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Cupcake	
  Digital	
  Infuses	
  Educational	
  Elements	
  into	
  its	
  
Children's	
  Apps	
  	
  
	
  
November,	
  27,	
  2012	
  
	
  
Since	
  Apple	
  began	
  taking	
  pre-­‐orders	
  for	
  the	
  first-­‐generation	
  iPad	
  in	
  March	
  of	
  2010,	
  the	
  
landscape	
  of	
  tablets	
  has	
  not	
  only	
  transformed	
  dramatically,	
  but	
  also	
  given	
  birth	
  to	
  a	
  
new	
  industry:	
  deluxe	
  storybook	
  apps.	
  	
  Since	
  Cupcake	
  Digital’s	
  inception,	
  the	
  company	
  
has	
  been	
  at	
  the	
  forefront	
  of	
  the	
  industry	
  in	
  the	
  development	
  of	
  exciting,	
  high	
  quality	
  
apps	
  that	
  meet	
  the	
  demands	
  of:	
  children,	
  parents,	
  caregivers	
  and	
  educators.	
  	
  Our	
  apps	
  
have	
  been	
  consistently	
  top-­‐ranked	
  among	
  children’s	
  app	
  ratings	
  on	
  Amazon,	
  iTunes	
  
and	
  Common	
  Sense	
  Media.	
  	
  Maintaining	
  a	
  lead	
  in	
  this	
  highly	
  competitive	
  market	
  
requires	
  ongoing	
  innovation	
  and	
  a	
  clear	
  focus	
  on	
  exceeding	
  the	
  needs	
  of	
  the	
  
market.	
  	
  To	
  that	
  end,	
  we	
  are	
  adding	
  specific	
  learning	
  components	
  to	
  every	
  app	
  we	
  
introduce	
  to	
  further	
  enhance	
  the	
  quality	
  of	
  our	
  product	
  offering	
  and,	
  as	
  a	
  result,	
  
increase	
  our	
  market	
  share	
  and	
  build	
  brand	
  loyalty.	
  	
  The	
  following	
  positioning	
  paper	
  
outlines	
  our	
  rationale	
  in	
  the	
  selection	
  of	
  educational	
  elements	
  based	
  on	
  new,	
  
nationwide	
  educational	
  standards	
  and	
  describes	
  how	
  they	
  will	
  be	
  infused	
  into	
  our	
  
current	
  and	
  future	
  products.	
  
	
  
Objective:	
  
	
  
By	
  collaborating	
  with	
  education	
  consultants	
  and	
  aligning	
  with	
  the	
  Common	
  Core	
  
State	
  Standards	
  (CCSS),	
  Cupcake	
  Digital	
  has	
  taken	
  important	
  steps	
  to	
  enhance	
  the	
  
educational	
  value	
  of	
  its	
  product	
  offering.	
  	
  These	
  standards	
  are	
  a	
  set of	
  educational	
  
guidelines	
  that	
  are	
  being	
  adopted	
  across	
  the	
  nation	
  to	
  help	
  teachers	
  ensure	
  their	
  
students	
  have	
  the	
  skills	
  and	
  knowledge	
  they	
  need	
  to	
  be	
  successful	
  by	
  providing	
  clear	
  
goals	
  for	
  student	
  learning	
  at	
  each	
  grade	
  level.	
  Parents,	
  caregivers	
  and	
  teachers	
  can	
  
feel	
  confident	
  that	
  our	
  apps	
  help	
  prepare	
  preschool	
  and	
  elementary	
  school	
  children	
  
for	
  what	
  will	
  be	
  required	
  of	
  them.	
  
	
  
The	
  objective	
  of	
  this	
  position	
  paper	
  is	
  to	
  demonstrate	
  the	
  importance	
  of	
  infusing	
  
educational	
  elements	
  into	
  our	
  current	
  and	
  future	
  children’s	
  apps	
  and	
  to	
  show	
  how	
  
those	
  elements	
  will	
  be	
  integrated.	
  	
