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Cupcake Digital, Inc.

www.cupcakedigital.com

CupcakeDigital’sInfusionofCommonCoreStandardsPositionstheCompanyforContinuedGrowthandLeadershipJanuary21,2013Maintainingcontinuedgrowthandleadershipintheevolvingchildren’sapplicationmarketrequiresmaximizingthevalueofourproductstoserveparentsandchildren.Inthispaper,wediscusshowinfusingCommonCoreStateStandardsintoourapps/gamesandconductingourbusinessinasociallyresponsiblemannercontributestobuildingtrustamongourtargetpurchasersandtoourfuturesuccess.Objective:TodemonstratehowCupcakeDigitalismaximizingitspotentialforleadershipinthechildren’sappmarketbyinfusingitsappswitheducator‐developedlearningmomentsspecificallyalignedwithCommonCoreStateStandards(CCSS).Background:TheCommonCoreStateStandardswillplayacriticalroleintheeducationofAmerica’schildrengoingforward.TheCommonCoreStateStandardsInitiativeisastate‐ledeffort‐‐developedincollaborationwithteachers,schooladministratorsandexperts–toprovideaconsistentframeworkthatwillhelpensurechildrenarecollegeandcareer‐readybytheendofhighschool.TheCCSSsettherequirementsforchildrenK‐12inallacademicsubjectsandprovide



teachersandparentswithacommonunderstandingofwhatstudentsareexpectedtolearn.

However,astheintroductionoftheCommonCoreStateStandardsisinitsearlieststages,communicationtoparentsaboutthisnewconceptandwhatismeanstotheirchildren’seducationisnotyetclearorsufficient.CommonCore:ASocialResponsibilityCupcakeDigitaliscommittedtobeingathoughtful,sociallyresponsiblecompanythatparents,caregiversandeducatorscantrust.Webelievethatproducingappsthatnotonlyentertain,butalsohelpreadyachildtomeetnationallyacknowledgedacademicrequirementscanonlyenhanceourownpotentialforsuccess.Theappsandgamesweproducearebasedonwell‐known,highlysuccessfulchildren’sentertainmentmediaproperties.Thesedelightfulstoriesareadaptedintheformofdeluxestorybookexperiencesandinteractivegames.Theinfusionoflearningmoments‐‐alignedwithCommonCoreStateStandards–enablesustomaximizetheeducationalvalueofourappsandgames.CupcakeDigitalhastakenaleadershiproleinthecurriculum‐infusedchildren’sappmarketbycreatingfree,educator‐developedworksheetsandactivitiesthatsupplementlearningmomentsinthestory.While47stateshavecommittedtoadoptingtheCommonCoreCurriculumby2014,awarenessoftheinitiative’sspecificsandvalueisnotyetwidespread.



CupcakeDigitalhasidentifiedaclearopportunitytohelpinformparentsabouttheCommonCoreStateStandards–inlayman’sterms–intheCommonCoreCornerattheendofeachapp.ItisintendedtohelpparentsunderstandhowtheappispreparingtheirchildrentomeettheCCSSchallengesatschoolandwhattheirchildrenarelearningthroughtheapp’sactivitiesandtheprocessofreadingtheappitself.

InfusionofCommonCoreStateStandards:SeriousBusiness



“Digitalmediaofferschildrenunparalleledopportunitiestolearn,imagine,participate,practice,andcreate.Butwithoutaguidepost,weknowparents,educators,andkidshavedifficultyfindingengaging,enrichinginteractiveexperiences,"saidSusanCrown,founderandchairmanofSCE.CupcakeDigitalisoneofthefirstcompaniesinthechildren'sdigitalspacetoblendentertainmentwithCommonCoreStateStandardslearningmoments,andwedosoresponsibly.“TheprocessofinfusingourappswithCCSSwasnotoneweapproachedlightly,”saysSusanMiller,PresidentandCo‐founderofCupcakeDigital.“ToalignourlearningmomentseffectivelywithCommonCorerequirements,welookedtoeducationalconsultants‐‐‐expertsintheCommonCoreStateStandards–toworkwithus,”shecontinues.AnexampleofhowCCSS‐alignedlearningmomentsareinfusedintoCupcake’sappsisattached.(linktoexamplesprovidedattheendofthispositionpaper)TheexampleshownaddressestheinfusionofEnglishlanguageartsandmathematicsactivitiesinWubbzy’sDinosaurAdventure.Cupcakeisdedicatedtothenotionthatthereisroomforfuninlearning.WhileourappsareinfusedwiththeCCSS,wemakethelearningprocessentertainingandthoroughlyenjoyable!CommonCore:ACompetitiveAdvantageCupcakeDigitalisoneofthefirstcompaniesinthechildren'sdigitalspacetorecognizetheopportunitytoserveparentsandchildrenbetterbymaximizingthevalueofourproductsthroughtheinfusionofCommonCoreStateStandardslearningmoments.Insodoing,wearealsostrivingtohelpmakeCCSSeasytounderstandandeasytopracticeforparentsandkids.



