“If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.”
-- Ignacio Estrada

Saturday, July 16, 2011

ABC Numbers ~Review~

ABC Numbers
This app is from Punflay. I would consider it a baby/toddler app. It incorporates music with basic letter and number identification. It is set up to look similar to a few commercial baby/toddler toys that I know my kids had when they were little. The numbers section gives a simple visual representation of the numbers up to 10. Users can choose colors displayed and pictures that light up (fish, flower, bird). Users can activate pictures and app counts for them OR they can choose number an appropriate number of pictures light up. This section has a music option, playing 3 different songs. The ABC section displays a ABC wheel. The user "spins" or moves the wheel to a letter of his choice, a picture starting with that letter appears along with a traceable space to practice tracing letters. A singing star, activated by "pulling a string" sings ABC song. The song is very good quality and pleasant to listen to unlike some other apps I have encountered.

Additional IEP applications
Since the app is quite basic, I think it would most appropriately be used with students to work on cause/effect who need a developmentally appropriate activity, but want to use a more age appropriate tool (such as an iPad). This app could be an effective tool for students who need to work on developing the correct finger motions to activate the iPad with the various areas that need single touch or swipe to activate app.
Suggestions
The app is very simple and easy to use.
My only suggestion:
  1. In ABC section, it would be nice if when picture is touched, the app would say the sound, word and/or sentence about the picture.
For future, I would like to see a more age appropriate app (maybe 5-7 y/o) that would work on same basic finger motions needed for iPad use, maybe with more popular music or pictures that were more age appropriate (sports pictures, environmental words, etc.)


Conclusion
In conclusion, this app mirrors similar baby/toddler toys that are commercially available. In this case, I would go with the real toys versus the virtual ones. If you want an app to use in one of those "entertain" the baby times, then this app would be ok to have on hand if you don't mind the $1.99 price tag. Due to the developmental level of the app (baby/toddler), this app would be best suited to use within resource and therapy room versus within the general education classroom (when working with school aged students).



APP INFO
developer:Punflay/EMANTRAS
itunes: ABC Numbers
category: education
Released: Aug 20, 2010

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