

I've used the same rating scale as for some of my earlier app reviews, with four key categories and a 5 point rating scale - 1 (Very Poor), 2 (Poor), 3 (Average), 4 (Good), 5 (Excellent). The higher the score out of 20 the better the rating.

1. 'Cozmo's Day Off' from Ayars Animation

'Cozmo's Day Off' is one of my favourite new story apps. It has a cute story in simple rhyming verse that is complemented by a 'quirky' reader. Ayars Animation developed the wonderful 'Jack and the Beanstalk' app that I reviewed last year (here). It tells of Cozmo the alien who is having a bad day as he tries to get to work. 

It also has some brilliant and very funny interactive elements. Children love exploring the many interactive elements on each page, and yet because it's a fun rhyming story they also come back to the text.  The quality of the images is high, as is the rendering of every page. The app also has just about every option for reading it. You can listen to the story, read it yourself and record your own reading of the story. A fun device they've added is the ability to speed up or slow down the reading of the story. While this is a bit of a distraction once children discover it, they do come back to the story.

The app is also easy to use. It doesn't have a page swipe function (just a back and forward button) but this isn't a problem. It does have a scroll bar that allows you to move quickly from page to page or back again if you've lost your place. Overall, this is an app that makes good use of all that there is to offer in an eBook, including sound, image, movement, colour, language and text devices. A big pat on the back to the developers for using phrase highlighting in the read along option rather than word-by-word reading as is the case with many apps. This encourages reading for meaning, not just reading words.

Rating

a) Fun & interactivity (5) - Sets new standards for fun and creative elements
b) Ease of use (4) - Complex, with many options, but not hard to work out
d) Benefit for literacy & learning (5) - An enjoyable story, with rich language and an engaging storyline
e) Value for money (4) - at $4.49 US it is excellent value. 

Total =18/20

2. 'Ellison the Elephant' by Eric Drachman and illustrated by James Muscarello
Oceanhouse Media

This is a simple and enjoyable story about a little elephant who is different from other elephants because he can't trumpet properly. He is helped by Weasel to find his trumpet and in the process manages to invent jazz music. 

Oceanhouse Media has been developing apps primarily for previously published books. This strategy ensures that they end up with some quality stories. There is little animation, but the movement of screen focus across images works well and gains attention and increases interest. In this app they also include some good (and subtle) use of sound to support, rather than overpower the story. The interactive devices are limited, but that doesn't bother me, as it means there is more emphasis on the story. This is supported by the use of multiple voices for the storytelling mode that are excellent. Two minor quibbles. Ellison's mom seems to call her 'Alison' whenever she speaks, but maybe this is her accent. There is also one page with three font sizes for no obvious reason.

Rating

a) Fun & interactivity (3) - The level of interactivity is limited but acceptable (and not distracting)
b) Useability (5) - Very simple and easy to use
c) Benefit for literacy & learning (4) - Great story, rich in language and vocabulary and well written
d) Value for money (4) - Great value at $2.99 US. 


Total = 16/20


3. 'The Nutcracker Musical Storybook', artwork by Joko Janaka animator Andy Zibits & music audio Paul Zibits. Developed by Mouse King Media.

This story app is based on E.T.A Hoffman's classic story of 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King' (1816) and the music from the famous ballet 'The Nutcracker' that was based on the story.  It comes in story or movie mode. Each has a single line of text at the bottom of the screen that presents the simple narrative. In the read-only option the user can control page turning and tap pictures for a number of simple effects (mainly sound and some movement). In the movie mode the story moves automatically from one screen to the next. Both modes make use of segments from the opera. The read only page is controlled from an initial Christmas tree image with numbered baubles allowing different paths through the story. The reader can swipe the pages and interact with a number of visual elements on the way.

The images are delightful and capture the mood of the 19th century winter setting with wonderful variations in colour, light, movement, animated figures (puppet-like), sound and of course Tchaikovsky's wonderful music. The well-known scenes are all there with the 'Waltz of the flowers' and the 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' brilliant!


Rating

a) Fun & interactivity (4) - The elements are simple but they fit well with the story and music.
b) Useability (4) - The app is simple, but I found the story sequence that was triggered by touching the right bauble on the Christmas tree a little confusing until I found the reset button.
c) Benefit for literacy & learning (4) - A wonderful introduction to a famous ballet and another period in history
d) Value for money (5) - at $2.99 US this is excellent value. 


Total = 17/20

4. 'Monkey Business', by Christopher Cheng and developed by Kiwa Media (New Zealand)

This is a simple story about a runaway monkey and his adventures while free from his confinement. It is in HD format but has unusual images for a young child's app. The zookeepers all look as if they're on steroids. The monkey images are simple and effective, but I wonder how 3-6 year old children will respond. Those I tested it with seemed to enjoy the story more than the images.  The language was also adult-like, e.g. "He was checked for injuries but the only visual evidence of Erwin's escape was a grazed foot". The app has many of the common features including ready alone or listen to, record your own reading, and a painting option. This is a cute feature that allows the reader to paint all illustrations on the way through. While children I tested the app with enjoyed the painting option, it does little for engagement in the story.

