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School is tough at all ages. The rate at which students learn new subjects and skills has accelerated at a very fast rate. *upward inection* So where does that leave the children who are just entering the school system? Theyre not spared from the high demands that school will place on them. Children entering Kindergarten are now expected to know a lot before even stepping in the door the rst day.

But I dont want to sound negative or hopeless. Because kids can easily be more than ready for their rst day (click) especially with help from their parents. This is where my degree project comes in.

But I dont want to sound negative or hopeless. Because kids can easily be more than ready for their rst day (click) especially with help from their parents. This is where my degree project comes in.

In what way can design be used to educate parents and prepare their children (ages 4-5) for entering kindergarten at a public school?

in what way can design be used to educate parents and prepare their children (ages 4-5) for entering kindergarten at a public school? is the question that I asked myself. And the answer I created was...

Kinder Ready! This solution took the form of an ipad app. It is meant to create an opportunity for dialogue and participation between parents and their children. I want to call attention not just to the formal aspects of what their child needs to be prepared for school, but also to the fun, interactive every-day experiences that can be presented as learning opportunities.

Scenario One: Setting up the app through a quick assessment of your childs skills.

So, getting started! Setting up the app through a quick assessment of your childs skills. Lets begin! (Click)

Tina has downloaded the Kinder-Ready app onto her ipad. The rst step after downloading the Kinder-Ready app is a linear test. The point of this is to assess Tinas childs still, and cater the suggestions to best suite their needs. Based on the location from which you activate the app (which would most likely be from home), Kinder-Ready detects the district that her daughter, Casey, will be zoned for. This test is what her district expects kids to have an awareness of when they walk in the door the rst day. Of course, if the app has made a mistake, Tina can change it to the appropriate one. Anyway, lets begin! (click)

Tina has downloaded the Kinder-Ready app onto her ipad. The rst step after downloading the Kinder-Ready app is a linear test. The point of this is to assess Tinas childs still, and cater the suggestions to best suite their needs. Based on the location from which you activate the app (which would most likely be from home), Kinder-Ready detects the district that her daughter, Casey, will be zoned for. This test is what her district expects kids to have an awareness of when they walk in the door the rst day. Of course, if the app has made a mistake, Tina can change it to the appropriate one. Anyway, lets begin! (click)

Name Writing, the rst category under the literacy section. Little Casey can attempt to write her own name. Well done, Casey. Almost perfect. (click) While she writes, her mother pays attention to the way she grips her pencil and forms the letters. This is noted below

Name Writing, the rst category under the literacy section. Little Casey can attempt to write her own name. Well done, Casey. Almost perfect. (click) While she writes, her mother pays attention to the way she grips her pencil and forms the letters. This is noted below

Name Writing, the rst category under the literacy section. Little Casey can attempt to write her own name. Well done, Casey. Almost perfect. (click) While she writes, her mother pays attention to the way she grips her pencil and forms the letters. This is noted below

Name Writing, the rst category under the literacy section. Little Casey can attempt to write her own name. Well done, Casey. Almost perfect. (click) While she writes, her mother pays attention to the way she grips her pencil and forms the letters. This is noted below

Name Writing, the rst category under the literacy section. Little Casey can attempt to write her own name. Well done, Casey. Almost perfect. (click) While she writes, her mother pays attention to the way she grips her pencil and forms the letters. This is noted below

Now is the letter identication. Pretty striaght forward, Tina sees which letters Casey can identify without help. (click)

Now is the letter identication. Pretty striaght forward, Tina sees which letters Casey can identify without help. (click)

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and so on. (click)

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lower case letters are also important. Notice there are more letters? thats because it is also important for children to recognize letters in a variety of styles, like the letter a and the letter g. Once again, (click)

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Literary awareness also involves books. These question are meant to assess little Caseys grasp on how a book works. (click)

Literary awareness also involves books. These question are meant to assess little Caseys grasp on how a book works. (click)

picture clues, (click)

picture clues, (click)

reading direction and ow, (click)

reading direction and ow, (click)

and story comprehension are covered. (click)

and story comprehension are covered. (click)

The arts portion of the test focuses on colors, as creativity is difficult to assess through a test like this, especially at a young age. (click)

The arts portion of the test focuses on colors, as creativity is difficult to assess through a test like this, especially at a young age. (click)

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Motor skills involve hand-eye coordination and good control over all muscles. Holding pencils, buttoning buttons, and eating with a fork and spoon are all skills expected of tinas child.

Motor skills involve hand-eye coordination and good control over all muscles. Holding pencils, buttoning buttons, and eating with a fork and spoon are all skills expected of tinas child.

looks like shes pretty coordinated though.

looks like shes pretty coordinated though.

Knowing how to count is of course essential. But some children are great at repeating things they hear.