  
	
  
It	
  is	
  the	
  first	
  in	
  a	
  series	
  that	
  will	
  provide	
  on-­‐going	
  updates.	
  
	
  

                                                                                                                        Page	
  	
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                                       http://www.cupcakedigital.com
 
Background	
  
	
  
A	
  quick	
  look	
  around	
  us	
  –	
  in	
  homes,	
  on	
  the	
  street,	
  in	
  restaurants	
  and	
  on	
  airplanes	
  –	
  
demonstrates	
  the	
  vast	
  proliferation	
  of	
  tablets	
  and	
  smart	
  phones.	
  For	
  many	
  young	
  
children	
  today,	
  interaction	
  with	
  mobile	
  “apps”	
  will	
  be	
  their	
  first	
  introduction	
  to	
  
entertainment	
  and	
  learning.	
  	
  
	
  
Parents	
  choose	
  to	
  use	
  apps	
  in	
  different	
  ways	
  and	
  for	
  different	
  purposes:	
  to	
  occupy	
  a	
  
child	
  at	
  the	
  dinner	
  table;	
  to	
  read	
  a	
  bedtime	
  story	
  together;	
  to	
  play	
  games	
  that	
  
expand	
  their	
  knowledge	
  and	
  advance	
  their	
  fine	
  motor	
  skills;	
  to	
  engage,	
  entertain	
  
and	
  just	
  have	
  fun.	
  	
  
	
  
At	
  Cupcake	
  Digital,	
  we	
  believe	
  that	
  however	
  apps	
  are	
  used,	
  we	
  can	
  harness	
  this	
  new	
  
medium	
  to	
  deliver	
  rewarding	
  experiences	
  on	
  a	
  spectrum	
  of	
  levels	
  for	
  young	
  
children.	
  
	
  
Cupcake	
  Digital’s	
  Mission	
  
	
  
Cupcake	
  Digital	
  stands	
  at	
  the	
  forefront	
  of	
  a	
  new	
  medium:	
  	
  mobile	
  apps	
  for	
  kids.	
  	
  We	
  
take	
  this	
  responsibility	
  seriously	
  and	
  will	
  explain	
  our	
  mission	
  and	
  our	
  methodology	
  
as	
  a	
  company	
  in	
  this	
  document.	
  
	
  
We	
  are	
  first	
  and	
  foremost	
  in	
  the	
  business	
  of	
  kids’	
  entertainment.	
  Our	
  apps	
  are	
  
designed	
  to	
  provide	
  fun	
  and	
  help	
  bring	
  children	
  and	
  caregivers	
  together.	
  	
  	
  As	
  a	
  
thoughtful	
  and	
  caring	
  company,	
  we	
  also	
  see	
  an	
  opportunity	
  to	
  deliver	
  not	
  only	
  a	
  fun	
  
and	
  entertaining	
  experience	
  to	
  children,	
  but	
  also	
  an	
  enriching	
  and	
  educational	
  one.	
  
	
  
We	
  think	
  broadly	
  about	
  developing	
  our	
  products	
  with	
  multiple	
  opportunities	
  for	
  
learning	
  	
  -­‐-­‐	
  providing	
  a	
  playful	
  introduction	
  to	
  the	
  worlds	
  of	
  reading	
  and	
  knowledge,	
  
imagination	
  and	
  creativity,	
  early	
  critical	
  thinking	
  and	
  building	
  of	
  mathematics	
  skills.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
The	
  power	
  of	
  play	
  is	
  limitless.	
  It	
  is	
  the	
  intention	
  of	
  Cupcake	
  Digital	
  to	
  use	
  it	
  wisely	
  
and	
  responsibly	
  for	
  the	
  benefit	
  of	
  young	
  children	
  and	
  their	
  development.	
  	
  While	
  
having	
  fun	
  with	
  an	
  app,	
  a	
  child	
  can	
  also	
  become	
  better	
  prepared	
  for	
  success	
  when	
  he	
  
or	
  she	
  reaches	
  kindergarten,	
  or	
  greater	
  success	
  if	
  he	
  or	
  she	
  is	
  already	
  in	
  school.	
  	
