What is Constructive Applications

Children's use of touch-screen tablets is increasing as these mobile devices become increasingly available. The interactive, tactile touch-screen interface and easily downloadable applications make tablets especially popular with pre-schoolers. This chapter's literature review provides an overview of recent research into tablets and emergent literacy development at home and in the pre-school setting. A multi-faceted synthesis of research on children's use of tablets and its impact in emergent literacy skills was conducted. The evidence indicated that mobile learning via touch-screen tablets has the potential to broadly enhance emergent writing and may facilitate the development of letter name/sound knowledge, print awareness, letter writing and name writing skills, and phonological awareness. The relation between the use of tablets and emergent literacy development seems to be complex as it is mediated by factors such as the type of multisensory experiences through literacy applications and the type of scaffolding used by adults. Recommendations and directions for future research are discussed.