Must Read articles: Apps and eBooks for kids

The UK's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has launched an investigation into freemium web and ap-based games for children.

(...) 

“The OFT is not seeking to ban in-game purchases, but the games industry must ensure it is complying with the relevant regulations so that children are protected,” says Elithorn. “We are speaking to the industry and will take enforcement action if necessary.”

So what happens now? The OFT will gather information from games developers and “games hosting services” (this includes Facebook, as well as Apple, Google and other app store owners, and possibly online virtual worlds like Moshi Monsters we’re assuming) to “understand business practices used in this sector” and decide whether there’s wrongdoing.

It expects to publish its next steps by October based on that research

"Bleu de Toi" et "Pour les Petits Doigts... Appliqués" se retrouvent à l'exposition RéCréation organisée par le réseau des bibliothèques municipales de Lyon jusqu'au 29 juin grâce à La souris grise...

Plus d'infos ici : http://recreation.bm-lyon.fr/

The Jellybean Tunes App Report presents the latest apps, news and updates in the world of family-friendly apps.

It's not always easy setting down the rules with one's children, especially when it comes to moderating the use of a tool as fun and interactive as the tablet... "Appy Tips & Tricks for Kids" will help you put into place a few basic rules concerning the family tablet but without spoiling their fun or yours! Ages 3-6 and up.

iPhone and iPad: $0.99

La Souris Grise est partenaire de Récréation, une belle manifestation sur les arts et la culture qui vient d'ouvrir à Lyon. Applications iPad enfant.

Les tablettes des bibliothèques lyonnaises proposent des applications d’Alexandre Minard, d‘Audois & Alleuil, d’Avant-goût Studios, de Chocolapps, de CotcotcotApps, d’ E-Toiles, de Gallimard, de Hachette,deHappyBlueFish, de HocusBookus, deKidschool, de Kiupe, de La souris qui raconte, de L’Apprimerie, de Marbotic, de Nathan, de Seven Academy, de Studio Pango, de Slimcricket, de Tralalère, des Trois Elles, de Quelle Histoire, des Volumiques, de We want to know, de Zabouille et de Zanzibook.

Cette sélection est  révélatrice des expérimentations que l’on constate depuis trois ans dans l’offre numérique Jeunesse : un foisonnement d’acteurs, des nouveaux entrants tous les mois dans un secteur encore naissant mais plein de créativité et de dynamisme.

I hoped that the apps’ homely themes were all part of a plan. So I met with Toca Boca’s C.E.O.

(...) The refusal of beauty is even more acute on Toca Hair Salon 2, the best-selling app for Toca Boca.`

(...) Toca Tea Party is also a multiplayer, interactive experience: you can sit three kids around the iPad, and each one gets a drink and a plate, a chance to pour, spill, and wipe up

(...) Although the praise from the autism community was unexpected, a frictionless play environment was part of Toca Boca’s mission from the start. Toca Boca apps have no levels, no rewards, no beginning, middle, and end. They also have almost no words, because much of their target market can’t read. Why frustrate the kids with written instructions? And why pay to have those instructions translated into the languages of the hundred and forty-six countries where the apps are sold?

“If you look at what’s available in the App Store, almost everything is in the learning category, only books and games,” says Jeffery. “That’s how adults play. Read a book, play Angry Birds on your phone. But you would rarely pick up a doll… which is a shame.”

A survey, conducted by The National Literacy Trust, found that 52 per cent of children preferred to read on an electronic device - including e-readers, computers and smartphones - while only 32 per cent said they would rather read a physical book. 

Worryingly, only 12 per cent of those who read using new technology said they really enjoyed reading, compared with 51 per cent of those who favoured books.

Pupils who get free school meals, generally a sign they are from poorer backgrounds, are the least likely group to pick up a traditional book, the research found.

The poll of 34,910 young people aged between eight and 16 across the UK found that those who read printed texts were almost twice as likely to have above-average reading skills as those who read on screens every day. 

The study also found that children were more likely to have their own computer than their own desk.

Jonathan Douglas, the director of the National Literacy Trust, said: 'While we welcome the positive impact which technology has on bringing further reading opportunities to young people, it's crucial that reading in print is not cast aside.

The Cat in the Hat and other old friends are keeping up with the technological times.

(...) Dick Bruna, the creator of Miffy the rabbit, has cautioned against adding too much digital whiz-bang to children’s book apps. “I wouldn’t want too much interactivity — something to do on every page for instance — as I think that would make it too complicated for a young child,” Bruna told The Guardian of London last year.

True to his vision, the app edition of Miffy’s Garden is fairly straightforward, but does offer a few on-screen activities interspersed between the pages — perhaps just enough to keep squirmy toddlers engaged.

Les photos de l'atelier de Dominique Maes lors de la journée ENFANTS-PARENTS admis organisée par le centre culturel de Woluwe sont en ligne ! 

Objectifs de la formation :

Rencontrer les acteurs nationaux (CNL, BPI, Réseau CAREL)Connaître les politiques publiques mises en place pour favoriser l'émergence d'une offre numérique en bibliothèqueConnaître les modalités de l'offre de ressources numériques en bibliothèque en France et à l'étrangerDécouvrir des expériences de médiation innovantes

Not all parents seem to get what some apps are supposed to do and how they are intended to be played with by their child, which can sometime lead to a negative experience of the app or the developer by the parent and the child.

Researchers still do not know what the future might hold for a generation raised with smartphones and tablets.