Mobile Devices and Mobile Applications in Pre-K to Grade 3 Families Executive Summary

Mobile Devices and Mobile Applications in Pre-K to Grade 3 Families Executive Summary A Report to the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative Betsy McCar...
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Mobile Devices and Mobile Applications in Pre-K to Grade 3 Families

Executive Summary

A Report to the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative

Betsy McCarthy, Ph.D. Sara Atienza Danielle Yumol Matt Silberglitt Linlin Li, Ph.D. Katherine Kuhns, Ph.D.

August 2012

WestEd — a national nonpartisan, nonprofit research, development, and service agency — works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. WestEd has 16 offices nationwide, from Washington and Boston to Arizona and California, with its headquarters in San Francisco. For more information about WestEd, visit WestEd.org; call 415.565.3000 or, toll-free, (877) 4-WestEd; or write: WestEd / 730 Harrison Street / San Francisco, CA 94107-1242. © 2012 WestEd. All rights reserved.

Executive Summary

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n spring 2012, WestEd conducted a study of parents of children in preschool to grade three, focusing on their mobile device purchasing and use patterns and the applications delivered through those devices. Mobile applications, or mobile apps, are software applications designed to run on smart phones, tablet computers, and other mobile devices. They are available through application distribution platforms, such as the Apple App Store or Google Play. Some apps are free, while others have a price. Usually, they are downloaded from the platform to a target device. People use mobile apps for many purposes including checking email, accessing maps, watching videos and playing games. The purpose of the current study is to identify how parents in low-income communities use mobile devices and apps to support the mathematics and reading skills of their children. The study is part of WestEd’s larger CPB-PBS Ready To Learn (RTL) initiative evaluation activities. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the RTL initiative supports the development of educational digital media for preschool and early elementary school children and their families. In cooperation with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Public Broadcasting Service, its goal is to promote early learning and school readiness, with a particular interest in reaching children from low-income families.

Research Methods Research Questions A mixed-methods approach was used to address the following research questions: 1. What are parents’ levels of awareness about applications for mobile devices (apps)? 2. What are parents’ attitudes about apps? 3. What mobile devices and apps do/will parents purchase and use? 4. What apps do children use? 5. What are the contexts for parents’ and children’s use of apps?

Measures and Data Collection Data collection included: 1) a parent survey addressing parents’ knowledge of apps, mobile device and app purchasing habits; children’s use of apps; and the contexts of app usage by parents and their children; and 2) parent interviews and focus groups addressing how

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Mobile Devices and Mobile Applications in Pre-K to Grade 3 Families

parents define apps, how they determine the appropriate apps for their children, their concerns about their children’s use of apps, the types of apps they and their children access and are interested in, and personal policies for buying and using apps.

Recruitment WestEd researchers recruited a total of 367 parents from 78 schools and childcare centers. These schools and centers were targeted for their work with underserved families (including families of color, English language learners, and families from low-income communities) with children in preschool through third grade. Participants were from schools and districts in rural, suburban, and urban areas across the following states: Arizona, California, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. Approximately 70% of students represented in the survey were eligible for a free or reduced lunch at their school. The sample schools served students primarily from low-income households, with 65 out of 78 schools serving more than 45% of students eligible for free and reduced price meals. Over one third of students were Hispanic or Latino with a significant African American subgroup.

Findings Mobile Devices That Are Currently in Use

A majority of the parents involved in the study (85.6%) owned at least one type of mobile device. Some families had several mobile devices, and some had devices for individual family members.

§§Mobile Phones • A majority of families (65.7%) owned a smart phone. Less than 30% of parents who responded to the surveys indicated that they had an iPhone (28.9%); about half of parents (48.8%) indicated that they had other smart phones (Android, Blackberry); 18.5% of parents only owned simple cell phones with no data plans. • When compared to parents who responded to the English version of the survey, Spanish-preference parents were less likely to own a smart phone (69.0% vs. 56.8%) and/or a tablet (35.9% vs. 20.3%). More Spanish-preference parents reported having a simple cell phone only (22.7% vs. 17.8%). • Fewer preschool parents than elementary school parents owned a smart phone (61.8% vs. 70.2%) and/or a tablet (31.7% vs. 36.0%), and more preschool parents than elementary school parents had a simple cell phone only (19.4% vs. 18.0%).

