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A Parent's Guide

8
Why and how can new technologies like apps be used for language promotion/development?

Media use and media education

Mykola (5 years old) and his two younger twin sisters (7 months old) just moved with their mother to a new country. Despite his mother's efforts, he has yet to receive a placement in kindergarten, so he spends his days with his mom and sisters, speaking the family language and adapting to the new environment. Some family friends recommended a language-learning app for him to bridge the waiting period while playing with and learning the school language simultaneously. Mykola loves the little stories and tasks in the app; he quickly learns to respond to the instructions given in the school language. So, when he starts kindergarten a few weeks later, he does not feel speechless because he has already practised the school language a little. His mum is also happy because she can learn new words and phrases, as attending a regular language course with three kids is not easy.

Nowadays, the internet and the use of apps are part of our reality and daily routines. Most people in Europe have access to the internet, either via smartphone, tablet, or computer at home. It is a tool to connect people or to entertain oneself by listening to music, gaming, etc. But it is also a tool for organising yourself, searching for specific information, and learning and practising acquired knowledge.

Media use has become a constant part of many children's lives. From early on, they interact with new technologies and digital media at home, primarily for entertainment (e.g., to play, see videos, or listen to audiobooks) but also for learning purposes.

Experts have created guidelines for children's use of screens. Time recommendations for different age groups vary slightly depending on the expert. Still, more or less, they follow the ones listed below:

  • 0-2 year old children should not have any screen time (TV, computer, tablet, smartphone).
  • 2-5-year-old children should have less than one hour of screen time a day under the supervision of their caregivers.
  • 6-9-year-old children can spend a little longer in front of the screen each day, but preferably not more than one hour.

When you decide to introduce your child to apps, you should take time and select content for your child consciously and carefully. There are a vast number of apps targeted at children on the market. Still, only a few fulfil the quality standards the media and child development experts have set. One of the choices could be to select a learning app, but you need to be aware that the quality of these also varies considerably. Here, we have selected some information on how to recognise good apps and tips on how to select them.

Chances and challenges of using learning apps:

Learning apps can be useful because children are fascinated by media use, especially when something is presented in a playful, animated way. However, children need guidance to deal with all the information they get access to in order to avoid being overwhelmed, scared, or even traumatised. Adults, especially parents and teachers, should always accompany children and help them become competent media users. Consequently, media education has become increasingly important within families and in early childhood institutions.

Parents may worry about which apps to choose for their children. They may also worry about potential threats to their children from media use. They may be insecure about how, when, and if it is recommended that learning apps be introduced to their children.

More research is being done on that topic. Overall, more chances than challenges are reported regarding using apps for learning purposes (as long as the screen time recommendations are followed). More chances are especially reported regarding using mathematical and language learning-supporting apps. Regarding their early literacy and numeracy skills, children seem to profit most when an app includes various age-appropriate interactive tools and techniques.

The following section summarises some of the chances and challenges of learning apps.

Chances

Learning apps:

  • can be used whenever and wherever (maximum flexibility);
  • are often free of charge, thus accessible for all families, independent of their economic background;
  • can facilitate language learning through a variety of techniques (e.g. a lot of oral instructions, audio and visual content, reading and playing content, etc.);
  • can foster creative and musical skills.
Challenges

Learning apps:

  • can distract children from other learning opportunities outside of the digital world;
  • can lead to health issues when used too often, too long, too much and without guidance;
  • can influence, for example, visual perception, attention span, and memory abilities (especially in early childhood when brain development is highly dependent on external stimuli).

The success of using a learning app developed for children depends on how parents and teachers accompany the child in the process of working with the content. A shared digital experience allows parents to follow and strengthen their child's learning process and even learn something new themselves. At the same time, they share a play situation. Sharing digital experiences also helps parents to be able to react immediately to any sign of irritation or overburden that a child may show due to excessive or inappropriate consumption of media. Young children, especially, have not yet developed the self-discipline to control their media consumption. Therefore, parents must impose rules. It is recommended that they provide their children with time-limited access to digital media and apps. Media consumption is not a substitution for social experiences or motor and other sensory, developmental tasks outside the digital world. A responsible handling within boundaries is therefore necessary. The apps offered to their children should be chosen consciously. They should be age-appropriate and of pedagogical value.

Pedagogically valuable apps typically:

  • follow an age-appropriate pace and complexity so the child can deal with the presented images and information. The app can easily be used by the child;
  • include short units presented playfully and a child-appropriate, age-appropriate, attractive design. The app leaves space for creativity, interactive elements and participation;
  • don't include advertisements of any sort or profit from in-app buying of additional tools/incentives. This way, the child can't accidentally purchase a new tool and can focus on playing and learning without distraction. Further links to other websites or advertisements should be accessible to parents in a child-secured area of the app;
  • have received labels from national institutions or NGOs for their quality in some countries;
  • can be recommended by kindergarten teachers and parents.

Parents want to know which app will fulfil their children's educational needs, provide well-designed learning opportunities and be child-appropriate and pedagogically valuable. Moreover, they also want the app to be fun for their child. Some national institutions have published lists of child-appropriate apps (with recommendations and reviews on content) to help parents to find the right app for their child:

Why use the "Dandelin goes to school - app" to support the first steps towards school language?

As already mentioned, language learning-supporting apps, even for younger children, have been found to be useful and may support children in their language development, literacy and numeracy skills if they fulfil the criteria of age-appropriateness, considering content, pace of presentation of content, and design of the app. Furthermore, they should include a variety of methods and lots of oral instructions to be useful and supportive for children's overall language development.

The "Dandelin goes to school - app" fulfils the above-mentioned criteria. It may be especially helpful for children who

  • are not at all familiar with the school language;
  • already have some fundamental skills and would like to practise them;
  • have little or no opportunities to get in touch with the school language before entering kindergarten or school and want to understand more by the time they enter kindergarten or school;
  • need some support for their overall language development, early literacy and numeracy skills;
  • want to learn one of the languages available in the app (German, Lithuanian, Polish and Slovenian);
  • live abroad but want to learn and practise their family language (if it is included as one of the app languages).

Children will benefit from the playful approach to basic words and numbers, colours, nouns and verbs, and prepositions needed to understand and follow instructions later in kindergarten or school. The vocabulary included in the app was chosen carefully, using the country-specific guidelines for school entry in Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Poland, and Lithuania. The chapters were designed to provide children with a playful learning context and changing methods to introduce new content to learn. Parents are invited to join their children when using the app and, by doing so, to introduce themselves to the school language as well. They can make their first steps into the school language in the same playful way and profit from the joint learning and playing experience.

This language-learning app is quite unique. It offers a child-oriented approach to language learning, and some of the vocabulary and grammar children will need when entering school. Children will learn effortlessly while having fun and playing little games. Dandelin can't wait to share this experience with you and your child!

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