  
	
  
Our	
  Approach	
  
	
  
We	
  infuse	
  learning	
  moments	
  into	
  the	
  very	
  fabric	
  of	
  our	
  apps.	
  	
  From	
  the	
  inception	
  of	
  
our	
  company,	
  we	
  have	
  engaged	
  educational	
  consultants	
  to	
  work	
  with	
  us	
  on	
  	
  

                                                                                                                            Page	
  	
   2	
  
                                         http://www.cupcakedigital.com
 
age-­‐appropriate	
  activities	
  that	
  spark	
  the	
  imagination	
  and	
  foster	
  development	
  of	
  	
  
pre-­‐school/early	
  elementary	
  level	
  basics.	
  	
  
	
  
We	
  test	
  our	
  learning	
  propositions	
  and	
  continue	
  to	
  refine	
  and	
  improve	
  them	
  based	
  
on	
  the	
  feedback	
  we	
  get.	
  (And,	
  in	
  the	
  case	
  of	
  existing	
  apps,	
  to	
  update	
  and	
  enhance	
  
them	
  on	
  an	
  ongoing	
  basis.)	
  
	
  
We	
  are	
  a	
  company	
  of	
  parents,	
  and	
  caregivers	
  with	
  a	
  commitment	
  to	
  delivering	
  
positive	
  app	
  experiences	
  to	
  our	
  own	
  children.	
  	
  	
  We	
  care	
  deeply	
  about	
  how	
  children	
  
interact	
  with	
  our	
  apps	
  and	
  how	
  they	
  benefit	
  from	
  them.	
  
	
  
We	
  make	
  a	
  collective	
  effort	
  toward	
  continuous	
  improvement	
  of	
  our	
  products	
  and	
  
are	
  investing	
  in	
  Common	
  Core	
  principles	
  to	
  maximize	
  that	
  benefit.	
  
	
  
By	
  partnering	
  with	
  professionals	
  in	
  the	
  fields	
  of	
  education	
  and	
  children’s	
  
entertainment,	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  developmental	
  experts	
  and	
  specialists	
  in	
  CCSS,	
  we	
  are	
  
developing	
  fun	
  activities	
  in	
  each	
  of	
  our	
  apps	
  that	
  prompt	
  educational	
  engagement	
  
and	
  help	
  teach	
  skills	
  and	
  build	
  knowledge.	
  	
  
	
  
Some	
  examples	
  of	
  Common	
  Core	
  activities	
  involve	
  tracing	
  letters,	
  adding	
  numbers	
  
of	
  objects,	
  identifying	
  colors	
  and	
  shapes,	
  learning	
  letter	
  and	
  word	
  sounds,	
  or	
  other	
  
age-­‐appropriate	
  learning	
  experiences.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
In	
  the	
  process	
  of	
  transcreating	
  existing	
  media	
  properties	
  -­‐	
  such	
  as	
  the	
  Emmy	
  award	
  
winning	
  Nick	
  Jr.	
  “Wow!	
  Wow!	
  Wubbzy!”	
  animated	
  series	
  -­‐	
  into	
  deluxe	
  story	
  
experiences,	
  we	
  will	
  integrate	
  activities	
  that	
  are	
  consistent	
  with	
  CCSS	
  into	
  games	
  
and	
  additional	
  sections	
  outside	
  of	
  the	
  narrative.	
  
	
  
In	
  the	
  case	
  of	
  apps	
  based	
  on	
  Discovery	
  Network’s	
  Animal	
  Planet,	
  we	
  will	
  infuse	
  each	
  
app	
  with	
  Common	
  Core	
  Standards	
  in	
  a	
  way	
  that	
  promises	
  to	
  delight	
  young	
  children.	
  	