I can't say this is one of my favourite story apps; I'd encourage the developers to work on better texts for children and to think carefully about the appropriateness of their images for the age group. They might also consider more interactive elements to elaborate on text or enrich story elements and sequences.

Rating

a) Fun & interactivity (3) - Pretty basic with very minor interactive elements, the painting option was fun
b) Useability (4) - Fairly easy to use
c) Benefit for literacy & learning (3) - Limited in my view. The story does offer rich and complex vocabulary, but this seemed strangely inappropriate in places.
d) Value for money (5) - at $0.99 US you can't argue on value, this is a very cheap app 


Total = 15/20


5. 'Tacky the Penguin' by Helen Lester and produced by Oceanhouse Media.

I love this little story app. Tacky is a lovable character and the illustrations of Helen Lester are simple pen and wash with vibrant colours. She manages to create images that project different personalities for all the penguins. I like the fun names that Lester chose - 'Goodly', 'Lovely', 'Angel', 'Neatly', 'Perfect' and of course 'Tacky'. The introduction of the story complication (the bear and two wolves) with a repetitive verse adds to the fun of the story. But of course, Tacky, the crazy little penguin manages to confuse them with numbers and then send them packing.

As with other Oceanhouse apps, the use of quality literature means that they have a head start and don't need to use as many tricks and gadgets to engage young readers. The app also allows the reader to tap each image with the name of the object shown in word and sound. I'm not a fan of this feature because it often seems to distracts readers from the storyline as they play with the app trying to look for interactive elements. In my view, this simple app doesn't need this feature, which confuses the purpose of reading whole stories with word recognition drills.  

Rating


a) Fun & interactivity (3) - As indicated above, this is a simple app with only minor interactive elements. I'm glad to see sound used in this app to add to the reading experience.
b) Useability (4) - The app works well and is simple in format.
c) Benefit for literacy & learning (4) - The story is rich in language and elegant in plot and structure.
e) Value for money (4) - at $2.99 US it is good value. 
 
Total = 15/20

6. Some more Dr Seuss magic from Oceanhouse Media

(i) 'And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street' by Dr Seuss, Oceanhouse Media

This is another Oceanhouse production to mark the 75th anniversary of the Dr Seuss classic story 'And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street'. This was the first story Dr Seuss managed to have published.  It uses the images from the book and is not animated. The template used by Oceanhouse is the same as for the app reviewed above for 'Tacky the Penguin' and has the same basic features.

The simple sound effects work well and add to the experience of the story for the reader. These include music, footsteps, horse hooves, sounds of the wagon and the grand parade. Kids will love this story app.

Rating

a) Fun & interactivity (3) - A simple app with enough to interest the reader
b) Useability (4) - Simple and easy to use.
c) Benefit for literacy & learning (5) - Wonderful and timeless story from Dr Seuss with the usual richness of rhyme and language.
d) Value for money (4) - at $2.99 US it is good value. 


Total = 16/20

(ii) Dr Seuss Beginner Book Collection #1

This is a fabulous collection of Dr Seuss classic stories just released by Oceanhouse media. Each story in the set is ideal for beginning readers. The titles come in one app and include:

'The Cat in the Hat'
'The Foot Book'
'One Fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish'
'Mr Brown can Moo! Can You?'
'Fox in Socks'

All these books use the same design template as for 'And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street'. So you can read it yourself, have it read to you, or have auto play. It also uses the same picture tap function that primes the words and name for each separate image on each page. However, while I see this as a distraction in some of the apps in which it is used, it works well in this collection because all are fine examples of how Dr Seuss plays with words and language. Hence, the tapping of images to hear and see the label makes more sense.  One other feature in this app is that the sound works so well to support the experience of the story. This is seen particularly in 'Fox in Socks'. I should also add that the reader on the app is brilliant. Try reading '...they call this a muddle puddle tweetle poodle beetle noodle bottle paddle battle' with fluency and interest.

You can't go wrong with this collection; at about $2.50 per story, you should add it to your collection.

Rating

a) Fun & interactivity (4) - A simple app with enough to interest the reader. The word tap option works well with the repetitive language, use of nonsense words and rhyme
b) Useability (4) - Simple and easy to use.
c) Benefit for literacy & learning (5) - Five wonderful stories from Dr Seuss with the usual richness of rhyme, language and silliness.
d) Value for money (4) - at $11.99 US for 5 stories, it's great value.

Total = 17/20

Some previous reviews of apps

'Alice', the iPad and new ways to read picture books (HERE)

'Literacy and the iPad: A review of some popular apps' (HERE)

'Literacy and the iPad: A second review of children's apps' (HERE)

'25 Great Children's Apps to Stimulate Literacy, Learning & Creativity   (HERE)

Is Twitter a sign that the world has finally gone ‘Twitty’?