Knowing how to count is of course essential. But some children are great at repeating things they hear.

Knowing how to count is of course essential. But some children are great at repeating things they hear.

Knowing how to count is of course essential. But some children are great at repeating things they hear.

so being able to correctly recognise numerals is different than just counting! (click)

so being able to correctly recognise numerals is different than just counting! (click)

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and so on

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Only a basic knowledge of shapes is expected when entering kindergarten. (click)

Only a basic knowledge of shapes is expected when entering kindergarten. (click)

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Looks like Casey is ready for anything shape-related. (click)

Looks like Casey is ready for anything shape-related. (click)

Finally is the social skills portion of the assessment. This is brief and comprehensive, since again, this is difficult to gauge a childs ability to socialize through a small test like this.

Finally is the social skills portion of the assessment. This is brief and comprehensive, since again, this is difficult to gauge a childs ability to socialize through a small test like this.

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Tina answers honestly and to the best of her knowledge about her daughter, so that the results will be as accurate as possible. (click)

Tina answers honestly and to the best of her knowledge about her daughter, so that the results will be as accurate as possible. (click)

nally, the results. While this shouldnt be used as a denitive assessment of Tinas duaghters skill levels, it can help Tina nd the best activities and events to strengthen her daughter so shes ready for Kindergarten when the time comes.

nally, the results. While this shouldnt be used as a denitive assessment of Tinas duaghters skill levels, it can help Tina nd the best activities and events to strengthen her daughter so shes ready for Kindergarten when the time comes.

If a parent doesnt understand everything that encompasses a category, clicking the question mark brings them to a page that both explains the skill. Here it also begins to suggest appropriate fun activities Tina might want to do with her daughter geared towards ne motor stills!

Scenario Two: Exploring the activities section and local indoor & outdoor categories

Scenario two: Exploring the activities section and local indoor and outdoor activities

Now that Tina nished her daughters assessment test, Kinder-Ready is organized and suggests activities that she might want to look in to. It also connects to her calender and contacts on several social mediums. But more on that in a moment. She wants to nally look at some activities!

Now that Tina nished her daughters assessment test, Kinder-Ready is organized and suggests activities that she might want to look in to. It also connects to her calender and contacts on several social mediums. But more on that in a moment. She wants to nally look at some activities!

Within the activitied page Tina has several options. She can look through a databased of sponsored as well as user-submitted activities. She knows that her daughter loves numbers (click)

Within the activitied page Tina has several options. She can look through a databased of sponsored as well as user-submitted activities. She knows that her daughter loves numbers (click)

by clicking these skill subjects, she can begin to narrow her search by what skills each activity works on.

by clicking these skill subjects, she can begin to narrow her search by what skills each activity works on.

But wait, whats that over to the righthand side?

But wait, whats that over to the righthand side?

The local tab brings Tina to a screen with three options. the Kinder-Ready app also connects to a number of community and local-government organizations which upload their own event calendars! Tina is curious to see what;s going on outdoors, since its been so wonderful outside lately.

The local tab brings Tina to a screen with three options. the Kinder-Ready app also connects to a number of community and local-government organizations which upload their own event calendars! Tina is curious to see what;s going on outdoors, since its been so wonderful outside lately.

Oh, what fun! look at these fun outdoor children activities! A scavenger hunt? (click)

Oh, what fun! look at these fun outdoor children activities! A scavenger hunt? (click)

Within the event info page, there are numerous options available to Tina. She can see what areas this event might help her child with. Even if her daughter doesnt need work in those areas, its still a fun event! Tina can save this event to her ical as well as save the address to her maps if she is unsure of where this park is located. She can also see other parents comments and who all is going, including those from her contacts that have RSVPd.

Within the event info page, there are numerous options available to Tina. She can see what areas this event might help her child with. Even if her daughter doesnt need work in those areas, its still a fun event! Tina can save this event to her ical as well as save the address to her maps if she is unsure of where this park is located. She can also see other parents comments and who all is going, including those from her contacts that have RSVPd.

Within the event info page, there are numerous options available to Tina. She can see what areas this event might help her child with. Even if her daughter doesnt need work in those areas, its still a fun event! Tina can save this event to her ical as well as save the address to her maps if she is unsure of where this park is located. She can also see other parents comments and who all is going, including those from her contacts that have RSVPd.

Within the event info page, there are numerous options available to Tina. She can see what areas this event might help her child with. Even if her daughter doesnt need work in those areas, its still a fun event! Tina can save this event to her ical as well as save the address to her maps if she is unsure of where this park is located. She can also see other parents comments and who all is going, including those from her contacts that have RSVPd.