  
	
  
“A	
  further	
  benefit	
  of	
  these	
  apps,	
  “	
  says	
  Cristina	
  Kaviani	
  Johnson,	
  M.A.,	
  Curriculum	
  
Consultant,	
  “is	
  that	
  parents	
  and	
  caregivers	
  will	
  recognize	
  the	
  value	
  of	
  these	
  activities	
  
and	
  the	
  various	
  opportunities	
  to	
  tailor	
  them	
  to	
  their	
  own	
  children’s	
  needs	
  and	
  
interests.”	
  	
  
	
  
Every	
  app	
  includes	
  a	
  “Just	
  the	
  Book”	
  mode	
  that	
  allows	
  caregivers	
  to	
  turn	
  off	
  the	
  
digital	
  activities	
  (games,	
  sounds,	
  videos,	
  etc.)	
  and	
  focus	
  a	
  child’s	
  attention	
  purely	
  on	
  
the	
  words	
  and	
  story.	
  This	
  mode	
  is	
  particularly	
  effective	
  for	
  a	
  child	
  who	
  is	
  learning	
  to	
  


                                                                                                                          Page	
  	
   3	
  
                                        http://www.cupcakedigital.com
 
read	
  and	
  allows	
  parents	
  and	
  caregivers	
  to	
  share	
  the	
  simple	
  pleasure	
  of	
  just	
  reading	
  
a	
  book	
  together	
  quietly.	
  
	
  
At	
  the	
  end	
  of	
  each	
  app,	
  caregivers	
  will	
  also	
  find	
  a	
  section	
  called	
  “Grown-­‐Up’s	
  
Corner.”	
  	
  It	
  provides	
  questions	
  and	
  conversation	
  starters	
  related	
  to	
  the	
  story	
  to	
  
share	
  with	
  a	
  child	
  to	
  help	
  develop	
  listening	
  and	
  comprehension	
  skills.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
A	
  Common	
  Core	
  Corner	
  will	
  review	
  and	
  reinforce	
  skills	
  learned	
  in	
  each	
  app;	
  provide	
  
additional activity	
  suggestions	
  to	
  engage	
  in	
  with	
  a	
  child	
  to	
  practice	
  the	
  learning	
  
ideas	
  put	
  forth	
  in	
  the	
  app;	
  and	
  lay	
  out	
  each	
  learning	
  zone	
  to	
  help	
  parents	
  understand	
  
the	
  various	
  Common	
  Core	
  standards	
  the	
  app	
  is	
  addressing.	
  It	
  will	
  also	
  provide	
  tips	
  
on	
  how	
  to	
  prepare	
  a	
  child	
  for	
  his	
  or	
  her	
  first	
  school	
  year(s)	
  and	
  makes	
  getting	
  ready	
  
for	
  the	
  new	
  kindergarten	
  standards	
  simple	
  and	
  FUN.	
  
	
  
A	
  Vocabulary	
  Builder	
  section	
  accompanies	
  each	
  app	
  to	
  reinforce	
  new	
  words	
  a	
  child	
  
has	
  learned.	
  
	
  
“Cupcake	
  Digital	
  produces	
  apps	
  that	
  will	
  be	
  infused	
  with	
  a	
  variety	
  of	
  learning	
  
experiences	
  from	
  the	
  Common	
  Core	
  Standards	
  curricula,	
  without	
  ever	
  losing	
  sight	
  of	
  
our	
  desire	
  to	
  enchant	
  and	
  inspire	
  children	
  along	
  the	
  way,”	
  says	
  Susan	
  Miller,	
  
children’s	
  industry	
  veteran	
  and	
  President	
  of	
  Cupcake	
  Digital.	
  
	
  
“Our	
  apps	
  give	
  parents	
  a	
  good	
  feeling	
  about	
  how	
  their	
  children	
  are	
  using	
  mobile	
  
technology.	
  	
