Common Sense Media Review
By Dana Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
App introduces basic skills but falls short without support.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Toddler World
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
Toddlers and their parents choose from seven activities: Learn Alphabets, Learn Colors, Learn Shapes, Learn Vehicles, Draw n Learn, Find a Match, or Colors Quiz. Tap on the activity, and either view the app-style flashcard and tap through arrows to hear each related word or, in games, tap on the appropriate icon to match the balloon color or penguin card. In Draw n Learn, a letter is shown and kids can trace anything they want over it.
Is It Any Good?
TODDLER WORLD offers some good basic skills work, such as names of shapes, colors, transportation vehicles, and the alphabet. For many toddlers, however, some of these games -- such as the matching game or the tracing game -- could be a stretch of attention, skill, and dexterity. Those particular games may be better suited to young preschoolers.
Even more concerning, though, is the lack of constructive feedback in the app. When kids choose an incorrect color, for example, they don't hear the name for the color the selected, and they aren't reminded which color they are looking for. In addition, the tracing game is not accurate enough to be very useful. To get the most out of the app, parents will need to offer a lot of support during gameplay.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Guide toddlers' use of Toddler World to ensure they understand the correct answers on quizzes and activities and to avoid frustration and misunderstanding.
Encourage your toddler to trace letters in other concrete ways, such as in sand, bubbles, and flour.
App Details
- Device: Android
- Subjects: Language & Reading : following directions, letter or word recognition, vocabulary, Arts : drawing, Math : shapes
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning : decision-making, memorization
- Release date: March 26, 2011
- Category: Education
- Publisher: Explore In Android
- Version: 3.0
- Minimum software requirements: Android 1.6 and up
- Last updated: July 13, 2020
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