Apr 24, 2015 12:42 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Mobile apps could help improve literary skills and boost school readiness for low-income children in preschool, according to a recent study.

Researchers at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development wanted to examine the effectiveness of an educational app called Learn with Homer on low-income preschoolers' school readiness skills. The Apple iPad app engages children in a systematic program that integrates word sounds and storybook reading.

"Guided use of an educational app may be a source of motivation and engagement for children in their early years," Susan B. Neuman, professor of childhood and literacy education at NYU Steinhardt and the study's author, said in a statement. "The purpose of our study was to examine if a motivating app could accelerate children's learning, which it did."

For the study, researchers collected data from 148 preschoolers from 10 Head Start classrooms. They were randomly selected to use either Learn with Homer or an art and activity app. The preschoolers engaged with the apps for 10 to 12 minutes daily, guided by moderators during the 10-week study.

Using several tests of early literacy, the researchers measured changes in children's phonological awareness as a result of daily uses of Learn with Homer, compared with the control group using the other app. Phonological awareness is the ability to detect sounds that make up words, and is an important predictor of later reading ability.

Researchers found a significant improvement in phonological awareness and understanding the connections between speech and printed letters for the group using the Learn with Homer app, compared with the group using the art and activity app. They also observed significant differences in print concepts.

"Given the importance of phonological awareness and how it contributes to school readiness, using digital resources in a highly controlled setting, like a classroom, may substantially help to close the 'app gap,'" Neuman said.

The findings were presented at the American Education Research Association's annual meeting in Chicago.

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