  They	
  combine	
  play	
  with	
  learning	
  to	
  deliver	
  an	
  enriching	
  and	
  
entertaining	
  experience	
  parents	
  can	
  tailor	
  to	
  a	
  child’s	
  needs,”	
  states	
  Neil	
  Friedman,	
  
Cupcake	
  Digital	
  Board	
  Member,	
  former	
  Mattel	
  Brands’	
  President,	
  and	
  former	
  
President	
  of	
  US	
  Operations	
  for	
  Toys	
  ‘R’	
  Us.	
  
	
  
It	
  is	
  not	
  our	
  intention	
  to	
  “teach”	
  children	
  in	
  all	
  elements	
  of	
  the	
  CCSS,	
  but	
  to	
  lay	
  the	
  
groundwork	
  for	
  some	
  of	
  the	
  key	
  building	
  blocks	
  through	
  familiar,	
  beloved	
  
entertainment	
  characters,	
  brands	
  and	
  properties.	
  
	
  
As	
  we	
  develop	
  new	
  apps,	
  we	
  will	
  continue	
  to	
  seek	
  exciting	
  ways	
  to	
  enhance	
  the	
  
experience	
  for	
  children	
  and	
  give	
  them	
  a	
  learning	
  advantage.	
  	
  	
  
	
                                               	
  




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   4	
  
                                          http://www.cupcakedigital.com
 
	
  
While	
  we	
  understand	
  the	
  power	
  of	
  apps	
  to	
  entertain	
  and	
  teach,	
  we	
  are	
  also	
  aware	
  
that	
  technology	
  is	
  a	
  tool	
  that	
  needs	
  to	
  be	
  used	
  wisely.	
  	
  Equally	
  important	
  to	
  a	
  child’s	
  
development	
  is	
  face-­‐to-­‐face	
  communication.	
  In	
  both	
  the	
  Grown	
  Up's	
  Corner	
  and	
  the	
  
Common	
  Core	
  Corner,	
  our	
  apps	
  suggest	
  fun	
  activities	
  designed	
  to	
  engage	
  children	
  
"off-­‐screen"	
  in	
  thoughtful	
  discussions,	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  pencil-­‐	
  or	
  crayon-­‐to-­‐paper	
  skill-­‐
building	
  exercises.	
  
	
  
Please	
  visit	
  www.cupcakedigital.com	
  for	
  future	
  updates.	
  	
  
	
  
About	
  Cupcake	
  Digital	
  Inc.	
  
Cupcake	
  Digital,	
  Inc.	
  was	
  established	
  in	
  June	
  2012	
  with	
  the	
  intent	
  of	
  transforming	
  
children’s	
  entertainment	
  properties	
  into	
  deluxe	
  story	
  experiences	
  infused	
  with	
  
educational	
  moments.	
  	
  	
  	
  Its	
  first	
  venture	
  into	
  digital	
  applications	
  was	
  based	
  on	
  the	
  
Emmy	
  Award-­‐winning	
  television	
  series	
  “Wow!	
  Wow!	
  Wubbzy!”	
  	
  The	
  app	
  immediately	
  
rose	
  to	
  #	
  1	
  and	
  #	
  3	
  among	
  children's	
  book	
  apps	
  on	
  Amazon	
  and	
  iTunes	
  
respectively.	
  	
  Since	
  then,	
  every	
  subsequent	
  children’s	
  story	
  app	
  created	
  by	
  Cupcake	
  
Digital	
  has	
  achieved	
  a	
  top	
  10	
  rating	
  on	
  Amazon.	
  	
  Headquartered	
  in	
  NYC,	
  Cupcake	
  
Digital	
  was	
  founded	
  by	
  proven	
  professionals	
  in	
  the	
  fields	
  of	
  technology,	
  family	
  
entertainment,	
  publishing	
  and	
  brand	
  marketing.	
  	
  In	
  October	
  of	
  2012,	
  Cupcake	
  Digital	
  
received	
  its	
  first	
  round	
  of	
  private	
  funding	
  and	
  has	
  since	
  gone	
  on	
  to	
  partner	
  with	
  
additional	
  major	
  children's	
  entertainment	
  properties.	
  	
