Smart tips for parents about “educational” apps for kids

CBS NEWS | MICHAEL CASEY | May 7, 2015

Tens of thousands of supposedly educational apps aimed at young children are little more than “digital candy” that offer few benefits for youngsters, according to a new study.

The research, published in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest, found that many of the 80,000 apps in the Apple app store may not be harmful but do “add even more distraction to children’s deeply distracting lives.”

“Many apps marketed as educational are basically the equivalent of sugary foods,” co-author Kathy Hirsh-Pasek of Temple University said of their findings.

To help parents differentiate between the good and bad educational apps on the market, the researchers offered these tips:

– Avoid apps that feature a lot of distracting “bells and whistles.” Instead, look for apps that support sustained engagement with the task at hand.


– Avoid apps that present children with knowledge in a vacuum. Instead, look for apps that help children make meaningful connections between new information and what they already know.


– Avoid apps that don’t involve the most powerful learning resource we have — other humans. Instead, look for apps that encourage social interaction via discussion, competition, or conversation.


– Avoid apps that tell your child what to know. Instead, look for apps that use guided exploration to help your child discover new information on their own terms. Article