I don’t want to brag or anything, but I’ve kinda hit the Holy Grail of parenting milestones. Don’t be insanely jealous of me, but both my kids will be in school full time this fall. That means no more half days, no more preschool tuition or expensive day care. It means 8 uninterrupted hours of grown-up time that I can use to actually WORK without updates every 30 seconds on What We’re Doing Now. (I love them but geez they are sharers)
The journey to daytime freedom wasn’t an easy one though. In my neighborhood the trend for parents is to have their kiddo skip preschool altogether and enter kindergarten after turning 5, a year later than what’s normally the practice. For a brief time I had actually considered doing this with my youngest, but she loved going to preschool and she happened to gain some pretty impressive skills while there.
Some may argue that preschool is unnecessary, but others (like me) see huge growth in their kids after sending them. Sometimes, though, going to a brick and mortar school isn’t a feasible option for families. How do those children learn preschool skills that could lay the foundation for the remainder of their school years? How about: AN APP. Yep, I said it – a preschool app.
Let’s take the example of the newly-released app Grandma’s Preschool. I had high hopes for the game even before I played it, seeing as how it’s a part of the Fairlady family of preschool-centric learning apps. Designed for the 3-6 crowd, Grandma’s Preschool is immersive and comprehensive, and fits all of my criteria to be a supplemental tool for your preschool-aged kiddo. Warm, encouraging Grandma, with her adorable high-fives and bouncy celebratory jigs, is back and even better than ever.
Don’t be fooled: Grandma’s iPad preschool is just as comprehensive as my daughter’s ‘real’ preschool experience. Through fun games, puzzles, videos, and more, young players learn the basics of preschool education – there’s even snack time! There aren’t any timers or point systems, and beyond the very basic sight words there isn’t any reading required to get started on playing the game.
Now, I feel like I should add a caveat here by saying that (in my opinion) the iPad is no replacement for actual schooling. However if an app is done right it can provide access to skills that are being taught in preschools around the country, like basic sound and number recognition and the fundamentals of following directions. The app also needs to be encouraging and engaging, while still allowing young players the autonomy and freedom to problem-solve if necessary. I see all of these concepts in Grandma’s Preschool, high fives all around!