§§Tablets and Touches • One third of families (33.8%) also owned a tablet: 23.2% of families had an iPod Touch; 12.3% had an iPad; and 7.9% had other tablets. • During the interviews, several parents mentioned that they had a new Leap Pad, another type of tablet more geared towards children. A Report to the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative

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§§Handheld Devices • A majority of the families (62.4%) owned handheld gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS, Leapster, iPod Touch). Parents often acquired used devices from other family members or friends. Some parents preferred that their child only access the PSP, DS, and Leapster because it had no Internet access. Although parents liked these handheld gaming devices, they mentioned that it was hard to find educational programs for them. • In some households with multiple children, the children sometimes had their own individual devices. If a child had his or her own device, it was most often a handheld game system (53.4%) or an iPod Touch (10.1%) rather than an iPhone (1.6%) or a smart phone (1.9%).

§§E-Readers • A small portion of families (11.4%) owned an e-reader (Kindle, Nook). • A few Spanish-preference families appeared to prefer the Kindle to other types of devices for their children because they wanted to emphasize reading and language acquisition, and to control access to the Internet. • In general, the Kindle had a reputation as being more “educational” than phones or other tablet devices, which could support “non-educational” apps. • Kindles were viewed as important by parents who had children with learning disabilities.

§§Future Purchasing of Mobile Devices • Parents who completed the surveys (44.9%) were interested in buying some type of smart device in the next 1-3 years. Twenty-seven percent of parents planned to buy an iPhone or other smart phone; and 35.7% of parents planned to buy an iPad, iPod Touch, or other tablet. • Price was the major factor in whether and when parents who did not own a smart device would consider purchasing one.

Parents’ Levels of Awareness About Apps

§§Knowledge About Apps in General Parents overall demonstrated a moderate level of general knowledge about apps. • About 60% of parents thought that they could walk into a store and buy an app; about 45% of parents assumed that most apps cost more than $30; and more than 40% of parents believed they could only use apps if they had an iPhone.

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• More than 80% of English-preference parents and parents who had a smart device compared to 50% of Spanish-preference parents and parents without a smart device knew that there are a lot of free apps and that they could use apps to play games.

§§Knowledge of Educational Apps • English-preference parents (88.7%) and parents who had a smart device (86.9%) were more likely to believe that apps could be educational than Spanish-preference parents (50.7%) and parents who did not have a smart device (63.4%). • More than half of English-preference parents (55.8%) and parents who had a smart device (56.8%) thought that using mobile apps was very helpful or helpful for learning math or reading skills. However, less than half of Spanish-preference parents (41.4%) and parents who did not have a smart device (41.6%) agreed that using mobile apps was helpful for learning math or reading skills.

§§Ways to Learn About Apps • Seventy-five percent of parents who downloaded or bought apps for their children reported that they learned about these apps from family members, other parents, friends, and teachers. Interactions among family, friends, and teachers seemed to be a strong factor in how well versed parents were with finding and using apps for themselves and their children. • Parents searched for the apps themselves or in conjunction with their children. It appeared common for parents to download an app based on a request from their child or after hearing about an app from other parents or friends.

Parents’ Attitudes About Apps

§§Comfort Level with Child Using Mobile Devices and/or Mobile Applications Although the majority of parents who answered the survey would allow their child to play games on a smart phone or tablet and had a favorable attitude towards the educational potential of apps, there were significant differences between English-preference and Spanishpreference survey participants. • Almost all of the English-preference parents compared to about half of the Spanishpreference parents agreed that playing games on smart phones and tablets can be educational (87.8% vs. 47.5%); and similar percentages would allow their child to use a smart phone or tablet to play games (90.6% vs. 56.1%), practice math problems (89.6% vs. 57.6%), and read books (88.5% vs. 63.1%). • During the interviews, Spanish-preference parents reported mixed feelings about allowing their children to use technology in general, and apps in particular, when it came to learning and practicing reading and math skills. Many stated a preference for having their children read from physical books rather than reading on a device that might be distracting. A Report to the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative

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There were also significant differences between parents who had a smart device and parents who did not have a smart device in their attitudes towards apps. • For instance, 88.7% of parents with a smart device compared to 68.7% of parents without a smart device would allow their child to play games on a smart phone or tablet. • More than 80% of parents with a smart device compared to about 60% of parents without a smart device agreed that playing games on smart phones and tablets could be educational. • The vast majority of parents with a smart phone (92%) and without a smart phone (77%) would allow their child to use a mobile device to learn letters and words. Although parents indicated that they were comfortable with their child using mobile devices to access apps, parents still showed some concerns about their children using apps. • Less than half of the Spanish-preference parents surveyed agreed that their child would be careful with a smart phone or a tablet (43.8%). Around 40% of Spanishpreference parents and parents without a smart device felt that smart phones and tablets were too breakable for children to use.

