Children’s Learning App Evaluation and Review

Families, teachers, and school leaders are increasingly turning to consumer-facing educational applications to support early literacy and mathematics development. However, the information available to help consumers identify high-quality educational apps is fragmented. Marketing claims are often difficult to verify, app store reviews can be unreliable, and existing rating sites may not address the features most important to educators and caregivers—such as accessibility, privacy and safety, manipulative design patterns, and evidence of learning support. Furthermore, educators and caregivers often have distinct priorities when selecting educational apps, so general reviews may not adequately meet their needs.

Our team is developing a robust evaluation framework called The CLEAR Method: Children’s Learning App Evaluation and Review. Intended for caregivers and educators of young children, the CLEAR Method uses a structured, research-informed evaluation rubric to provide reliable, and comprehensive assessments of educational apps. Now entering the project’s third year, the research team is refining a standardized testing protocol to be employed consistently by human reviewers and, where appropriate, by generative AI agents. More than an app review tool, the project team is building a scalable evidence system for a rapidly expanding part of children’s learning lives.

Read some of our recent publications:

• 9 Features of Great Educational Apps (ASCD)
• What Matters Most: A Mixed-Methods Study of Educational App Preferences Among Parents and Educators (AERA 2026 Poster Presentation)