The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Education’s Curriculum Research and Development Group (CRDG), Literacy and Hawaiian Education Office, has announced the release of its first mobile tablet application. The Pihana ABCs app is a free interactive alphabet primer and coloring book, designed to support the development of key early literacy skills.
“The app is a wonderful educational tool to help children develop foundational early literacy skills addressed in the common core state standards for English arts and Lliteracy,” said CRDG’s Hugh Dunn. “It incorporates concepts about print, phonemic awareness, alphabetic understanding and vocabulary development.”
Much more than a coloring tool, Pihana ABCs features a new letter on each page with playful alliterative phrases and illustrations that reflect Hawaiʻi’s culture. It is available for free download from iTunes (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
More on Pihana ABCs
Pihana ABCs was developed by the Piha Pono project, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education under the Native Hawaiian Education Program.
Like the original paperback rendition, this app is a collaborative product of CRDG, UH Mānoa, and the Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Student Support, Hawaiʻi Department of Education.
The paperback version has been widely disseminated and used throughout elementary schools in Hawaiʻi. As a mobile app, the product is more accessible to families and schools, and offers more engaging and interactive activities for children working independently or with guidance.