§§Boundaries for Using Apps To address concerns about appropriate and safe app use, parents reported simple ways of monitoring their children’s app use. • Only parents can download apps from the Internet or open an app for the child once they both decide what the child wants to play. • The child must stay in the room with the parent while s/he plays. • With younger children especially, the child must be seated before s/he can handle the device and s/he cannot play with the device outdoors. • Some parents have put passwords on their phones so that only they can access it; some have programmed the phone to require a password before any app can be downloaded. • Parents sometimes set up a separate folder for the child’s apps and the child is not allowed to navigate anywhere else. One parent configured her device to include only apps she would not mind her children coming in contact with. • Other parents have no Internet access in the home, so the child would have to be at the library or at school in order to access it. Because of a heightened concern about “screen time,” a very popular control tactic was to simply limit the time a child could spend on the device either using an app or reading (anywhere between 15 to 45 minutes a day or per app; in one case up to one hour for reading on the Kindle; longer if the children were using a device during a long car ride or doctor’s office visit). A Report to the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative

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• Some parents indicated that as long as their child was playing with what they deemed to be an educational app or researching something for school, s/he could stay on the device for longer periods. • Time on a device was used as a reward (reading in bed on the Kindle before going to sleep or after the child finished his or her homework or chores), or they would purposefully balance technology time with outdoor time. • Often parents tried to balance interacting virtually with time spent interacting with friends in person (e.g., when visiting family or friends the child could not use the device). • Several parents indicated they preferred that their children play with the Wii, because it is social and it fosters physical activity.

Parents’ App Purchasing Habits

§§Current App Purchasing Habits • Parents indicated that the most important things they considered when deciding what mobile apps to buy or download for their children were the age ratings (56.8%), category (e.g., education, entertainment) (52.7%), and the price (38.4%). Parents said the difference between educational vs. non-educational apps influenced their willingness to pay for apps. • The majority of parents (74%) indicated that they downloaded apps from an app store (iTunes, Android, Amazon, Google) whereas about one fourth of parents (23.3%) searched for apps from the producer’s website (PBS KIDS, Nick Jr.). • Many parents went to PBS KIDS, in particular, to look for educational apps. Parents valued choosing apps from trusted sites and from trusted sources (such as PBS) or apps with known characters from children’s television programs (PBS, Disney Channel, Nick Jr., etc.). • Some parents sought apps that were collaborative in nature and that the child could play alone, with friends, or with family members. Others sought apps that would promote physical activity. • It was particularly important that an educational app had the ability to grow with the child and not just entertain the child for a few weeks; they were looking for apps that contained structured programs for learning and were more complex in their organization. • Several parents had children with disabilities (autism, reading disabilities), and one of their major criteria was that the app be geared toward that population. • Some parents of children with DS, PS3s, and Leapsters preferred these devices because they could purchase physical cartridges or acquire used cartridges from friends and family. A Report to the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative

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• The price point for non-educational apps ranged from free to $1.99. For educational apps, by far the most frequently cited maximum price parents mentioned they would be willing to pay was $5. If an app was for a child with disabilities, parents were willing to pay more.

§§Future Apps Purchasing Plan • Parents who were more technologically aware and knowledgeable about their school curriculum were interested in apps that could prepare their children for future coursework: new technology, science, history, social studies, and foreign languages. • Technology- and curricula-aware parents wanted to accentuate subjects now missing or de-emphasized in many schools: music, science, technology, and health. • Parents who had children with disabilities were looking for apps that would teach their children basic skills, such as eye contact in the case of an autistic child. They were also interested in apps that would help them track their child’s learning progress. • Spanish-preference parents were interested in finding apps that would help their children learn English. During the focus groups, they indicated that they had a hard time finding apps because they did not know how or where to search. Many apps in app stores are in English and that poses a barrier for them. • Parents also indicated that they would like apps to be useable on multiple platforms (such as iPad, iPhone, Wii, Xbox, or PlayStation). In particular, they felt the gaming systems would be useful for encouraging multiplayer use between parents and children, and for encouraging physical activity. Many low-tech parents requested that apps be made for multiple platforms so those parents who could not afford a mobile device could still access the apps on their laptop or gaming device. • Parents wanted the apps to be used among siblings; Teach Me Kindergarten was mentioned as a good example, because it can accommodate up to four different players. • Almost all parents were familiar with the PBS children’s television programming. They were definitely interested in apps that carried forward the main PBS characters, mentioning Super WHY!, Caillou, Curious George, and Sesame Street. Spanish-speaking parents in particular indicated that they were familiar with PBS television programs for kids. These parents were interested in learning more about the apps associated with these programs.

