| Memention AB (all apps) |
| Clara (Age 2+) | |||||||||||
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I came across “Clara” by querying for “Steam Train” in the app store. Big-T (my 3yo boy) loves trains. This app was for kids and has a photo and sound clip of a steam train in it (amongst the other pictures) so I grabbed a copy.
The app lacks a bit of polish, but does associate real world objects (a few different animals, a truck, a train, a trumpet etc) with their sounds. I think its a good little app for young children (and free at the time of review).
The Application
After starting, you tilt the phone on its side to start play. For photos are shown on the screen (in the four corners). A sound clip plays and you touch the photos you think makes the sound. (The sound clip repeats if you take a while to make a choice.) If right, the picture zooms up to full screen, the sound clip plays again and a new puzzle starts. If wrong, the sound clip for the selected picture plays (followed by the sound clip you are meant to find) and the selected image is removed as a choice.
The Good
- It shows real pictures with sound effects relevant to each picture.
- There is no time limit, which I think is good for young children.
- If you pick the wrong photo it plays the sound for that photo, then removes that choice. It does not discourage (“You got it wrong so I am going to tell you off!”).
- Its easy for even young children to have a go – the photos take up a quarter of the screen each so your child has a big area of the screen they can touch on. (Not just a little button that requires better motor skills.)
- If you get the wrong answer, the choice is removed – so eventually if you keep touching you will eventually find the right answer. This is good for young children – if they keep trying, they will succeed.
The Bad
- Starting the app is a little strange. Writing appears saying “tilt the phone on its side to start the app.”. More normal is to have a start button and then just show the display on its side, making it obvious you need to tilt the phone over to use the app.
- One of the sound effects kept playing, even after I turned the phone off. I had to turn the phone back on, exit the app, then turn the phone off again to get it to shut up. (The volume also seemed to jump a bit for some reason at the same time.)
- It has only 16 pictures and sound effects, which start to repeat pretty quickly if you play for a little while. I should note however that a small number of images being taught for the first time is a good thing. It would be nice to have some progressive introduction of new images over time so the child can learn the pictures and sounds incrementally. (I guess a common approach is to have multiple skill levels – easy, medium, hard.)
Educational Value
It shows real photos and plays real sounds, suitable for young children. It teaches sound recognition for the photos. If you pick the wrong photo, it plays the clip for that photo. Thus it both quizes and teaches. Older children might not get much out of it, but it does have educational merit for young children.
My Score
3.5 stars. I based this score on what it is for its age group (which I put at 2 years, maybe even 18 months). It shows real-world pictures and sound clips. Older children may tire of it quickly, but a useful little app for younger children. I think the start up sequence could be tidied up a bit, and it would benefit from more images after being played for a while. (Early on, a small range of images is probably good.) A bit rough in spots, but definitely worth a look for younger children.
Get it in iTunes
More information, screen shots, and user reviews can be found in the iTunes store.
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