PALO ALTO, Calif., May 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Parent's Pad, an assessment tool designed to deliver the most comprehensive feedback on preschoolers' learning, was launched today by award-winning educational technology company Kidaptive. Parent's Pad integrates with Leo's Pad, an iPad app that combines a series of animated educational stories with activities that customize learning to a child's ability.
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Leo's Pad was developed by educational researchers with Ph.D.'s from Stanford University and an animation team led by an Emmy Award-winning creative director. The new Parent's Pad will analyze learners' results using over 70 learning dimensions and will offer parents insights on how to help their child become a better learner.
"Leo's Pad will offer the most advanced assessment framework and parental feedback system ever created. At a glance, you will see how a child is doing in seven key areas that represent a child's brain development," said Dylan Arena, co-founder and Chief Learning Scientist at Kidaptive, who has a Ph.D. from Stanford in Learning Sciences and Technology Design. "Our assessment framework will provide the most detailed insight into a young learner's development ever offered outside of clinical settings, to put parents in a position to effect profound change in their children's lives."
Parent's Pad will allow a parent to see their child's progress not only in pre-literacy and math skills, but also in cognitive, emotional, and social functions such as being patient and taking turns. Concrete tips to help learners improve cognitive function outside of screen time will accompany the 25 appisodes planned in the series. Parent's Pad is a feature within Leo's Pad, and parents can sign up for the assessment tool within the Leo's Pad app.
"The first five years of a child's life are the most important years for brain development," said Dr. Arena, whose team has a total of four Ph.D.'s in educational and cognitive sciences. "And as a learning scientist, I've seen a stark contrast between how much researchers know about how children learn and how little of that information has reached most parents."
Each Leo's Pad "appisode," or animated story, is a preschool-friendly cartoon interwoven with games designed by educational researchers to create measurable learning experiences. The activities in the app automatically measure responses and adjust in difficulty to create the optimal learning environment. Named "New and Noteworthy" on iTunes, Leo's Pad is beautifully rendered in 3D animation. The appisodes tell the story of eight-year-old Leonardo da Vinci, playfully reimagined on adventures with pals Galileo, Marie Curie, and other historical characters.
Leo's Pad has been rated five stars by Common Sense Media, The iMums, and AppCraver. Leo's Pad is free on the iTunes App Store with subsequent appisodes available as in-app purchases.
Kidaptive is the brainchild of CEO P.J. Gunsagar, a father of two and co-founder of Prana Studios, which creates animated movies such as the Tinker Bell series for DisneyToon Studios.
"Our goal is to help children learn and have fun, and more importantly, make them better learners," Gunsagar said. "We're also committed to empowering parents in this process. Slight changes in the cognitive development of an early learner can have a huge impact on their long-term success, and parents can play a significant role in defining and improving the learning trajectory of their child through Parent's Pad."
Kidaptive uses innovative educational technology for smart storytelling on iPads, with curriculum developed by top researchers to create entertaining and adaptive content that helps children learn. www.kidaptive.com
Contact:
Julie Brannon
Director of Digital Marketing
Kidaptive, Inc.
www.Kidaptive.com
205-201-1897
Email