Twitter is one of a number of microblogging tools that ask users to tell friends what they’re doing in 140 characters or less. It's a social networking service that allows users to send updates (known as ‘tweets’) that are text-based posts to their friends or strangers for that matter.


Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and are delivered to other users who sign up to receive them. You can restrict delivery to a set of friends if you like (or let the whole world see it by default). You can receive updates via the Twitter website, instant messaging, SMS, RSS, email or through an application such as Facebook. Other similar tools include Plurk, Jaiku and Pownce.

Twitter messages might seem unusual to the uninitiated:

• Trying to talk e into joining me on LIVE for some BF:BC. We have to get ready for Conquest Mode.
• Want in on the Madden tickets? Watch my blog tomorrow for detail
• Eating lunch at my desk to try and get ahead of my Inbox
• After I hard reset my touch, installed AF...still no worky. After the splash screen, I get a blank screen. This app needs an update
• Having a hell-uva time getting Aurora Feint (free download from the iTunes app store) to run on my Touch. Crashy Crashy 08

No doubt the above selection of tweets from one random person twittering on the web over a 24-hour period made sense to someone. And I assume that the constant tweets kept him and others in touch. But....

Well before I get to the 'but', and this Baby Boomer dumps on Twitter (and I will), I need to point out that others (mostly in America) see it as a great thing. In a ‘Wired’ article, ‘How Twitter Creates a Social Sixth Sense’, Clive Thompson argues that:

“It's like proprioception, your body's ability to know where your limbs are. That subliminal sense of orientation is crucial for coordination: It keeps you from accidentally bumping into objects, and it makes possible amazing feats of balance and dexterity.

Twitter and other constant-contact media create social proprioception. They give a group of people a sense of itself, making possible weird, fascinating feats of coordination.”

Dr Alice Robison who teaches in the Comparative Media Studies Program at MIT also argues strongly for the educational benefits of Twitter in an article for NCTE. She suggests that there might be benefits in microblogging and that it “….might be used to teach students about concise messages. By limiting students to 140 characters to make their point, teachers can move students learn ways to cut their messages down to the cleanest expressions of their ideas.”

Mmmmm. Now, I’m prepared to accept that it might just be a useful networking tool for some people but I'm prepared to say that it will do more harm to writing, reading and maybe even our well being, than it will do good. I have four concerns:

First, what does it say about us if we are so self-absorbed that we'd think that the world wants to read random snippets about our daily lives (well maybe my wife would)?
Second, why are we prepared to spend time reading this stuff constantly; and what might be lost from relationships by reducing them to this? (And yes I know this wouldn't be the only way people are communicating).
Third, from what other activities in life do we steal the time to 'tweet' all day long? Work? Reading? Talking to our kids?
Fourth, could this be frying our brains; or at the very least scrambling them a little?

I'll comment just on the last point (maybe I'll return to the others at another time).

Mokoto Rich (Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?) points to evidence from Neurological studies that show that learning to read changes the brain’s circuitry. As well, there is more recent speculation that reading on the Internet may also affect the brain’s hard wiring in a way that is different from book reading.

Dr Guinevere Eden director of the Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University acknowledges that this is probably occurring and suggests that:

“The question is, does it change your brain in some beneficial way? The brain is malleable and adapts to its environment. Whatever the pressures are on us to succeed, our brain will try and deal with it.”

Nicholas Carr (author of The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, From Edison to Google) recently wrote a piece titled "Is Google Making US Stupid" in which he shares his own concerns about the impact of the Internet (in more general terms on him personally):

"For me, as for others, the Net is becoming a universal medium, the conduit for most of the information that flows through my eyes and ears and into my mind. The advantages of having immediate access to such an incredibly rich store of information are many, and they’ve been widely described and duly applauded. “The perfect recall of silicon memory,” Wired’s Clive Thompson has written, “can be an enormous boon to thinking.” But that boon comes at a price. As the media theorist Marshall McLuhan pointed out in the 1960s, media are not just passive channels of information. They supply the stuff of thought, but they also shape the process of thought. And what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski."

Carr puts his finger on one of my greatest concerns about the downside of the Internet (and I write this as an active user of the Internet - I love its benefits), it can be so consuming and it is changing the things we read, write and live - both adults and children. We can argue about the many ways the Internet opens up a world of texts and knowledge, but what might be lost if increasingly we read less extended texts and write less extended texts and lose the richness of varied textual forms that we've known in the past. I hope that the essays of my grandchildren's children are not 140 characters long.

The Carr article is worth a read.

I'll probably blog about this again, but you'll also find a range of useful links to New York Times articles that link to a variety of pieces of research here.

