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Chapter 2: Finding Your Way Around a Device

Finding Your Way Around a Device 🧭

Section titled “Finding Your Way Around a Device 🧭”

Getting Around the Screen

A device is like a little house with lots of rooms. Each room is for something different. One room is for drawing. One room is for books. One room is for games.

You have probably opened a few of these rooms already! Now let’s learn how the house is put together, so you never get lost.

Tapping on Apps 📱

Section titled “Tapping on Apps 📱”

An appapp: A little picture you tap to open a game, a book, or a drawing tool. is a little picture you tap to open a game, a book, or a drawing tool. Each app has one job. A drawing app is for drawing. A book app is for reading. A video app is for watching.

Where do apps come from? People make them! Someone had an idea, and then they built the app for you to use.

The little picture for an app is called an icon. Icons all live on the home screen — that’s like the front door of the device. Sometimes there are so many apps that they fill more than one page. Swipe sideways to see the next page of apps.

Some apps are grouped together in a folder. A folder is like a toy box that holds many apps. Tap the folder to see what is inside.

When you tap an app, it opens up. When you’re done, you can close it and go back to the home screen. On a tablet, you usually swipe up from the bottom or press the home button.

Inside an App 🔘

Section titled “Inside an App 🔘”

When an app is open, you will see some helpers that show up almost everywhere:

  • Buttons — pictures or words you tap to make something happen. A play button looks like a triangle. A pause button looks like two lines.
  • The back arrow — takes you back one step. It looks like an arrow pointing left.
  • The X — closes a little window or a message.
  • Scrolling — sliding your finger up or down moves a long page, so you can see more.
  • The volume buttons — make the sound louder or softer. Soft is kind to ears!

Sometimes a little box pops up with a question. That is called a pop-uppop-up: A little box that pops up on the screen with a question or a message.. If you don’t know what it says, don’t guess. Ask a grown-up to read it with you.

Saving Your Work 📁

Section titled “Saving Your Work 📁”

When you make a drawing or a story, you can save it. Saving means the device keeps it for you, so you can find it later. It’s like putting your artwork in a special folder so it doesn’t get lost.

A filefile: One thing you save, like a drawing or a story. is one thing you save. A grown-up can help you give it a name so it’s easy to find. A good name says what it is, like “My Cat Drawing.”

Where does your file go when you save it?

  • Sometimes it stays inside the device, like a drawer in that one house.
  • Sometimes it goes to the cloudcloud: A place on the internet where your work is saved, so it can show up on another device too. — a place on the internet where your work is kept. Then you can open it on a different device, too!

Photos you take go to the photo app all by themselves. Some apps save your work by themselves, too. Others need you to tap a save button. If you are not sure, ask!

Getting New Apps 🛒

Section titled “Getting New Apps 🛒”

New apps come from a special place called the app storeapp store: The app where you get new apps. Some are free, and some cost money.. The app store checks apps to help keep bad ones out.

Here are the rules for new apps:

  • Always ask a grown-up before getting a new app.
  • Some apps cost money. A button that says “Buy” or “Get” might spend real money!
  • Some apps show a pop-up that says, “Buy coins!” or “Get more lives!” Don’t tap it. Ask a grown-up first.

Asking first is what smart tech helpers do.

Asking for Help 🤝

Section titled “Asking for Help 🤝”

If you get lost on a device, that’s okay! Just look for a back arrow or a home button to go back. Getting a little lost is part of learning.

Sometimes a device gets stuck. The screen does not move, and tapping does nothing. This is called freezing. It is not your fault! Try this:

  1. Wait and count to ten. Sometimes the device is just thinking.
  2. Close the app and open it again.
  3. If it is still stuck, ask a grown-up. They may restart it — turn it off and back on. This fixes many problems!

Chapter 2 Activity: Open and Close 🔍

Section titled “Chapter 2 Activity: Open and Close 🔍”

With a grown-up:

  1. Tap an app to open it. What is its one job?
  2. Find a button, a back arrow, and try scrolling.
  3. Close it and go back to the home screen.
  4. Make a drawing and save it. Give it a name!
  5. Draw a picture of your favorite app’s icon.

Key Concepts Checklist

Section titled “Key Concepts Checklist”
  • I know an app is a picture I tap to open, and that people make apps
  • I can go back to the home screen
  • I can find the back arrow, the X, and the volume buttons
  • I know saving keeps my work so I can find it
  • I know a grown-up can help me name and save my work
  • I always ask a grown-up before getting a new app or tapping “Buy”
  • I know what to do if a device freezes
  • I know how to find my way back if I get lost