ASSIGNMENT 4: Five Digital Early Learning Resources

ASSIGNMENT 4:

Evaluation of Five Digital Early Learning Resources

      Assignment 4 contains the evaluations of five digital early learning resources for helping promote reading readiness/early literacy for parents, librarians, educators and anyone interested in helping a child learn how to read.  These tools will be evaluated  based on their appropriateness, ease of use, and development needs of children ages 0-4 years old.  The five digital early learning resources selected consists of:  LeapFrog: The Letter Factory Video, Tag Junior,  Between the Lions: PBS Television Program, AWE Digital Learning Solutions, and Signing TiME! My First Signs: Volume 1, DVD.

1.  LeapFrog: The Letter Factory Video

 

Website:  http://shop.leapfrog.com/leapfrog/

GENERAL INTRODUCTION:  The Letter Factory is an educational video with dynamic cartoon characters that introduce the letters of the alphabet with their corresponding sounds.  The Leap Frog characters have sweet melodic voices that children are attracted to.  The color schemes are bright and clear, enticing children to interact and sing-along with the video. 

AGE-APPROPRIATE: For children ages 0-4.

EASE OF USE:  The Letter Factory is fun and uses rhymes and sing-along songs to keep children engaged as they learn the alphabet.  Children want to watch this video over and over again. 

DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS:   Children instantly gain letter knowledge and phonological awareness skills through repetition and pronunciation. 

FINAL EVALUATION:  This video is a valuable beginning learning tool for children ages 0-4.  Leap Frog's Letter Factory is the perfect beginning for any child learning the alphabet and sets the foundation for many more Leap Frog products.  As children master early literacy skills, the Leap Frog characters grow with them as they get older.  The Leap Frog products follow the natural progression in language development for children ages 0-4. 

2.  Tag Junior

 

Main Website:  http://www.leapfrog.com/tag/tag-jr.html#

GENERAL INTRODUCTION:  Tag Junior is a pen-like child-directed learning tool that a toddler holds and presses on board books to learn early literacy concepts such as numbers, letters, colors and more. 

AGE-APPROPRIATE:  For children ages 1- 4.

EASE OF USE:  The Tag Junior is super easy and fun to use and is called a "book pal."     This interactive child-driven learning tool provides instant interaction with text and spoken words.  The child uses the tag it pen over pictures and touches the book to activate spoken words, sounds, and vocabulary.  The recorded voices have beautiful pronunciation and articulation so the child is instantly corrected and can go over the word as many times as necessary.  All the characters and stories in each of the books are popular cartoon characters such as Disney princesses, Elmo, and more.  Parents can purchase individual books that work with the Tag Junior so children can have even more experiences with familiar characters as they develop their early literacy skills. 

DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS:  This digital early learning resource is one of the most tactile experiences a young child comes in contact with and is the younger version of the Tag reading system. The Tag Junior supports early literacy in the areas of vocabulary and phonemic awareness. 

FINAL EVALUATION:  This is an excellent tool to help young children transition to reading on their own. 

3.  Between the Lions: PBS Television Program

 

Main Website:  http://pbskids.org/lions/

Parents and Teachers:  http://www.pbs.org/parents/lions/

GENERAL INTRODUCTION:  Between the Lions is an educational public television program created by educators.  This Emmy award winning children's series is a spin-off of Sesame Street and has many similarities.  The lion puppet characters interact in a variety of scenarios and songs using different approaches to teach the same concepts. 

AGE-APPROPRIATE: For children ages 0-4. 

EASE OF USE:  Between the Lions uses puppets characters and animation to appeal to their audience.  The show uses blends and digraphs with repetition and rhyming to popular songs.  This entertaining program draws children in and teaches reading skills by highlighting and breaking up smaller sounds in words. 

DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS: Between the Lions helps children learn to read and recognize words through repetition.  The show reinforces sound combinations and encourages children to sound out words. 

FINAL EVALUATION:  Watch tv and learn to read. 

4.  AWE Digital Learning Solutions

 

Main Website:  http://www.awelearning.com/ 

GENERAL INTRODUCTION:  AWE "Advanced Workstations in Education" are self-directed digital learning stations with preloaded interactive activities and educational software programs for children.   

AGE-APPROPRIATE: For children ages 2 and up

EASE OF USE:  Children can choose different levels of activities that interest them and the content is "engaging and challenging."  In the library, the AWE stations are always full and children cannot wait for their turn on the easy- to-use intuitive stations.  The AWE stations are cross-curricular and incorporates engaging graphics and songs. 

DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS:  These individualized "Early Literacy Stations" cover all six pre-reading skills that children must learn in order to learn to read. 

FINAL EVALUATION:  This digital early learning resource is the most comprehensive tool that focuses on pre-reading skills and should be in every public library.  

5.  Signing TiME! My First Signs: Volume 1

Main Website: http://www.signingtime.com/

GENERAL INTRODUCTION:  The Signing TiME! video teaches beginning American Sign Language (ASL) in a playful manner.  An adult demonstrates a word through sign movement and is followed by children mimicking the sign.  The video is set to catchy music and pictures of the object being signed. 

AGE-APPROPRIATE:  For children ages 1 and up.

EASE OF USE:   The video is easy to follow and children simply mirror the sign demonstrated. 

DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS:  Signing TiME!  is especially good for children with physical restrictions and/or speech impediments and exposes children to different languages at an early age. 

FINAL EVALUATION:  The Signing TiME! video series is an excellent tool for children that promotes visual learning.