I've also blogged previously about the broad topic of the Internet and its impact here, here, and here. And I have a more extended paper on my website here.

Would love your thoughts on this topic.

The Slow Death of Creativity and Imagination in our schools - PART 2

A recent media report presented survey results which suggested 60% of parents find it hard to play with their children. Another report indicated parents should spend at least 30 mins a day in directed play with their  toddlers. The media report shared some surprising comments: "I don't have the time." "I don't know how to play with a toddler." And "I hate playing with my toddler".  

I wrote a post in 2020 titled 'The Slow Death of the Imagination in our Schools - Part 1'. It seems like I need to write Part 2. The recent media reports and responses have stunned me into action!

My purpose in writing the post isn't to make parents feel guilty, especially in an age where both parents typically have paid jobs outside the home. Time is sometimes hard to stretch to allow things that might seem less critical (e.g. playing with our children). And of course, a sole parent needs to do the lot! 

I want instead, to remind everyone that creativity is critical for the world! Creative activities are not an optional extra in life. Unfortunately, we live in times where the globe faces numerous challenges. These include climate change, tragic natural events, the loss of far too many animal, insect, plant and marine species etc. On top of this we have seen global conflicts, pandemics and more. Now, I won't depress my readers. But we need to deal with our challenges. And it isn't just knowledge that will help to solve our many global challenges. Creativity is required in concert with knowledge to enable us to sustain our world. 

The problematic factor is that our schools have never had less time for fostering creativity. This is one of our great educational challenges. Teachers live in an age of constant external pressures to help children succeed on tests. The sad part is that the the more we test, the less time we have to teach and encourage creativity and the application of knowledge to the world. The nations that privilege and promote this at EVERY level of education, will be best placed. 

My post is motivated by the release of the latest NAPLAN test results. These once again show that Australia lags well behind nations like Sweden, where higher marks are demonstrated across all social class levels, as well as regional and urban locations. This is important because while politicians don't spend much time comparing public and private education, they should. Why? Because it would shed light on the great challenges for the public education system to teach more than just knowledge for external tests. We need a greater concentration on developing learners who can solve problems and seek creative solutions, not simply achieve high marks on external standardized tests.

Some of the depressing trends we've seen in higher education include:

• Lower entry scores to be educated as a teacher than virtually any other course.
• Large salary gaps between teachers in public and private education. 
• More children in public education from disadvantaged communities including urban and rural schools.
  
• All of the above tend to skew results for children of the privileged who typically attend private or selective schools.
  

Creativity is NOT simply a gift to privileged children

Above: A 'Big' sister reads to Lydia (age 1 day)

Creativity and imagination are available to all children. In fact, all children are born with an innate desire to explore the world. From birth, they receive a vast array of stimuli as they observe and try to make sense of their surroundings. The environment in which they live has a profound impact on them. Children commence life with great potential - notwithstanding genetic variations. But their environment can have negative as well as positive effects on their learning.

The potential impact of poverty and neglect on children's early development, underlines the need to ensure that children entering school are given every opportunity to be stimulated, inspired and have their horizons widened.

Neuroscience research has taught us a number of things about the young brain, including the immense capacity of children to learn, and for their minds to expand when stimulated. But across our school education system in Australia, I still see a dumbing down of the curriculum. State and nationally mandated testing seems increasingly to shape school programs and classroom practices, as well as wider community expectations.

Above: Philosopher Martin Buber

Social Philosopher Martin Buber suggested at an education conference in 1925 that imagination and creativity are not developed over time. His big take home message was that every child is born with a disposition to be creative.

However sadly, parents, teachers and schools can suppress this inbuilt creativity, and drive it from them with banal and repetitive activities.

As teachers and parents we can either "draw out these powers", or stifle them when done badly. What we offer in schools is but "...a selection of the world." In short, each child is born with an innate ability and desire to explore, imagine and create. The parent or teacher who says I have no time for creative work and play, is limiting the child's potential.

For most children, the first few years of life offer ample opportunities to explore, experiment and seek to push beyond their capacity to do most things. Preschool for most children can still offer freedom to explore, find out, imagine and act upon the creative urge they have to know and create. But by Kindergarten they begin to be trained to produce that which is seen as acceptable.

Above: A three year old doing some 'creative' writing

What can we do?

As parents and teachers we need to work hard at creating learning environments in which children are encouraged to ask "why?', "what if",  "how come" type questions. Parents, should endeavour not to become tired of the toddler asking "why", "what if", "how come" questions. We need to respond to them.

We also need to seek a variety of experiences for our children. As a parent and grandparent I spent as much time as possible with my children (and grandchildren) exploring their world. This included digging in my compost heap, seeking out bugs in our back yard, paddling in estuaries and rock pools, looking at the sky, and reading about the natural wonders of the world. We also read hundreds of books together, drew pictures after key experiences and more.

