1.
Cupcake
Digital,
Inc.
860
Broadway,
3rd
Floor,
New
York
NY
10003
www.cupcakedigital.com
Cupcake Digital shares expert findings on app use by children
and develops sound guidelines.
April 19, 2013
Continued improvement of our products requires broad
awareness of the conversation parents, caregivers and
educators are sharing about the value of apps – both positive
and negative. In this position paper, we address some of the
questions being raised in an interview with Natascha Crandall,
Ph.D., founder and owner of Crandall Consulting, an
international research and consulting firm that is committed to
improving the educational quality of entertainment for children.
Dr. Crandall earned a Doctorate in School Psychology from
Teachers College, Columbia University and also holds a
Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of
Maryland, and a Bachelor’s in Developmental Psychology from
Pennsylvania State University. She directed the education,
research, and outreach activities for a number of hit shows that
have aired on various networks including: Nickelodeon (Peter
Rabbit, Bubble Guppies, The Backyardigans, The Wonder Pets),
Disney (The Octonauts), and CBeebies (Sesame Tree).
(www.crandallconsulting.org)
Objective:
1) To share current expert information and research on the
advantages and disadvantages of app use by children (information
we use as a framework for the continuous improvement of Cupcake
Digital’s products); and

2.
Cupcake
Digital,
Inc.
860
Broadway,
3rd
Floor,
New
York
NY
10003
www.cupcakedigital.com
2) To provide parents and caregivers with guidelines for using apps
as a supplement to children’s learning.
Background:
Technologies, including apps geared toward children, are a fast-
growing industry. The challenge for many parents, caregivers and
educators is how to fit these technologies into children’s lives in a
way that is enriching and allows them to benefit from them. For
answers, we began by consulting with Dr. Natascha Crandall. The
interview we conducted with her follows:
What studies have you seen related to the effects of apps on
children?
Of the few studies I’ve seen, one commissioned by PBS on two
of their literacy apps (Martha Speaks and Super Why) showed
significant gains in helping young children with letter identification
and teaching new vocabulary words. While the apps proved to be
very effective in their educational missions, researchers
concluded that the gains may have been greater if the subject
material had been age appropriate (some of the older children
were already familiar with letter identification) and maintained
their interest enough to return to these apps again and again
during a two-week period. To teach the necessary skills, it is
important to create apps with children in mind – apps that
maintain their interest, so that these skills can be practiced -
- and then research them with as many children as possible.
This process will give a clearer picture of how children of

3.
Cupcake
Digital,
Inc.
860
Broadway,
3rd
Floor,
New
York
NY
10003
www.cupcakedigital.com
various abilities are able to decipher the intricacies of the
app
How would you evaluate apps as a learning tool?
Apps have the potential of being great learning tools. Parents tend to
see apps as a gaming tool, more so than a learning tool, just as the
television used to be seen as solely entertainment-based rather than
as a way to learn through entertainment. By creating apps with
solid educational structures, researching the effectiveness of
the apps with young children, and educating the public about
the benefits found when using the apps, this method of learning
can become even more valuable.
Are there developmental issues related to app play?
Apps designed for young children need to consider their evolving fine
motor skills. Play buttons should be more obvious and larger for easy
and accurate tapping. Adequate sound quality is essential so that
children can hear the directions. And, it should not be possible for
users to skip sections that contain the educational element in
order to get to the reward section.
What role do you think apps should play in an overall learning
program?
At this point, the best use for educational apps is as a supplemental
learning tool. If an app can reinforce skills that were taught in
school, maintain a child’s attention and interest, and teach new skills
that can be transferred to other activities outside of game play, then
it would be beneficial to include in a learning program.

4.
Cupcake
Digital,
Inc.
860
Broadway,
3rd
Floor,
New
York
NY
10003
www.cupcakedigital.com
How does playing with an app differ from watching educational
TV?
Television and apps are two different forms of media. One is passive
while the other is interactive. A child with an app has total control,
and playing the game requires a child’s total attention. Even if
the app is a video, a child can pause, rewind and replay his or her
favorite parts. From research investigating the differences in real
world vs. screen scenarios, it was found that the real world and
interactive screen scenarios showed children retaining
information to a much greater degree than the non-interactive
screen scenarios. This finding suggests that given the right elements
and circumstances, apps can be very powerful teaching tools.
What advantages does app play offer a young child?
The number one advantage is that through the use of apps, learning
can occur anywhere and everywhere. Many apps also require
children to use critical thinking skills, spatial reasoning skills and even
social skills. There is no doubt that if a child plays an educational
game, he or she will take something positive away from it.
What disadvantages are related to app play?
A recent study found that parents have on average 20 children’s apps
on their devices. If one gets boring, they can easily jump to another
one. By doing so, a child may not be spending enough time on an
educationally beneficial app in order to learn from it. The other
disadvantage is that this new medium of play is displacing
another activity that might be beneficial to the child: interacting with
others (parents and other children), creating crafts, getting physical
exercise.