  For	
  more	
  information	
  about	
  
Cupcake	
  Digital	
  Inc.,	
  please	
  contact	
  Carmen	
  Hernandez	
  at	
  pr@cupcakedigital.com	
  or	
  
visit	
  www.cupcakedigital.com.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  


                                                                                                                              Page	
  	
   5	
  
                                         http://www.cupcakedigital.com

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Cupcake Digital Positioning Paper

  • 1.       Cupcake  Digital  Infuses  Educational  Elements  into  its   Children's  Apps       November,  27,  2012     Since  Apple  began  taking  pre-­‐orders  for  the  first-­‐generation  iPad  in  March  of  2010,  the   landscape  of  tablets  has  not  only  transformed  dramatically,  but  also  given  birth  to  a   new  industry:  deluxe  storybook  apps.    Since  Cupcake  Digital’s  inception,  the  company   has  been  at  the  forefront  of  the  industry  in  the  development  of  exciting,  high  quality   apps  that  meet  the  demands  of:  children,  parents,  caregivers  and  educators.    Our  apps   have  been  consistently  top-­‐ranked  among  children’s  app  ratings  on  Amazon,  iTunes   and  Common  Sense  Media.    Maintaining  a  lead  in  this  highly  competitive  market   requires  ongoing  innovation  and  a  clear  focus  on  exceeding  the  needs  of  the   market.    To  that  end,  we  are  adding  specific  learning  components  to  every  app  we   introduce  to  further  enhance  the  quality  of  our  product  offering  and,  as  a  result,   increase  our  market  share  and  build  brand  loyalty.    The  following  positioning  paper   outlines  our  rationale  in  the  selection  of  educational  elements  based  on  new,   nationwide  educational  standards  and  describes  how  they  will  be  infused  into  our   current  and  future  products.     Objective:     By  collaborating  with  education  consultants  and  aligning  with  the  Common  Core   State  Standards  (CCSS),  Cupcake  Digital  has  taken  important  steps  to  enhance  the   educational  value  of  its  product  offering.    These  standards  are  a  set of  educational   guidelines  that  are  being  adopted  across  the  nation  to  help  teachers  ensure  their   students  have  the  skills  and  knowledge  they  need  to  be  successful  by  providing  clear   goals  for  student  learning  at  each  grade  level.  Parents,  caregivers  and  teachers  can   feel  confident  that  our  apps  help  prepare  preschool  and  elementary  school  children   for  what  will  be  required  of  them.     The  objective  of  this  position  paper  is  to  demonstrate  the  importance  of  infusing   educational  elements  into  our  current  and  future  children’s  apps  and  to  show  how   those  elements  will  be  integrated.       It  is  the  first  in  a  series  that  will  provide  on-­‐going  updates.     Page     1   http://www.cupcakedigital.com
  • 2.   Background     A  quick  look  around  us  –  in  homes,  on  the  street,  in  restaurants  and  on  airplanes  –   demonstrates  the  vast  proliferation  of  tablets  and  smart  phones.  For  many  young   children  today,  interaction  with  mobile  “apps”  will  be  their  first  introduction  to   entertainment  and  learning.       Parents  choose  to  use  apps  in  different  ways  and  for  different  purposes:  to  occupy  a   child  at  the  dinner  table;  to  read  a  bedtime  story  together;  to  play  games  that   expand  their  knowledge  and  advance  their  fine  motor  skills;  to  engage,  entertain   and  just  have  fun.       At  Cupcake  Digital,  we  believe  that  however  apps  are  used,  we  can  harness  this  new   medium  to  deliver  rewarding  experiences  on  a  spectrum  of  levels  for  young   children.     Cupcake  Digital’s  Mission     Cupcake  Digital  stands  at  the  forefront  of  a  new  medium:    mobile  apps  for  kids.    