Teachers also need to look for ways to stimulate the imaginations of the children in our classes. There are many ways to do this, including reading to them and encouraging their responses (in word, drawing, actions...). There are also numerous simple experiences that we can integrate into classroom activities at varied grade levels.

Above: The restored Gramaphone that I still have!

As a young teacher I arrived at school one morning with a 'mystery' object. I found an old 1920s gramaphone on the side of the road. I put it in my car boot (trunk) and took it to school and simply placed it at the front of the classroom. Questions flowed. "What's that?" "Where did you get it?" "My grandma has one of those!" "We've got some old records in our shed, can I go and get them?" The creative activities and knowledge gained from this simply object sustained several days of varied activities and much learning.

In another school we created a number of gardens for flowers and edible plants. While teaching a grade 2/3 composite class we built a brontosaurus (measuring 3 metres by 1 metre) as a garden centrepiece in the school playground. To the joy of the  students, this was featured on the front page of our city newspaper.

Of course, there are subjects in the curriculum that should naturally allow imagination to be developed; including science, art and craft. 

My point in revisiting the previous post with an update, is that I have a sense that we've gone backwards. We cannot afford to allow creativity to be lost in the desire to skill, drill and educate for external exams. Education at all levels is about growing our students in more than just subject knowledge. 

Never allow the 'what if'? question to leave your classroom or home. 

If parents reading this post feel they haven't the time, or they don't know what to do, talk to other parents who do seem to do it, or just give it a go.

Writing, communication and technology

The impact of technology

I write this Blog as a 55 year old who can remember as a child our manual exchange home phone being the only one in our street (and everyone using it) and the day our first (black and white) TV arrived (I was 11). I have participated in many subsequent technology advances – colour TV (I bought one just after our kids were born and kept it till they were grown up), personal computers (I bought my first one in 1984), faxes, videos, mobile phones (my first in 1989 and I still have the original phone number), the computer mouse (a big step forward), email (1989), websites, call centres, DVDs, a Blackberry (will I ever escape email again?!), Blogs, Facebook and so on. We've come a long way since Eniac was commissioned in 1946 (photo is a US Army Picture).

With some lived experience of technology I know firsthand that it changes things. I also know that the changes are not always good. When television arrived it reduced family time together (certainly in terms of interaction), it had negative effects for children who watched too much TV, it closed lots of community cinemas etc. I could repeat this for other technology forms – there are always negative impacts, as well as the positive. So as we continue down this path of constant communication technology change it is good to pause (before the next development hits) and question just where each major new wave is taking us.

Language changes

Language is changing all the time (both spoken and written). The most obvious way this occurs is in terms of language use, particularly in relation to words, spelling and grammar. New words are added to the lexicon with each passing year. What was once seen as an established grammatical form slowly disappears (e.g. the split infinitive rule – I know some of you out there are still holding out on this one). Incorrect spellings become optional spellings and in some cases (over time) preferred spellings. Text genres also change and are adapted to changing needs and purposes. The company memorandum (on paper) has largely been replaced by emails. Personal letters have largely been replaced with SMS messages, emails, Blog posts, Facebook entries. Even literary forms such as the novel are less often straight-forward narratives to become more complex and diverse forms. This type of change has always occurred, but seems to have accelerated in the past 30 years. One of the key drivers of such change has been communication technology (and with it globalisation) which has had an impact on language use as well as the way we communicate.

The word and new media - multiliteracies

One of the most significant changes has been the extent to which the spoken or written word has been supplemented, replaced or changed by images, video and film, and even led to new representational forms (gaming is a perfect example). This has led some to suggest that the written word is less relevant than it was once. There is little doubt that the written word is used increasingly with other forms of communication and that in our world we are surrounded by more complex ‘multiliteracies’. By this I mean new forms of communication that are multimodal and require much more interplay between words, images, sound, video, spoken language etc. However, we still have much to learn about this topic. For those interested in reading a more scholarly discussion of some of this as well as a defence of the importance of narrative for children, you will find a recent paper I presented on this on my website.


Anyone who reads a Blog will know that there are communication options available today not dreamed of 20 years ago and this is changing the way (at least) some people communicate. If there are people out there (probably not readers of this Blog) who don’t think new forms of communication are emerging, they need to consider the more recent Web 2.0 developments such as MySpace and Facebook. There is little doubt that these new forms of social networking are having a big impact on the way under 30yr olds communicate. Of course, we’re not sure what impact this might have long term on the way we relate to one another, but members of Gen Y have embraced it with great enthusiasm.

Advantages and disadvantages of ICT

The advantages of modern Internet enabled communication forms are obvious:

• The Internet offers global communication reach at minimal cost.
• It is very easy for anyone to publish and communicate ideas in forms that are visually attractive and effective.
• It is possible to build cyber networks of relationships and to engage with others concerning just about anything.
• We can have access to written texts, images, audio files, video material from our lounge rooms, including significant historical source material, newspapers, images, videos – the web is an incredible resource.
• Search engines like Google are powerful tools for learning when used well.