Apps Used by Children

§§Educational Apps The parents who bought or downloaded apps for their children most frequently referred to educational apps. More than 60% of parents indicated that their child used literacy apps; and about 40% of children had mathematic apps. A Report to the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative

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• According to the focus groups and interviews, Teach Me Kindergarten (for addition, subtraction, and spelling) appeared to be the most common educational app owned by the children. The other most common educational apps mentioned were: Dora the Explorer apps, Fizzy’s Lunch Lab, iStorybooks, Find Me (for autism), Find the Colors, ABC Lite, Blue’s Clues, Read Me Stories, Winnie the Pooh (reading and problem solving), various Zoodles apps, the dictionary, and the Bible. • There were several other categories of educational apps that parents referenced when they couldn’t remember the name of a particular app: 3D painting, bilingual counting apps, phonics, learning sign language, coloring, math drills, matching shapes, flash cards for word recognition, tracing letters, word search, crossword puzzles, connect the dots, number games, a dental app to promote dental hygiene, animal recognition (at nature.com), and music education apps. • Some parents who did not own a smart device still mentioned educational games that they allowed their children to play on computers: Caillou (math and spelling), Dr. Seuss’s ABCs, and Mickey Mouse (math).

§§Other Apps and Digital Media There was wide variation in the types of apps and digital media that children used overall. • By far, Angry Birds was the most cited non-educational app. This was followed by Sponge Bob, Fruit Ninja, Nintendo’s Super Mario Brothers and Hannah Montana. • YouTube was very popular because it allowed children to watch their favorite cartoons, videos, and short movies. Some of the videos referenced were Dora the Explorer and Chuck E. Cheese. • Listening to music was particularly popular with the children. Several children had their own playlists on their parents’ iPods or iPhones. There were also karaoke apps that the children liked to play that appeared to have a collaborative element. • In terms of videos and movies, many children had access to Netflix on their parents’ devices. • Children seemed interested in using a phone as a camera. They enjoyed taking photos and also looking at photos on the devices. • Children enjoyed using Google to search the Internet either for school projects, or for fun. • Only a few parents specifically mentioned apps for children with disabilities. But the one parent who shared her experiences in detail explained that the special apps had made quite a difference in her child’s behavior. This parent felt that there was something about the interface with the technology that was appealing and encouraging to her child.

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§§Frequency of Deleting Apps The frequency with which apps were deleted varied widely among parents. One overriding factor in deciding to delete an app was whether or not the child was engaged. • Some parents limited the child to a certain number of apps on the device; to add an app required deleting one. Thus, deletion was done only when the child tired of an app and wanted another. • Some parents indicated they deleted apps frequently because their children went through apps quickly. For instance, one parent deleted apps at least monthly. • The difficulty of the app was another indicator of how frequently parents deleted them. For example, if the app were intricate enough to have different levels of play or stages, the app would stay on the mobile devices longer. • Particularly if apps were free, parents were more willing to try out the simpler apps and did not feel guilty about deleting them if they were not appropriate for their child.

§§Children’s Request for Apps and Mobile Devices More than 40% of parents who completed the surveys indicated that their children asked for a smart phone (15.8%), a tablet (15%), or both (11.4%). This appeared to be because they had used a device elsewhere and enjoyed the experience, a friend or family member had one, or they wanted a phone in order to communicate with their parents. Children played an active role in the types of apps that were selected for their use. It is interesting that 47.2% of the parents indicated that they heard about apps from their children. • More than one third of parents (39.7%) who downloaded or bought apps for their children indicated that their children asked them for apps. • During the focus groups and interviews, some parents mentioned that their children knew how to search the app store, so they took the lead in searching for specific apps or books that looked appealing to them. • Children also learn about apps and other electronic games from fellow students, from watching other children play, from teachers, and from using the apps at school or with family members. • In the case of the handheld devices, parents would often share used cartridges with friends and family. • Some children, when watching Nick Jr. or PBS KIDS, would ask their parents if they could follow the links to the websites to play the games.