We   take  this  responsibility  seriously  and  will  explain  our  mission  and  our  methodology   as  a  company  in  this  document.     We  are  first  and  foremost  in  the  business  of  kids’  entertainment.  Our  apps  are   designed  to  provide  fun  and  help  bring  children  and  caregivers  together.      As  a   thoughtful  and  caring  company,  we  also  see  an  opportunity  to  deliver  not  only  a  fun   and  entertaining  experience  to  children,  but  also  an  enriching  and  educational  one.     We  think  broadly  about  developing  our  products  with  multiple  opportunities  for   learning    -­‐-­‐  providing  a  playful  introduction  to  the  worlds  of  reading  and  knowledge,   imagination  and  creativity,  early  critical  thinking  and  building  of  mathematics  skills.         The  power  of  play  is  limitless.  It  is  the  intention  of  Cupcake  Digital  to  use  it  wisely   and  responsibly  for  the  benefit  of  young  children  and  their  development.    While   having  fun  with  an  app,  a  child  can  also  become  better  prepared  for  success  when  he   or  she  reaches  kindergarten,  or  greater  success  if  he  or  she  is  already  in  school.       Our  Approach     We  infuse  learning  moments  into  the  very  fabric  of  our  apps.    From  the  inception  of   our  company,  we  have  engaged  educational  consultants  to  work  with  us  on     Page     2   http://www.cupcakedigital.com
  • 3.   age-­‐appropriate  activities  that  spark  the  imagination  and  foster  development  of     pre-­‐school/early  elementary  level  basics.       We  test  our  learning  propositions  and  continue  to  refine  and  improve  them  based   on  the  feedback  we  get.  (And,  in  the  case  of  existing  apps,  to  update  and  enhance   them  on  an  ongoing  basis.)     We  are  a  company  of  parents,  and  caregivers  with  a  commitment  to  delivering   positive  app  experiences  to  our  own  children.      We  care  deeply  about  how  children   interact  with  our  apps  and  how  they  benefit  from  them.     We  make  a  collective  effort  toward  continuous  improvement  of  our  products  and   are  investing  in  Common  Core  principles  to  maximize  that  benefit.     By  partnering  with  professionals  in  the  fields  of  education  and  children’s   entertainment,  as  well  as  developmental  experts  and  specialists  in  CCSS,  we  are   developing  fun  activities  in  each  of  our  apps  that  prompt  educational  engagement   and  help  teach  skills  and  build  knowledge.       Some  examples  of  Common  Core  activities  involve  tracing  letters,  adding  numbers   of  objects,  identifying  colors  and  shapes,  learning  letter  and  word  sounds,  or  other   age-­‐appropriate  learning  experiences.         In  the  process  of  transcreating  existing  media  properties  -­‐  such  as  the  Emmy  award   winning  Nick  Jr.  “Wow!  Wow!  Wubbzy!”  animated  series  -­‐  into  deluxe  story   experiences,  we  will  integrate  activities  that  are  consistent  with  CCSS  into  games   and  additional  sections  outside  of  the  narrative.     In  the  case  of  apps  based  on  Discovery  Network’s  Animal  Planet,  we  will  infuse  each   app  with  Common  Core  Standards  in  a  way  that  promises  to  delight  young  children.       “A  further  benefit  of  these  apps,  “  says  Cristina  Kaviani  Johnson,  M.A.,  Curriculum   Consultant,  “is  that  parents  and  caregivers  will  recognize  the  value  of  these  activities   and  the  various  opportunities  to  tailor  them  to  their  own  children’s  needs  and   interests.”       Every  app  includes  a  “Just  the  Book”  mode  that  allows  caregivers  to  turn  off  the   digital  activities  (games,  sounds,  videos,  etc.)  and  focus  a  child’s  attention  purely  on   the  words  and  story.  This  mode  is  particularly  effective  for  a  child  who  is  learning  to   Page     3   http://www.cupcakedigital.com