But there are disadvantages:

• Web-based communication is less permanent (links quickly disappear, websites close down, Blogs 'mutate' into new untrackable forms etc).
• The reliability and accuracy of any communication is largely untested and unreviewed, hence anyone can present themselves as an expert on anything.
• Individuals are also able to misrepresent themselves more easily to unsuspecting audiences.
• The ease with which anyone can self-publish may well give individuals a misplaced sense of their own expertise and knowledge.
• There is a tendency for the message to be limited in depth.
• There are moral questions as well about the less than helpful content that is available at the click of a mouse for adults and children and at times the negative impacts a technology application might have on us personally.
• The shear amount of time that the Internet can consume can be excessive – new communication forms can become addictive.
• The fascination with new communication forms may well lead to the neglect of traditional forms. What is lost when children don’t read (or hear) as much literature? When adults don’t read novels?
• There is a danger that for some the “medium is the message” to quote the Canadian educator, philosopher and professor of English Marshall McLuhan, who suggested that for many the generic form of media is more important than any "meaning" or "content" that the medium conveys (something I'd contest, but he'd see new ICT forms as evidence of the validity of his statement).
  

Some implications

Here are what I think are just some of the implications of the above:

1. When we communicate have a clear purpose and audience in mind and choose the most appropriate form for your message. A Blog is a perfect way to establish and encourage interaction and knowledge sharing amongst a network of people interested in a specific topic and who have similar life experiences. But it isn’t the best way for the Australian Tax Office to fulfil its responsibility to inform citizens of changes to tax laws and interpretations.

2. Make the most of new media without reducing the importance of the written word - remember the message is the key, not the medium. There has been interesting research in recent times by a colleague of mine at UNSW, Professor John Sweller, that suggests that powerpoint presentations can actually disrupt communication instead of facilitating it [Read more about it here].

3. Encourage young people to evaluate critically the impact of each new form of communication and to be aware of potential problems (e.g. web scams, net predators, the dangers of publishing personal information on the internet for the world to see; how relationships might be affected by the way we communicate etc).

4. Don’t replace personal conversations with your friends, family and neighbours with SMS messages, Facebook, emails and Blog posts. Yes, they can work well when you’re on the other side of the country or the world but there is no substitute for personal communication.

5. Do use new media to point others towards significant wisdom and knowledge. While a communication diet based exclusively on YouTube, SMS or Facebook entries has some significant limitations, all are mediums that can be useful ways to communicate significant messages and to strengthen relationships.

12 Great Interactive Story Apps

It seems a long time since I have reviewed some story apps. You can look at my entire app reviews HERE. In this post I want to review 12 story apps published in recent months. As in my other app reviews, 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. 'Dr Seuss Short Story Collection' (Oceanhouse Media)

Dr Seuss's Short Story Collection contains eight classic titles all in one electronic book app (what Oceanhouse Media calls an 'omBook'). The format for the app is consistent with most Oceanhouse story apps. The reader can choose to read it themselves, be read to or record their won version of the reading. Pages swipe easily and the narration is a lively male reading in an American accent. The text is highlighted as it is read (word-by-word) and the reader can touch illustrations which are then named.

The eight separate stories are available from the apps 'home' where your bookcase displays the books in the collection. The stories of course are by Dr Seuss which makes them good value at $10.49 for eight stories. As I've said before in my reviews, I find the Oceanhouse template that is used in slightly varied forms for their children's books to be a little 'wooden' and lacking in interactive elements that engage the reader and support the magic of the Dr Seuss texts.  Having said this, children will enjoy some of the classic stories within the collection, including 'I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today', 'The Glunk that Got Thunk', 'Zax' and 'Too Many Daves'. Brilliant stuff from Dr Seuss.

My rating of this app is 7

2. 'Storybook Maker' (Merge Mobile)

This is a story app that allows children to make stories for others to enjoy. It allows children to create, share, and read storybooks on the iPad using a basic word processing app that has great and easy links to images, audio (for narration), music, hand drawn original artwork and a wide range of stickers that they can add. You can create new books with the touch of a single button. You are prompted for a title, options are given for a cover and then you are guided through the formatting of your story. As you move from page to page the previous page is automatically saved.

A variety of templates are also provided with different layouts. You can use blank pages to create your own layout or use one of the twelve pre-designed options. This is very easy app to use. If you're using an iPad you can take photos and instantly save them to your book. The use of text boxes, resizing, and layout are all very easy with pinch and stretch options using simple swipes of the screen. The app also offers the very cute use of “physics” objects that include a bouncing ball and a little dune buggy that can be dragged around the page.

The stories that children create are stored in 'My Library' that allows them to easily read, edit and share their work. Files can also be shared by email as a pdf (automatically generated) or via the web as a public document.

