iPad as an Educational Tool

It’s no secret the iPad is a device that appeals to many people. If your young, games and social media, as well as the iPod will appeal to you. If your an adult, productivity and utility are mainly what you will look for. If your even older, then newspapers and books are for you. But what about the children? Some say games, coloring books, definitely right. But there is more.

For this post we observed a child that just passed his third birthday. I observed how he used iOS devices for a couple of months, using an iPhone and a newly received iPad. What I observed truly caught me by surprise. There is definitely a big improvement on how children behave when using technology starting at a very young age. What I saw was incredibly good.

The, then two year old child, spent some time handling the iPhone while at his house or when he went shopping and sitting in his baby carriage. You could say, what’s great about it? Well nothing, just that he could always find his way to his favorite songs whenever he wanted. Remember this is a two year old that still doesn’t know how to read.

Among other things observed; he could get into Facebook’s app and browse, he could at one time, set up a passcode and block the iPhone. Remember, in order to do this you have to input the same number twice to successfully set up a passcode. The only way to unlock it was restoring after putting it in recovery mode.

Of course he likes games such as Shrek and videos, where he is playing it on his iPad. But when presented with educational apps that really teaches him from a young age about colors, matching pictures and even recognizing animals and sounds, the iPad is the perfect companion to learn and help any kid to improve the development of his/her brain. Its the apps that require interaction that really help children develope, learn faster, and improve overall performance.

We separate these apps from those that they just are stuck there playing with a character killing zombies for whatever reason. Apps that help them recognize colors, animals, sounds and even the family members and parts of the house are the apps that benefit the children.

Yes the iPad is a content device, but it also can create it. Yes the iPad is for playing, but also for learning. There are apps out there that can help you maximize the potential of using it, not only to entertain. It also can help you in ways that are productive for any member of the family. I honestly say I’m not a big fan of giving a two-three year old a DVD player to just see dumb animated movies when they can have all these apps that will get your child moving, thinking, interacting, touching, singing. Why bother getting them netbooks where your child will end up having a Facebook account and just doing dumb things that really don’t help their development at all.

When I think of the generations that come after me, it is a scary thought. Kids and teenagers don’t give any kind of importance to education, to learning and parents are the ones responsible for this. If you teach them at a very young age and get them excited about learning new things, they will become professionals that will get far ahead in life.

Embedded here are some of the videos of the kid observed using his new gift, an iPad. Video is provided and approved by the family. Intro is from before The iOS Post became what it is today.

Here are some example of apps that can really help your child, not only to keep him/her occupied, but also keeping him/her thinking, while stimulating the brain.

• The Monster at the End of This Book ($3.99)- Lively interactive animation that responds to your child’s touch, narration by lovable old Grover himself, engaging activities that empower readers to decide how and when to move the story forward-—plus encourage kids’ spatial development and listening skills, word highlighting to help build beginning reader skills and playful parent tips from the educational experts at Sesame Street .

• My Very First App ($1.99) – The app contains 3 levels of game play: Easy (ages 1-3), Medium (ages 2 and up) and Hard (ages 3 and up). These gently increasing stages of difficulty can grow along with your child, and continue to challenge them throughout their early learning years. In Easy mode the screen is divided in half—just like the original books—and your child can swipe the lower and upper halves to find a match. The Medium and Hard modes are based on the game of Memory; players are presented with a set of cards face down and must find a pair by flipping over cards and identifying their matches or their related concepts.

• Interactive Alphabet ($2.99)- Universal app for iPad/iPhone/iPod: You can use it at home or on the go! Buy it once, take it everywhere; fun original artwork, animations, music, and sound effects engage and capture your child’s curiosity. Memorable and unique interactivity keep your child coming back for more fun and upbeat Original Music — keeps you dancing, not wincing (parent friendly!). Our very own Alphabet/ABC song included!, Baby Mode option (Auto advances cards every 15 seconds), Phonic Sounds, Upper and Lower-case letters

These are just some of the titles but we will provide even more every week to complement all Papa Heroes’ powers.