What else is there? (click)

What else is there? (click)

Maybe in the indoor section? (click)

Maybe in the indoor section? (click)

Color Me Mine sounds like a great way to help little Casey learn her colors while having fun. (click)

Color Me Mine sounds like a great way to help little Casey learn her colors while having fun. (click)

In addition to giving parent information on these events, Kinder-Ready unies all of this information so that it is very easy to access. As well as being a resource to nd activities, this feature also gives parents like Tina the opportunity to connect with other parents, as well as let their kids make friends, in a setting they might not otherwise be aware of. (click)

Scenario Three: Asking questions and connecting with friends through social media.

Lastly: Searching, asking for questions, and connecting with friends through social media.

Oh look, the scavenger hunt event from earlier is saved on her in-app calendar, as an additional reminder to Tina. How convenient! But thats not what this scenario is about. Tina has questions and needs answers! Where are the people on this app? (click)

Oh look, the scavenger hunt event from earlier is saved on her in-app calendar, as an additional reminder to Tina. How convenient! But thats not what this scenario is about. Tina has questions and needs answers! Where are the people on this app? (click)

Under the community section, of course! After closely watching her daughter writing earlier, Tina noticed a problem she would like to try to x. Maybe someone knows the answer. (click)

Under the community section, of course! After closely watching her daughter writing earlier, Tina noticed a problem she would like to try to x. Maybe someone knows the answer. (click)

First, Tina tries to see if an existing question is out there. Her problem is about : (click)

First, Tina tries to see if an existing question is out there. Her problem is about : (click)

(click) pencil grips? She searches. (click)

pencil grips

(click) pencil grips? She searches. (click)

pencil grips

(click) pencil grips? She searches. (click)

Unfortunately there are no existing questions or topics with that keyword. Thats ok though, she still can pose her own question. (click)

Unfortunately there are no existing questions or topics with that keyword. Thats ok though, she still can pose her own question. (click)

(click) This post goes into the forums. (click) Ooooh, now her search makes sense. Hopefully someone has an answer for you, Tina! (click)

My daughter is having trouble adjus6ng to standard-sized pencils and crayons. Does anyone have any good recommenda6ons for pencil grips or wri6ng aids to us?

(click) This post goes into the forums. (click) Ooooh, now her search makes sense. Hopefully someone has an answer for you, Tina! (click)

My daughter is having trouble adjus6ng to standard-sized pencils and crayons. Does anyone have any good recommenda6ons for pencil grips or wri6ng aids to us?

(click) This post goes into the forums. (click) Ooooh, now her search makes sense. Hopefully someone has an answer for you, Tina! (click)

while she waits. she decides to explore (click)

while she waits. she decides to explore (click)

connect nearby allows Tina to synch her social networks with her Kinder-Ready. (click) ( click) (click) Facebook and email for friends, and blogger for all the great mom-blogs that shes subscribed to! by selecting a network (click) she can see who uses the app. Oh look, Amy Jones uses this app? little Casey loves playing with Amys son. (click)

connect nearby allows Tina to synch her social networks with her Kinder-Ready. (click) ( click) (click) Facebook and email for friends, and blogger for all the great mom-blogs that shes subscribed to! by selecting a network (click) she can see who uses the app. Oh look, Amy Jones uses this app? little Casey loves playing with Amys son. (click)

connect nearby allows Tina to synch her social networks with her Kinder-Ready. (click) ( click) (click) Facebook and email for friends, and blogger for all the great mom-blogs that shes subscribed to! by selecting a network (click) she can see who uses the app. Oh look, Amy Jones uses this app? little Casey loves playing with Amys son. (click)

connect nearby allows Tina to synch her social networks with her Kinder-Ready. (click) ( click) (click) Facebook and email for friends, and blogger for all the great mom-blogs that shes subscribed to! by selecting a network (click) she can see who uses the app. Oh look, Amy Jones uses this app? little Casey loves playing with Amys son. (click)

connect nearby allows Tina to synch her social networks with her Kinder-Ready. (click) ( click) (click) Facebook and email for friends, and blogger for all the great mom-blogs that shes subscribed to! by selecting a network (click) she can see who uses the app. Oh look, Amy Jones uses this app? little Casey loves playing with Amys son. (click)

connect nearby allows Tina to synch her social networks with her Kinder-Ready. (click) ( click) (click) Facebook and email for friends, and blogger for all the great mom-blogs that shes subscribed to! by selecting a network (click) she can see who uses the app. Oh look, Amy Jones uses this app? little Casey loves playing with Amys son. (click)

Tina can see Amys saved activities, as well as her calendar. Looks like they both have something coming up on the 21st, maybe theyll see each other at this event. Tina can also message Amy with questions, suggestions, or perhaps an invitation for a play date.

In what way can design be used to educate parents and prepare their children (ages 4-5) for entering kindergarten at a public school?

In what way can design be used to educate parents and prepare their children (ages 4-5) for entering kindergarten at a public school?

KINDER READY! THANKS