Interestingly, the app has no audio instructions, with all instructions written, using a combination of words, images and icons. However, even very young readers will handle the app easily. At $4.49 this app is very good value, I love it and can see many individuals and classes having great fun with it.

My rating of this app is 9

3. 'Little Critter Collection 1' and 'Little Critter Collection 2' by Mercer Myer (Oceanhouse)

There are two 'Little Critter Collections' available written by the legendary author Mercer Myer. Each has ten short stories that are suited to younger readers (aged 3-6 years).  The ten short stories in the second collection include 'Just Go to Bed', 'Just Going to the Dentist', 'Just Granpa and Me', 'What a Bad Dream' and 'Just me and My Cousin'. At $15.99 for the set they represent good value.

Like the Dr Seuss short story collection (reviewed above) the books have simple interactive elements, text highlighting and all illustrations are labelled. Touch the image and they are named for the reader, supporting basic word recognition.

The app also has the option to record your own narration which I'd prefer. You can also turn off the sound effects and interactivity if you want, which I think I'd be tempted to do for most readers who want to enjoy the story not do word recognition by tapping the pictures.

My rating of this app is 7

4. 'The Grunts: Beard of Bees' by Philip Ardagh and illustrated by Axel Schefler (Nosy Crow)

This free game is a clever marketing strategy for Philip Ardagh's 'Grunts' books that are illustrated by Axel Schefler. The app itself is a lot of silly fun, with the player trying desperately to give Mr Grunt a beard made from bees. This scenario of course is one of the events from the first electronic title in the series, 'The Grunts in Trouble'. This is the outrageous story of Mr and Mrs Grunt and their son, Sunny. Of course, Sunny isn’t really their son, as they stole him off a washing line when he was a baby. The story follows their adventures in a badly homemade caravan, drawn by Clip and Clop (donkeys) and their encounter with a household of disgruntled servants from nearby Bigg House, as well as a swarm of angry bees and assorted mischief along the way.

The second title just released is 'The Grunts all at Sea' with other titles to appear soon.  In the second book Mr Grunt is a man with a mission. He has to get a Person of Great Importance (or POGI) to someone called Mrs Bayliss by the twenty-fifth. Alive and well of course. And he can't tell anyone more than that, not even his lovely wife, because there will be people trying to snatch the POGI and so the POGI must be transported in secret. It's an exciting adventure. You're right, it sounds like a lot of fun. If your children like the best (most outrageous?) of Roald Dahl's tales then they will like these stories.

The books are over 200 pages long (with illustrations) and will suit readers aged 7-11 years. I have to say that the complex interface between free app, iTunes and the Nosy Crow website is clunky and I wonder why the publisher doesn't just sell the books via iTunes.

My rating of this app is 7.5

5. 'Grendel's Great Escape' (HD) by Michelle Anaya and illustrated by Kenny DeWitt

This is an interactive story about a boy named Martin and his pet ferret Grendel.  The story takes us along with Martin and his pet on a show and tell day adventure. We can help Martin find his favourite Monster Tee, tackle the laundry monster, catch his ferret and get to school on time. The app allows the reader to join Martin in his race against time to find Grendel while avoiding the grizzly school Principal.

This simple app is filled with over 50 interactive elements and animations that are of high quality. It also has the usual read to me and read by myself options.  One thing it doesn't have (that will please parents and teachers) is any external links to other sites and products. The app is great value at just $2.99.

My rating of this app is 8

6. 'The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Chores' by Stan and Jan Berenstain (Oceanhouse Media)

I just love the Berenstain Bears and so do most children aged 4-7 years. In this story a crisis occurs within the Bear family because Papa Bear and the cubs seem to avoid all the normal chores around the house. Mama Bear decides that two can play at this game and so stops doing them as well. The consequences are a disaster and of course something must change. Guess who has to change?!

The illustrations and text are delightful and will engage younger readers. The story has the Berenstain charm and magic. The app is available for $3.99 US.

My rating of this app is 8

7. 'A Shiver of Sharks' by Judy Hedlund (Little Bahalia Publishing)

This HD app is a sequel to 'A Troop is a Group of Monkeys' and was written by Judy Hedlund and illustrated by Pamela Baron. It is all about the creatures of the sea. It has good animation and lots of interactive elements. The text on each page is simple and highlights a single creature, a creative collective noun and a simple statement for each. Each has related and appropriate sound and animation. For example:

'A cast of crabs scuttles sideways at sea'
'A screech of gulls snatches picnic debris'
'A risk of lobsters cuts food with sharp claws'
'A battery of barracudas hunts a school of small fish'

The animations work as you touch the screen and the audio offers complementary sounds. For example, the page with the cast of crabs has the sound of waves washing the shore, and the barracudas make snapping noises (and open their mouths) when you touch them. The app is in high definition but most people won't see much difference in quality compared to SD apps.

I love this app and at $3.99 give it a high recommendation.

