Dexteria - Fine Motor Skill Development

Review

Common Sense Media says

Good hand, finger exercises for kids needing extra practice.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning3
Best: Really engaging, great learning approach.
Very Good: Engaging, very good learning approach.
Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
Not for Learning : Not recommended for learning.
Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Dexteria is a hand and finger exercise app for very young kids or kids with special needs. The developer stresses that the three modes -- Write It, Tap It, and Pinch It -- are exercises, not games. While there are elements built into each activity to make them more interesting to kids, this app is mostly for therapy and practice. Kids who need extra help tracing letters, using their fingers in specific ways like pinching, and keeping certain fingers steady while moving others can benefit from using this app. The automatic tracking and reporting features will likely be valuable to parents, teachers, and therapists.

  • Ease of use5
    Very easy to play. The app gives lots of verbal and visual cues at the start and during each mode.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism1
    No outside ads, although sometimes the other skill development apps created by Dexteria's developer pop up "on sale" on the main screen when opening the app. Users can purchase an in-app upgrade to create multiple user accounts.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
  • Privacy & safety0
    No linking to social media sites or tracking of personal information by the developer. Usage reports can be emailed to teachers or therapists.
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What kids can learn

3

Kids can learn fine motor skills, building hand and finger strength, control, and dexterity. Kids can also learn how following directions, putting forth effort by using this tool on a daily basis, and by working beyond obstacles can help improve skills that may be challenging for them. In Write It mode, kids can practice writing capital and lowercase letters, as well as numbers. Because some of the exercises are timed, kids also learn how to handle stress under pressure. Dexteria is a useful tool that can help kids grow in hand and finger coordination and writing skills.

Subjects
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Arts
  • Hobbies
Skills
  • Thinking & Reasoning
  • Creativity
  • Self-Direction
    effort, working efficiently
  • Responsibility & Ethics
  • Tech Skills
  • Health & Fitness
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What's it about?

First, choose Tap It, Pinch It, or Write It. In Tap It, lines appear with colored triangles on the ends that kids need to tap while keeping a thumb on the "anchor dot." In Pinch It, pinch small crabs to make them disappear; difficulty increases as crabs begin to move, change color, and multiply. Write It gives kids verbal and visual prompts to trace capital or lowercase letters as well as numbers. When kids touch the blue dots within the letters, a dinging sound lets them know they've hit the right spots.

Is it any good?

 

DEXTERIA - FINE MOTOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT is a well-made therapeutic app for kids who need extra help with fine motor skills, letter formation, and skills like finger pinching -- skills that help in many ways, including manipulating mobile device screens. While the exercises aren't chock full of exciting games, cute characters, and rewards, features like fun sound effects, timed tasks, and encouraging tracking of levels completed can help keep kids' attention. This sustained attention is key, because these activities are only fully effective if incorporated into daily practice. With consistent use, Dexteria can be a highly effective tool.

This review of Dexteria - Fine Motor Skill Development was written by

What kids can learn

3

Kids can learn fine motor skills, building hand and finger strength, control, and dexterity. Kids can also learn how following directions, putting forth effort by using this tool on a daily basis, and by working beyond obstacles can help improve skills that may be challenging for them. In Write It mode, kids can practice writing capital and lowercase letters, as well as numbers. Because some of the exercises are timed, kids also learn how to handle stress under pressure. Dexteria is a useful tool that can help kids grow in hand and finger coordination and writing skills.

Subjects
  • Language & Reading: following directions, writing
  • Math: numbers
  • Science:
  • Social Studies:
  • Arts:
  • Hobbies:
Skills
  • Thinking & Reasoning:
  • Creativity:
  • Self-Direction: effort, working efficiently
  • Emotional Development: handling stress, moving beyond obstacles
  • Communication:
  • Collaboration:
  • Responsibility & Ethics:
  • Tech Skills:
  • Health & Fitness:

What's it about?

First, choose Tap It, Pinch It, or Write It. In Tap It, lines appear with colored triangles on the ends that kids need to tap while keeping a thumb on the "anchor dot." In Pinch It, pinch small crabs to make them disappear; difficulty increases as crabs begin to move, change color, and multiply. Write It gives kids verbal and visual prompts to trace capital or lowercase letters as well as numbers. When kids touch the blue dots within the letters, a dinging sound lets them know they've hit the right spots.

How kids will learn

Kids will learn by performing the hand and finger exercises built into the three modes of play on Dexteria. Short, relevant exercises combined with fun sounds effects, timed tasks, and encouraging data (such as levels completed) help kids stay on task and come back to see improvement daily. Parents, teachers, and therapists can help kids learn via the automatic usage and performance reports. Simple audio and visual prompts make Dexteria more accessible for very young kids and kids with special needs.

How parents can help

  • Some of these exercises are harder than others. Find out which one is most comfortable and fun for your kid and start with that, building to more difficult modes.
  • Use the performance reports to track your kid's strengths and skills that need more practice.
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Category:Other
Platforms:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:$3.99
Size:87.80 MB
Publisher:BinaryLabs
Version:1.3.5
Release date:December 26, 2012
Minimum software requirements:iOS 4.3 or later
This review of Dexteria - Fine Motor Skill Development was written by

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