Parenting app introduced to help parents get children school ready
A new app, EasyPeasy, has been released for parents to aid children with their school readiness, with results showing improved concentration and willlingness to complete difficult tasks. The results are from a randomised controlled trial carried out by the University of Oxford’s Department of Education and published by the Sutton Trust.
The trial tested the app, using parents and carers of 2-6 year old children using the app for 18 weeks. Parents reported significant improvements in their children’s ‘cognitive self-regulation’.The children were seen to show persistence in completing difficult tasks, working things out alone and making decisions independently.
These capabilities strongly underpin children’s ability to learn and succeed at school. The parents who took part in the trial also claimed to feel better able to stick to rules and set boundaries.
Previous research commissioned by the Sutton Trust found evidence that engaged parents and a secure home learning environment are strong influences on children’s development. These findings are vital in understanding effective ways for parents to support their child’s early learning at home and support school readiness.
144 families took part in the trial of EasyPeasy, through a partnership with Bournemouth borough council, EasyPeasy, the Sutton Trust, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the University of Oxford. Parents received EasyPeasy via children’s centres in the Bournemouth area.
The EasyPeasy app provided data analytics on parent engagement to the children’s centres via a digital dashboard, helping practitioners to encourage less engaged parents to participate.
EasyPeasy is one of six organisations to have been awarded funding as part of the Sutton Trust and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation’s £1m parental engagement fund, designed to boost learning for disadvantaged 2 – 6 year olds. This trial is part of the charities’ investment to support the growth, increased effectiveness and impact measurement of the initiatives.
You can join a waiting list to access EasyPeasy at www.easypeasyapp.com