5.
Cupcake
Digital,
Inc.
860
Broadway,
3rd
Floor,
New
York
NY
10003
www.cupcakedigital.com
If you were to offer parents guidelines for allowing their children to
engage in app play, what would those be?
• If you can get children tied into an educational app, rather
than just an entertainment based app, then do so!
• Play the app with your child. While app play is primarily a
solitary activity it doesn’t have to be! Take turns and play with
your child. This way you are interacting with them while
learning about their skill strengths and weaknesses. This will
also allow you to see when your child is just choosing any
response in order to get to the reward section. Some apps
have multiplayer options so that if you have a second device,
you can play too!
• Limit the amount of time spent on any screen-related
medium. Young children need to create and experience
things and benefit from real human-human interactions!
What should parents/caregivers/educators look for in choosing
apps for children?
• Look at the educational claims made by an app company,
and then check it out to see for yourself to see if you agree.
• Read reviews from others who have used the app.
• Check the app out on a review site to see how it is ranked
with others is in the same category.
• See if the app offers features that create a personalized
learning experience for children, meaning that the questions
get harder if they get the answers right, and get easier if they
get them wrong. This learning approach will help children
focus on the skills they need more work on and will help to

6.
Cupcake
Digital,
Inc.
860
Broadway,
3rd
Floor,
New
York
NY
10003
www.cupcakedigital.com
maintain their interest without frustrating them by getting too
difficult too quickly.
• Apps also occasionally come with a summary that parents can
review to see the skills their children have mastered and the
skills they still find to be difficult.
• Look for apps that offer an incentive, such as a sticker
page, to complete the task and see how the storyline
finishes. Incentives can help children stay with the app long
enough to learn the skills intended.
• Play it with your child and ask yourself: Does your child
understand the rules? Does he or she like it? Are they playing
it or just trying to get the reward at the end by pushing
anything? Is there a reward that feels exciting to your child?
Summary of key findings:
• The number one advantage of apps as a learning tool
is that learning can occur anywhere and everywhere.
• Apps have advantages over educational television
programs because a child with an app has total
control.
• Studies have shown that the real world and interactive
screen scenarios help children retain information to a
much greater degree than the non-interactive screen
scenarios.
• To teach skills, it is important to create apps with
children in mind – apps that maintain their interest, so
these skills can be practiced.
• By creating apps with solid educational structures,
researching the effectiveness of the apps with young

7.
Cupcake
Digital,
Inc.
860
Broadway,
3rd
Floor,
New
York
NY
10003
www.cupcakedigital.com
children, and educating the public about the benefits
found when using the apps, this method of learning
can become even more valuable.
About Cupcake Digital
Cupcake Digital, Inc. was established in June 2012 with the
intent of transforming children’s entertainment properties into
deluxe story experiences infused with educational
elements. The company’s first venture into digital
applications was based on the Emmy® Award-winning
television series “Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! ®” The Wubbzy
apps released in 2012 have each been recognized
with Parents' Choice Classic, Fun Stuff Awards and have
been consistently ranked among the top children's book
apps on Amazon and iTunes. 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.
CupcakeDigital.com provides more ways for parents and
caregivers to enhance the app experience for kids. Free

8.
Cupcake
Digital,
Inc.
860
Broadway,
3rd
Floor,
New
York
NY
10003
www.cupcakedigital.com
downloadable activities encourage further practice of CCSS
skills, including handwriting, sight words, number and letter
recognition. Plus, the site includes a Parent’s Guide for
practical tips to help children get ready for school.
About Natascha Crandall, Ph. D. President of Crandall
Consulting
Dr. Natascha Crandall is a psychologist and educator with a special
interest in enhancing children’s growth and development through the
power of media. She is the founder of Crandall Consulting, LLC.
Natascha has considerable experience in children’s media. Prior to
forming Crandall Consulting, she assisted and directed the education,
research, and outreach activities for a number of hit shows that have
aired on various networks including: Nickelodeon (Bubble Guppies,
The Backyardigans, The Wonder Pets, LazyTown), Noggin (Oobi),
Playhouse Disney (Go Baby), and CBeebies (Sesame Tree).
Natascha received her Doctorate in School Psychology from
Teachers College, Columbia University. She also holds a Master’s
degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Maryland,
and a Bachelor’s degree in Developmental Psychology from the
Pennsylvania State University.
As Crandall Consulting continues to grow its international arm,
Natascha has gotten some exciting travel opportunities. While she
enjoys discovering new places and meeting new people, she has

9.
Cupcake
Digital,
Inc.
860
Broadway,
3rd
Floor,
New
York
NY
10003
www.cupcakedigital.com
realized that she is far from an expert traveler and is definitely more
of a homebody than she cares to admit.
Although Natascha would say that she is a New Yorker at heart, the
truth is that she resides in New Jersey with her tech savvy husband,
two media loving/addicted children, and one horrible, naughty, very
bad cat.
For more information please contact Crandall Consulting
8 Martha Street, Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey 07677,
natascha@crandallconsulting.org or visit:
www.crandallconsulting.org