  • 4.   read  and  allows  parents  and  caregivers  to  share  the  simple  pleasure  of  just  reading   a  book  together  quietly.     At  the  end  of  each  app,  caregivers  will  also  find  a  section  called  “Grown-­‐Up’s   Corner.”    It  provides  questions  and  conversation  starters  related  to  the  story  to   share  with  a  child  to  help  develop  listening  and  comprehension  skills.         A  Common  Core  Corner  will  review  and  reinforce  skills  learned  in  each  app;  provide   additional activity  suggestions  to  engage  in  with  a  child  to  practice  the  learning   ideas  put  forth  in  the  app;  and  lay  out  each  learning  zone  to  help  parents  understand   the  various  Common  Core  standards  the  app  is  addressing.  It  will  also  provide  tips   on  how  to  prepare  a  child  for  his  or  her  first  school  year(s)  and  makes  getting  ready   for  the  new  kindergarten  standards  simple  and  FUN.     A  Vocabulary  Builder  section  accompanies  each  app  to  reinforce  new  words  a  child   has  learned.     “Cupcake  Digital  produces  apps  that  will  be  infused  with  a  variety  of  learning   experiences  from  the  Common  Core  Standards  curricula,  without  ever  losing  sight  of   our  desire  to  enchant  and  inspire  children  along  the  way,”  says  Susan  Miller,   children’s  industry  veteran  and  President  of  Cupcake  Digital.     “Our  apps  give  parents  a  good  feeling  about  how  their  children  are  using  mobile   technology.    They  combine  play  with  learning  to  deliver  an  enriching  and   entertaining  experience  parents  can  tailor  to  a  child’s  needs,”  states  Neil  Friedman,   Cupcake  Digital  Board  Member,  former  Mattel  Brands’  President,  and  former   President  of  US  Operations  for  Toys  ‘R’  Us.     It  is  not  our  intention  to  “teach”  children  in  all  elements  of  the  CCSS,  but  to  lay  the   groundwork  for  some  of  the  key  building  blocks  through  familiar,  beloved   entertainment  characters,  brands  and  properties.     As  we  develop  new  apps,  we  will  continue  to  seek  exciting  ways  to  enhance  the   experience  for  children  and  give  them  a  learning  advantage.           Page     4   http://www.cupcakedigital.com
  • 5.     While  we  understand  the  power  of  apps  to  entertain  and  teach,  we  are  also  aware   that  technology  is  a  tool  that  needs  to  be  used  wisely.    Equally  important  to  a  child’s   development  is  face-­‐to-­‐face  communication.  In  both  the  Grown  Up's  Corner  and  the   Common  Core  Corner,  our  apps  suggest  fun  activities  designed  to  engage  children   "off-­‐screen"  in  thoughtful  discussions,  as  well  as  pencil-­‐  or  crayon-­‐to-­‐paper  skill-­‐ building  exercises.     Please  visit  www.cupcakedigital.com  for  future  updates.       About  Cupcake  Digital  Inc.   Cupcake  Digital,  Inc.  was  established  in  June  2012  with  the  intent  of  transforming   children’s  entertainment  properties  into  deluxe  story  experiences  infused  with   educational  moments.        Its  first  venture  into  digital  applications  was  based  on  the   Emmy  Award-­‐winning  television  series  “Wow!  Wow!  Wubbzy!”    The  app  immediately   rose  to  #  1  and  #  3  among  children's  book  apps  on  Amazon  and  iTunes   respectively.    Since  then,  every  subsequent  children’s  story  app  created  by  Cupcake   Digital  has  achieved  a  top  10  rating  on  Amazon.    Headquartered  in  NYC,  Cupcake   Digital  was  founded  by  proven  professionals  in  the  fields  of  technology,  family   entertainment,  publishing  and  brand  marketing.    In  October  of  2012,  Cupcake  Digital   received  its  first  round  of  private  funding  and  has  since  gone  on  to  partner  with   additional  major  children's  entertainment  properties.    For  more  information  about   Cupcake  Digital  Inc.,  please  contact  Carmen  Hernandez  at  pr@cupcakedigital.com  or   visit  www.cupcakedigital.com.                                   Page     5   http://www.cupcakedigital.com