Available in the App Store

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While many music apps take the standard approach of teaching children music by having them touch the correct keys on a piano; DoReMi 1-2-3 uses a different approach; one of teaching kids how to listen to the pitch and melody.

DoReMi offers two different learning modes; free play and instructions. In free play mode, kids have the opportunity to explore five different worlds. The kids could spend hours in this area as there are many things to discover. There are different characters to choose from, which affects the sound of their songs; as does the options within the world. The kids can have the cows moo, sing color names, numbers, or Do, Re, Mi (Solège). They can record and play back the songs they have created. The developers have placed a good number of interactive objects in the backgrounds and created a lot of surprises! One thing I did find while exploring this area, and would like to suggest it as an improvement, is it would be nice to have the option to easily return to the characters without having to leave the world.

In learning mode, each song is broken into 9 levels; the levels start easy and progressively become more difficult. The levels do need to be completed in order; one level must be completed before the next is unlocked. Each level contains a progress bar, which nicely shows how you are doing. The app does remember where you’ve left off for each song. One suggestion I would have for this area would be to have the Do, Re, Mi, show under the characters, or at least have the option to turn it on. In some cases, it is difficult to see which character is the one playing the sound; having the words highlighting below them was helpful, when it was on.

The overall design of DoReMi is fantastic! It combines so many of the desired features one would look for in an app for children. It is kid-friendly, intuitive, cheery, contains adorable characters, the voice of the child narrator is easy to understand and it adds nicely to the learning environment. For families, with more than one child, or even a school, a multi-user option would be nice.

Lastly, I’d like to address a feature it seems many more developers of apps for kids are adding; the social networking piece as a way of tracking your child’s progress or for you to communicate with your child, offering encouragement as they progress through a learning app. The DoReMi app uses Fingerprint, which I’ve seen in a few apps recently. You, as a parent or adult, will need to go through these options EVERY time the app is opened. Even if you are not planning on using these features, you will need to choose the play as guest. Developers need to make this an option that is tucked away in the settings. Not everyone wants to use these features and it can be a real turn off to kids and parents. To get past these options, initially, can be a real inconvenience. Personally, I found that I needed to turn on my Wi-Fi before opening the app; otherwise, I do not see the guest option. I typically do not have the Wi-Fi on when my kids are using my iPad.

Bottom-line: DoReMi 1-2-3 is a great app that offers kids a fun way to learn more about music, without them knowing that they are learning. However, intergration with Fingerprint is clumsy and detracts from the app and the experience.
LET YOUR EARS DO THE LEARNING WHILE YOU PLAY!

FUN MUSICAL EAR TRAINING GAMES BOOST BRAIN DEVELOPMENT WHILE KIDS LAUGH, CREATE, AND PLAY! Kids love interacting with moo-sical cows, boat-rowing pandas, and twinkling stars as they lose themselves in engaging game play. Without even realizing it, kids learn to distinguish the individual building blocks of musical pitch and melody. Brain imaging research shows this helps forge new brain connections for math and language learning.

DoReMi 1-2-3 is the first in a groundbreaking new series of music education games designed to engage kids’ creativity and tickle their funny bones with delightful characters and gameplay. Music lessons have never been this much fun! Brain-building has never been this effortless!

TWO GAMEPLAY MODES

♪ Song Mode trains the ear for pitch and empowers children to play actual songs like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Row Row Row Your Boat, and Ode to Joy—just like on a piano!

♪ Free Play Mode lets your child play, explore, and experiment with music creatively—even record their own creations!

MULTIPLE LEVELS TO MASTER

♪ Song sequences get progressively more challenging

♪ Sequences simultaneously teach relationships between numbers, solfège, & sound

♪ Games auto-adjust to match your child’s level of mastery

♪ Fun touchable surprises to discover along the way

CREATED BY EXPERTS
♬ Brought to you by Creativity, Inc., Funfare LLC, and Funosophy—leading experts in children’s toys, music, and edu-tainment. We’ve launched thousands of toys and fun learning products, including many award winners.

♬ Curriculum team headed by Dr. Joshua Garrett, Doctor of Musical Arts, Juilliard ‘98.

MUSIC INSTRUCTION IS CRITICAL!

♫ “Young children who take music lessons show different brain development and improved memory over the course of a year, compared to children who do not receive musical training.”–Dr. Laurel Trainor, Director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind

♫ “Experience with music at a young age can “fine-tune” the brain’s auditory system.”-Nature Neuroscience

♫ For more research information visit our website.

FINGERPRINT PARENT FEATURES
Every Fingerprint App offers a series of free features designed to help parents share in the fun and learning of their child’s app play.

♩ The Play Center acts as a mobile dashboard uniting parents & kids & providing safe access to Fingerprint Apps.

♩ The Mom-Comm lets parents send personalized in-App voice messages that encourage a child’s learning progress & fun.

♩ The SnapShot gives parents insights into what their child is playing & learning through a simple news feed delivered via mobile device or web.

♩ Learning moments trigger personalized Facebook or email messages, keeping parents engaged in the play & recommending the next App for your child.

MOMS WITH APPS
Creativity, Inc., is a member of Moms With Apps, a collaborative group of family-friendly developers seeking to promote quality apps for kids and families.