“Asthechildren’sdigitalmarketfloodswithnewproductsatexponentialrates,parentswillneedguidanceinchoosingthehighestqualityproductsfortheirkids,”saysBradPowers,ChairmanandCEOofCupcakeDigital.“Ourgoal,”headds,“istobethenumberonechoiceamongparentsforappsthattheycantrusttoentertain,inspireandhelpprepareyoungchildrenforsuccessinschoolandbeyond.”TheCommonCoreStateStandardsareheretostay;andnationalawarenessofthemwillincreaseoverthenexttwoyears.CupcakeDigital’sauthorityonthesubjectofCCSSandaccountabilityforresponsibleinfusionofthestandardsintoourappswillcontinuetoprovideusastrongcompetitiveedge.Example:ThreegamesinWubbzy’sDinosaurAdventurearespecificallydesignedtohelppreparechildrentomeettherequirementssetforthforKindergartenbytheCCSS.ThegamesillustratehowCupcakeDigitalblendsentertainmentandlearningingamesthatarefunandfanciful,whilealsoinstructive.DinoAlphabetGameChildrenareaskedtodragthedinosauroverthetreestoeatalltheletters.Asthelettersareeaten,theletternameisspokenbythenarratorsothatchildrencanmaketheassociation.



TheDinoAlphabetGamesupportstheEnglishLanguageArtsCCSSforthefoundationofreading,whichrequirechildrentorecognizeandnameallupper‐andlowercaselettersofthealphabet.DinoNumbersGameChildrenareaskedtohelpthedinosaurtoeatallthenumbersfromoneto10.Thenumbersarereadaloud,sothatchildrencanlearntorecognizethem.



TheDinoNumbersGamesupportsmathlearningbymotivatingchildrentocountavarietyofquantitiesandnumbers.CCSSrequireschildrentobeabletocountto100byonesandbytens.DinoWordGameChildrenareaskedtohelpthehungrydinosaurfindsomewordstosnackon.Awordappearsatthetopofthescreenandisreadaloud.Belowthewordisalistofthreewords.Thechildmustselecttheonethatmatchesthewordatthetopofthescreen.



DinoWordGamesupportstheEnglishLanguageArtsCCSSrequirementforchildrenbyteachingthemtorecognizealistofbasicsightwordsthatmakeupthemajorityoftextandarecriticaltoreading.AboutCupcakeDigitalInc.CupcakeDigital,Inc.wasestablishedinJune2012withtheintentoftransformingchildren’sentertainmentpropertiesintodeluxestoryexperiencesinfusedwitheducationalmoments.ItsfirstventureintodigitalapplicationswasbasedontheEmmyAward‐winningtelevisionseries“Wow!Wow!Wubbzy!”Theappimmediatelyroseto#1and#3amongchildren'sbookappsonAmazonandiTunesrespectively.Sincethen,everysubsequentchildren’sstoryappcreatedbyCupcakeDigitalhasachieveda



top10ratingonAmazon.HeadquarteredinNYC,CupcakeDigitalwasfoundedbyprovenprofessionalsinthefieldsoftechnology,familyentertainment,publishingandbrandmarketing.InOctoberof2012,CupcakeDigitalreceiveditsfirstroundofprivatefundingandhassincegoneontopartnerwithadditionalmajorchildren'sentertainmentproperties.FormoreinformationaboutCupcakeDigitalInc.,pleasecontactCarmenHernandezatpr@cupcakedigital.comorvisitwww.cupcakedigital.com.