Step by Step with Tembo has the beginnings of a very sweet preschool app. However, fundamental barriers are standing in the way of it being all it can be.
If you would like to download Step by Step with Tembo, ($2.99, iPhone/iPad) use the link below to support Smart Apps for Kids:
_______________________________________________________________________________________
External links to the app store and web are parent-protected.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Let’s start with the strengths of Step by Step with Tembo from developer Bubble Books. The graphics in this app are unique and simple enough for very young users. The story is also short and sweet — also ideal for the young user crowd. The app is presented in an array of languages, and has multiple reading options. The text on the pages of the story is clean and easy to read and includes some great descriptive language like “he walks the wide sunny savannah tracks.” I adore the way the text is highlighted as each word is read in the “auto play” section. Everything in the app works appropriately, and the access to the menu at the top of the screen is a great feature that I love, especially in book apps. Additionally, I was really happy to see the parent protection on social media and web links — that’s a gold standard for me when I look at app features.
In spite of these strengths, I had a number of difficulties with this app from the beginning. Inside an app that has sound effects and music, I always hope to see some way for those options to be toggled on/off. I feel like that’s a handy thing to have, especially in a children’s book for young readers, as those features can be distracting for a child who truly needs to focus on reading for either phonics' sake or for additional reasons like reading comprehension. I also didn’t find the story itself to have very good flow. Each page seemed more like a statement than a group of pictures that have a sequence. Tembo
and his mother are walking along in the herd and then suddenly he is playing on the rocks? Even I had a hard time following what was going on in the story, and I don't think it would hold the attention of most tots. I’d also like to see more interaction beyond limited tap-and-move pictures. Perhaps the reader could help guide Tembo along the path with his herd.
As I already mentioned, I’m really glad the words are highlighted as they are read in the “auto play” section, and I feel this feature should be present in every mode in which the book is presented. What’s more, I absolutely swoon when words on each page can be tapped and the word is read aloud, which is a great feature that emergent and struggling readers alike benefit from.
The three additional games in the story are simple in nature and not unlike anything I haven’t already seen in the app store. Many developers have used simple childhood games like memory and puzzles which can become dull for older readers. Interactive games like search-and-find or similar activities would be delightful in this section. While I appreciate wanting to encourage literacy in the “Find Me” game section, I don’t feel like the developers have to give up literacy building activities. They simply should be presented in a more unique and engaging way.
For the content of the app, I feel that the $2.99 price is too high. Other book apps that offer more content than this one are priced the same, if not less. As a consumer I spend money on apps quite frugally and I don’t feel that the current state of the app is worth this price tag. The iTunes description also says the app is recommended for ages 3 and up, and while that age range may be appropriate for the available reading levels, the features like basic naming of objects (again, as in the “Find Me” game and often in the text) are activities that are appropriate for a much younger audience.
I feel that with some basic improvements, Step by Step with Tembo has the potential to be a lovely children’s book app.
***
Rachel J. has one more day of students until the end of the school year. Count them: O.N.E. SmartAppsForKids.com was paid a priority review fee to complete this review in an expedited manner.
Comments