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Contexts for Parents' and Children’s Use of Apps There were many different contexts for children’s use of apps on mobile devices. • Children tended to use apps independently, more so than engaging with apps with other children. This was mostly attributable to the fact that few apps are designed for mobile devices (smart phones or iTouches) with a multi-player feature. There were some apps mentioned for the iPad and other tablets that promoted collaboration. • Parent-child collaborative play did not seem to be common. Parents most commonly engaged with their child’s play by helping load apps, switching to new apps, or helping the child determine what he or she wanted to play. • Parents reported that most social interaction occurred between siblings or a parent and child sharing an app back and forth; playing a single player app cooperatively (one child playing, the other child verbally involved with helping or suggesting). • Some parents mentioned that the very idea of using the device seemed to bring children from various age groups together (teenagers and preschool/kindergarten) who might not otherwise play together (typically with the older children helping the younger children). Drawing together on iPods or iPads, or karoke apps for music, seemed to be popular. • Books seemed to be a natural collaborative activity among siblings and between parents and children. Sometimes children read books together on the Kindle, the older child teaching the younger how to “swipe” the pages to turn them.

Conclusions to Mobile Devices and Awareness of Apps is Becoming More Prevalent in §§Access Low-Income Communities Findings from the study indicate that access to mobile devices and apps is fairly prevalent in low-income communities. Over 60% of parents reported they had access to a smart phone and over 30% said they had access to a tablet. Though many parents reported access to these devices, the data suggest that they may not all use apps. Those who reported having access to a smart device often showed poor understanding of how one obtains and uses apps.

of Mobile Devices and Apps Will Continue to Grow in §§Use Low-Income Communities Over 40% of parents who completed the survey said they were planning to buy a smart device in the next three years. Twenty-seven percent of parents planned to buy a smart phone and 36% planned to buy an iPad, iPod Touch, or other tablet. Nearly all parents who did not currently have a smart device said they would be interested in using one with their child. Parents indicated that they preferred free apps, but would consider paying for an educational app that is complex and has multiple levels that children can progress through.

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§§Most Parents are Comfortable with Their Children Using a Smart Device Over 80% of parents taking the survey indicated they were comfortable with their child using a smart device1 and recognized that apps on the device could be educational. Over 85% would allow their child to use a smart phone or tablet to learn letters and words, practice math, or read a book. Parents who had access to a smart device indicated more comfort with their child using a smart device than those who did not have access to a device. Approximately 70% of parents who had a smart device agreed to the following statement: “My child would be careful with a smart phone or tablet.” Only 53% of parents without access to a smart device agreed.

§§Use of Apps for Children is Common Among Those with Access to Mobile Devices Over 80% of parents who had smart devices had downloaded educational apps for their children to use. More than 60% of parents indicated that their child used literacy apps and about 40% of children had mathematics apps. About 75% of parents said they allowed their children to play other apps on their devices that may or may not be educational (including puzzles, action games, and video players). Parents of English language learners or children with special needs said educational apps allowed their children to learn more quickly.

Parents were Less Likely to Own Smart Devices, Feel §§Spanish-Preference Comfortable with Their Children Using a Smart Device, or Recognize Educational Potential in Apps than English-Preference Parents

Parents who chose to take the survey in Spanish differed markedly on several factors related to mobile device and app use. Spanish-preference parents were less likely to own a smart device when compared to English-preference parents. About 69% of English-preference parents reported owning a smart phone, and 34% owned a tablet. In contrast, about 57% of Spanish-preference parents reported owning a smart phone, and 20% owned a tablet. English-preference parents indicated more comfort with their child using a smart device than Spanish-preference parents. Approximately 73% of English-preference parents agreed to the following statement: “My child would be careful with a smart phone or tablet.” Only 43% of Spanish-preference parents agreed to the statement.

Recommendations The current study addresses low-income parents’ knowledge about and access to mobile devices and mobile apps. The results suggest that mobile device and app use in low-income communities is fairly widespread and will continue to grow significantly each year. In particular, parents in the study indicated a very strong interest in obtaining and using educational apps for their children. Though they could not always afford a service contract, and sometimes used devices without data plans, parents indicated they were finding ways to access the Internet and download apps. The CPB-PBS RTL initiative should keep the following recommendations in mind as new apps and and content are developed: 1     A smart device refers to a smart phone or a tablet.

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• Continue to create educational apps for young children and their parents in low-income communities. • Make apps that are complex, multi-level, and progress in difficulty. • Raise low-income families’ awareness of educational apps and provide information about where to find and download them. • Consider developing apps that involve collaborative play for children, sibilings, and parents. • Consider developing apps specifically for English language learners and children with special needs. • Continue to keep the prices of apps at modest levels ($0.99 or free). • Consider offering free trial versions of apps.

To speak with the evaluation team, please contact: Betsy McCarthy 650.381.6441 [email protected] OR Linlin Li 650.381.6449 [email protected]

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