Young children and
computers...Helping families make smart decisions
A look at the Sunday advertising flyers or a stroll down
the aisles of the local toy store shows a tempting
selection of brightly colored electronic toys and "first"
computers, some aimed at children as young as six months.
Manufacturers and news reports claim that early practice
with computers and computerized toys can help young
children get a leg up on reading and math―skills they'll
need once they are school-aged―and will help prepare
them for the increasingly technological world outside
their homes.
Without a doubt, computers play a large and often
important role in our adult lives. However, early
childhood experts question how much time very young
children should spend computing. At the least, many feel
computer use eats up time when children could be active
playing and exploring. At worst, some fear computers might
negatively affect young children's growth and development.
In this article, we'll explore the topic of computers with
a goal of helping families make smart choices about the
role they want computers to play in their children's
lives.
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Computers and young children ― how young is too young?
To master crawling, walking, talking and making friends,
babies and young children need to move, stretch, pull,
push, taste and play with other children. All of this
"active" activity helps stimulate children's brains for
future learning. It is also vital to their healthy
physical growth and development. As young children
exercise their bodies, they build their muscles―those
they will need to sit upright, pull up to stand and
eventually run and play. As these gross motor skills
develop over the course of early childhood, so do the fine
motor skills (e.g., pinching, pointing and grasping) that
allow children to hold crayons, cut with scissors and use
their fingers to eat small foods like O-shaped cereal.
Without plenty of active free play, young children will
lag behind in developing these vital motor skills―skills
they need now and once they reach school age. For this
reason, many early childhood researchers and teachers
believe that computers are not good for children under age
three since they involve sitting still for lengths of time
and engage only a couple of the senses (primarily sight).
In fact, occupational therapists who work with young
children say that up until age seven, children's bodies
and brains grow best if children have lots of space and
time to move, stretch and actively explore their worlds,
experiences that computer activities simply don't provide.
Much of the computer software aimed at babies and toddlers
includes games like peek-a-boo, simple songs and stories.
Doing these types of activities along with your children
teaches them much more than they'll learn from a machine.
If you'd like to introduce your children to the family
computer, consider waiting until the preschool years (ages
three to five) when most children are more developmentally
ready to explore them. Interactive computer books (e.g.,
those from Living Books and the Magic School Bus series)
and creative software like Kid Pix can complement the
imaginative play, building and hands-on crafting they
already do.
Families should avoid using software with young children
that is simply skill and drill (e.g., "Here are four
apples. Here are two. Click on the number of apples there
are all together."). Software that encourages children to
click on various objects to see what comes next, to think
creatively and to solve problems to the best of their
ability is a better choice for the preschool set. In
addition, parents should sit with children or be close by
to help them through a program. Spending time with
children as they play at the computer can make computer
time a social activity, similar to reading a book or
coloring with your children.
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What if my young child doesn't like computers?
If your children aren't interested in computers, if your
family doesn't have a home computer or if you just don't
want to introduce your young children to computers, rest
assured that they won't be at a loss later on. Though many
parents, educators and computer/software manufacturers
argue that computers are good for teaching young children
skills like hand-eye coordination, reading and
mathematics, they do so in limited ways. Occupational
therapists and preschool teachers believe that hands-on
activities like playing catch, winding through tunnels on
the playground or stringing beads can be more beneficial
when it comes to learning coordination. And, reading and
talking with your children are still the best ways for
children to learn important early literacy skills.
What about the argument that children need to learn from a
young age about computers so that they'll know how to use
them later on?
In all likelihood, the computers and games your children
explore in your home or at the public library are probably
not the machines or software they will be asked to use
during their school years. When they need computers to
perform a certain task in school (whether writing, doing
research or creating presentations), your children will
have plenty of time to learn how to make computers work
for them.
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How much is too much?
It has been recommended that preschoolers have no more
than 15 to 30 minutes of computer use daily and that
computers should be just one of many activities available.
Ideally, young children's days should include a mixture of
activities and materials, like art, blocks, sand, water,
books, exploration with writing materials and free play.
Managing computer time
When allotting computer time, some parents use the same
type of time limits they use with TV time (1/2 hour TV
show = 1/2 hour computer time). Some even place a kitchen
timer by the computer to signal when computer time is up.
When children are working through a new computer game, you
might relax your time limits, but this doesn't mean they
should spend hours in front of the computer. Giving
children notice five minutes before you plan to shut down
the machine and having another activity to move on to can
help make the transition a smooth one.
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Choosing software
Quality software can offer young children the opportunity
to learn basic computer skills and provides new ways for
them to be creative. Some software helps reinforce simple
math and reading skills.
More isn't necessarily better. Three or four carefully
chosen CD-ROMs are really all you need to supply your
young child with a variety of computer-based learning
experiences.
When you introduce children to the computer, offer a
varied software selection, including creative software
(like Kid Pix), software on single subjects (reading,
math, science), software on multiple subjects (such as the
Jump Start series), interactive storybooks (like the
Living Books series) and problem-solving adventures.
Before you buy, read software reviews and, if possible,
preview the software. Many stores will allow you to try
out software before you purchase. You can also borrow
software that friends recommend or check out copies from
the public library to preview. Parenting magazine, Family
PC magazine and Web sites like The Children's Software
Review (www.childrenssoftware.com)
are good resources for software reviews and information.
Make sure that the software you choose for your children
is challenging without being too difficult. Check for the
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating on the
box. ESRB has five ratings: EC (Early Childhood, ages
three and up), E (Everyone, ages six and up), T (Teen,
ages 13 and older), M (Mature, ages 17 and up) and AO
(Adults Only, ages 18 and up). Also, check on the back of
the box for the ESRB content descriptions. For more
information on the ESRB software rating system, go to
www.esrb.org.
Make sure software for young children uses pictures or
spoken instructions, allows them to explore a number of
topics on different levels, lets them control the level of
difficulty and the pace and the direction of the program
and provides quick, positive feedback so they stay
interested.
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Safe Surfing with Young Children
The Internet can be a wonderful resource for all sorts of
information specifically suited to young children. With a
click of the mouse, you and your children can learn to
tell the difference between a male and female Monarch
butterfly, access free educational games and learn how to
bake pretzels. But there is also a lot of inappropriate
information that you'll want to avoid.
When it comes to young children and the Internet, the best
advice is to take the time to preview any new Web site
that you might want to use together. Bookmark the sites
that you would like to visit frequently, and have a site
up before you invite your children to the computer. These
simple steps will ensure that you don't happen onto
inappropriate information while your children watch and
that they won't lose interest waiting for a page to load.
For a list of family-friendly sites, check out the
American Library Association Web site at
www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/.
Computers and Children with Special Needs
Computers can help level the playing field for children
with special challenges. With a click of a mouse, kids of
different abilities can explore new worlds and direct what
happens on the screen. Specially designed speech software
can read Web pages to the blind, and special devices can
assist children who can't use a standard mouse or
keyboard. For more information about computer products for
children with disabilities, call The Alliance for
Technology Access at (415) 455-4575 or visit
www.ataccess.org.
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