My rating of the app is 9

8. 'Meet the Insects: Water and Grass Edition' (NCSOFT)

This is the 3rd and latest app from NCSOFT in a series about insects (previous apps were 'Forest Edition' and the 'Village Edition'). It is an app that children interested in natural history will love. It presents a huge amount of knowledge about insects using varied written texts, images, videos, animations, interactive stories and a wonderful observation manual. It is a large app at over 500 MB but I wouldn't allow this to put you off.

The app is easy to use with the home screen offering a comprehensive set of options to sample multimedia, the journal, a quiz, or just explore insects. The observation journal is a fantastic aid. It offers the user a page for every day, with the options to add titles, weather conditions, photos, where it was spotted etc. It would work well for individuals, a class or even a family.

This will be a great app for classroom teachers to use as part of natural science or will be a very popular app with children who love the natural world.

The app has two quizzes that children will enjoy completing, although they are quite simple and won't test children with a good knowledge of science.

My rating of the app is 9

9. 'The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins' by Dr Seuss (Oceanhouse Media)

'The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins' is one of my favourite Dr Seuss books. It is essentially the tale of a boy who when he needs to take his hat off to honour the king - who is passing by - finds that there are 499 other hats under his first hat. Taking off the hat doesn't prove to be easy!

King Derwin demands "hats off to the King", but poor Bartholomew can't manage it. He is taken to the royal throne room and brought before the King's magicians to solve the problem.

A wonderful Dr Seuss title that children aged 4-8 will enjoy. It is priced at $5.49 US.

My rating of the app is 7.5

10. 'Sir Charlie Stinky Socks and the Really BIG Adventure' written and illustrated by Kristina Stephenson (KIWA Media)

This wonderful story app is a delightful story about courageous Sir Charlie Stinky Socks who sets out on a BIG Adventure. With his trusty grey mare and Envelope the cat, Sir Charlie and the reader can explore the deep dark forest, hear the monstrous trees groan, terrible beasts moaning and wiggly woos that cannot wait to tickle your toes. Sir Charlie doesn't flinch when he meets the beasties, or the dragon, or the wily witch, but when he comes across the princess, he realises he's met his match! As you read the app you are part of the trials of Sir Charlie defying the drooling monsters and the fire-breathing dragon to save the day. This is an innocent tale of a boy who wants adventure and finds it to be surprising and not quite he was expecting.

The app makes excellent use of sound and numerous animation features that allow readers to touch, drag and shake the iPad. These features will keep children coming back to the app (but they aren't the main game), but hopefully the wonderful images and interesting text will keep them there.  It has other features such as the option to colour in outline versions of images and children can record themselves reading the story. One feature that I like a lot is that the option to touch the text and hear it has a word by word option (which I've criticized in the past) and the ability to hear phrases, lines and sentences with a swipe of the text. This is a great feature and encourages the use of context, meaning and syntax.

This app was winner of the Practical Pre-School Bronze medal and shortlisted for the Red House Children’s Book award. It sells for $5.49 and is suitable for children aged 3-6 years.

My rating of the app is 9
 
11. 'I Love My Dad' by Anna Walker (Snappyant)

This is a lightly animated and interactive app based on the popular children's book, 'I Love My Dad' (published in 2009 by Scholastic Press). It was written by Australian author and illustrator Anna Walker. Anna works with ink, pencil and collage to create her beautiful images. It is a delightful story with great sound effects. The story is simple but beautifully written.

 The story is centred on Ollie, a gorgeous lively Zebra and Fred the dog. The central character (and narrator) of the story loves his Dad. The language use is so authentic, every word is well chosen, and the actual reader on the app has a delightful and appropriate male voice. As we read along, we go with Ollie as he plays and enjoys a fun day with his Dad. And as we do so, we can touch the characters on every page and make them move along with the narrative. We can make Ollie ride his bike, help him to swing in the tree, paint the fence, go down the slide and we can even move the playground equipment. But soon it is time for bed and Dad falls asleep reading to Ollie. This is a beautiful bedtime story that all children aged 2-5 years will love. It sells for $4.49. 

My rating of the app is 9.5

12. 'McElligot's Pool' by Dr Seuss (Oceanhouse Media)

Marco casts his fishing line into McElligot's pool and wonders what sea creatures might bight if this pool is connected (perhaps) to an underground river that starts at the pool and flows to distant places.  Might some strange and wonderful fish be on their way to his hook this very moment? He wonders, "Will I catch a fish with a pinwheel-like tail! I might catch a fish who has fins like a snail!" His over-active imagination takes him through a world of possibilities, as he considers wild creatures with unusual habits! The book has the typical Oceanhouse features. Switch off the word recognition facility of it is a distraction so that your readers can just enjoy the wonderful Seuss story. It is available for $4.99 US. Readers aged 4-10 will enjoy this book.

My rating of the app is 7