MIAMI, FL – April 28, 2015 – (HISPANICIZE WIRE) – Juana la Iguana and Rokk3r Labs Labs have officially launched a new app for iPad and iPhone to help preschool children develop basic skills, learning Spanish words, colors, numbers, and visual and audible association – all while having fun. Juana also teaches values to kids such as honesty, kindness, responsibility and loyalty through the use of repetition. The app, designed for children 5 and under, features traditional Latin American children’s songs accompanied by a dancing Juana.
For a limited period of time, Juana y los Amigos de la Granja can be downloaded for free. The app will then be available in Apple’s App Store for $4.99 (US).
As explained by Tania Gilinski-Seidl, creator and entrepreneur, “We created Juana la Iguana because we see the need for a high quality educational platform in Spanish. Our goal is not only for kids to learn cognitive skills and vocabulary but more importantly to learn to be good people.” The first application is designed to help children with their motor skills, and basic understanding of colors, animals, pronunciation and spelling of Spanish words, the association of images and sound, and offers a fun way to begin learning the concept of counting. Beyond that, the application seeks to be fully interactive, motivating kids to sing and dance by imitating choreography adapted for traditional Spanish songs for kids.
In comparison to other applications, Juana is meant to be a fun alternative where the toddler can always win. The team behind the app is made up of multidisciplinary professionals with experience in education, music, communication, speech, graphic design and production. Extra attention has been given to the content, the aesthetics, and the game play to guarantee a unique experience in its category. “Juana la Iguana is designed with a clear purpose since each word, action and song contributes to the integral development of children,” explains Anita Katz, the team’s education and music specialist.
Juana la Iguana, a lovable character with a Latin American soul, originated in Latin America, where the television series quickly became a top show for toddlers in various countries, receiving critical praise and awards such as the Parent´s Choice Gold award. The application is the result of years of work with the characters of the series: Juana la Iguana, her friends and other animals. The concept for the company has always been anchored in teaching children positive values and key concepts for learning that can help children with healthy development. Nurit Sheinberg, Ed.D. Harvard University, director of Research and Evaluation at the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies in Florida explains the importance of Juana’s concept “There has been a lot of emphasis on school readiness and most programs emphasize letters, numbers, shapes and we tend to forget the social emotional component, specifically empathy, being kind, developing friendships. Juana la Iguana does a wonderful job at helping children focus on those skills. This is what makes this program unique. The focus on those socio-emotional skills is what is going to make an individual successful in life.”
The game has already been well received in many countries. Apple has recently featured Juana la Iguana in the App Store in Mexico, which has lifted the number of downloads there. In the United States, Juana la Iguana, the startup, was voted by readers of The Miami Herald to be the 2015 Business Plan Challenge People’s Pick.
A second game is already in the works, which will focus on the beach, marine life and learning about caring for the environment. The team continues to focus on early education, supporting bilingual learning for toddlers while emphasizing positive values and emotional intelligence.
Download Juana from Apple’s App Store
Twitter: @aprendeconjuana
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Media assets can be downloaded at: http://rokk3rlabs.com/juanalaiguana/juana-press-images.zip/a>
About Juana la Iguana @aprendeconjuana
Juana la Iguana is an award-winning platform for educating children in Spanish on basic skills and strong values. In addition to 25+ TV episodes, Juana is now available as an app for iPads and iPhones. Additionally, parents and kids can enjoy Juana’s videos and songs on YouTube, Spotify and iTunes.
About Rokk3r Labs @rokk3rlabs
Rokk3r Labs launches companies through its comprehensive co-building approach, leveraging sound business practices and entrepreneurial experience with a proven and profound understanding of the modern digital world. They create teams with talented engineers, creatives, and strategists to help propel ideas into amazing companies. Structured to mitigate risks and maximize business opportunities, Rokk3r Labs is committed to the future of its portfolio companies.