# Measures Matter: A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Educational Apps on Preschool to Grade 3 Children’s Literacy and Math Skills file\_download **Size:** 712.52 KB **Format:** PDF **Date:** 01/12/2026 [ Download Resource file\_download ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9881/files/2026-01/kim-et-al-2021-measures-matter-a-meta-analysis-of-the-effects-of-educational-apps-on-preschool-to-grade-3-children-s.pdf) This meta-analysis synthesizes evidence from 36 experimental and quasi-experimental studies to assess the effectiveness of educational apps on preschool through Grade 3 students’ literacy and math outcomes. Using robust variance estimation and random-effects models, the authors find that educational apps produce a moderate positive average effect (+0.31 SD) on achievement, with comparable impacts in literacy and math. However, the study shows that these average effects mask substantial variation. App effectiveness is significantly higher for preschool-aged children, for researcher-developed outcomes rather than standardized tests, and for constrained skills (such as letter recognition, phonics, or basic number knowledge) compared to broader, unconstrained skills like reading comprehension or problem solving. In contrast, dosage and overall app quality ratings were not consistently associated with larger effects once other factors were controlled. The findings highlight that while educational apps can be effective tools for early learning, their impact depends heavily on what skills they target, who they serve, and how learning is measured, underscoring the need for more rigorous, large-scale evaluations and careful alignment between app design and instructional goals. See also:- [ Researcher ](/audience/researcher) - [ School/District Leader ](/audience/schooldistrict-leader) - [ Curriculum ](/focus-areas/curriculum) - [ Math Instruction ](/focus-areas/math-instruction) - [ Reading Instruction ](/focus-areas/reading-instruction) - [ MORE (Model of Reading Engagement)/READS Lab ](/projects/more-model-reading-engagement) - [ Research and Reports ](/resource-type/research-report) - [ 2021 ](/year/2021) - [ K12 ](/sector/k12)