App Selection Criteria - Young Children, New Media & Libraries



|App Function|Consider… |Questions to Ask |

| |Purpose of app |What does the app do? Educational? Entertainment? |

| |Learning potential |What can kids learn? How are skills acquired or enhanced using |

| | |this app? |

| |Level of interactivity |Engaging with a great learning approach? Encourage further |

| | |exploration? |

| |Usability |Who is the intended audience? Appropriate for your child? |

| |Recommended by others |What do the reviews say about the app? What are app store |

| | |ratings? |

| |Privacy |Does the app capture user information about the child? |

| | |Disclosures about sharing practices readily available? Targeted |

| | |advertising allowed? |

| |Exposure to advertising |Content of ads? Placement of ads? Frequency of ads? |

| |Parental controls |Available in the app? Control using device? |

|App Design |Cost |Is the app free or fee-based? Is it free to download but with |

| | |In-App purchases? |

| |Quality of text |Language grammatically correct and free of typos? Vocabulary |

| | |level used? |

| |Quality of graphics, images and photos |Visually appealing? Age-appropriate? |

| |Quality of audio |Narrator easy to understand? What is the tone of voice? Volume |

| | |levels consistent? |

| |Functionality |Does the app work? Does it crash? Does it frequently require an |

| | |update? |

The following are websites where you will find reviews of apps. Keep in mind that not all reviews are objective, thorough or transparent in their processes. It is always best to review apps yourself, using the criteria on the reverse side of this page, to determine whether or not they are appropriate for your students and desired outcomes.

Appitic: App lists for Education



Association for Library Services to Children’s Blog: App reviews by public librarians



Common Sense Media: We rate, educate, and advocate for kids, families, and schools



Cybils: Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards for book apps



Digital Media Diet: App reviews



Horn Book Out of the Box: Publications about books for children and young adults

App Review of the Week



KinderTown: Transforming mobile devices into powerful teaching tools by finding and organizing the best educational apps for kids ages 3-8 years old.

Kirkus: Integrity, honesty and accessible reviews written with an insider’s eye

iPad Book Apps Reviews



Reading Rockets: Launching Young Readers

Educational literacy apps



School Library Journal Touch and Go: App reviews by school librarians



The Digital Shift: App reviews



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