Recommended Activities with the Use of Technology

Young children nowadays are exposed to a variety of technology in their everyday lives. As parents, it is difficult to avoid giving children access to technology considering how technology is already considered as a necessity by most people. It is something that we can no longer avoid. However, with young children, it is always best to be familiar to what kind of technology they are exposed to and what parents can do to use these technologies to further develop the knowledge and skills children acquire from them.

When used intentionally and appropriately, technology and interactive media are effective tools to support learning and development (NAEYC, 2012). That is why as parents, it is important that you know what your child is doing in the digital world. When you are familiar with the kind of games and applications your child uses, you are better able to guide them and help them and reinforce their learning and development.

Before I suggest some activities to do with your children, it is imperative that we first discuss how technology should be utilized in your home.

1. Do a test run. Before exposing your child to the technology, make sure that you are first able to see it yourself to know how it works and what kind of feedback your child is getting from it. Doing this will help in helping your child understand unfamiliar concepts when interacting with technology.
2. Choose appropriate technology. It is important that the technology your child is exposed to is interactive. It should allow your child to be creative, solve-problems and think critically. Most importantly, it should provide opportunities for your child to socialize with peers or yourself.
3.  Balance it out. Although exposing your child to technology is a great way to reinforce their learning and development, it can also be harmful to them since there are certain aspects of development technology is unable to reinforce. Therefore, it is still encouraged that children be exposed to other activities not involving technology.

Now that you know how technology can be used at home by children, it would be beneficial to use these tips in discerning what your child is exposed to at home. While we cannot control what they see outside of the home, research suggests the importance of the home learning environment to the children’s learning and development which means that what your child is exposed to at home plays a significant role in their achievement in school and how they adjust to situations (Kernan, 2012). Below are some suggested activities to do with your kids at home that involves the use of technology.

1. Digital storytelling.There are already a million and one ways to make storytelling more personal and interactive. Sites such as SandBox and StoryBird provide children with different ways to make reading fun such as making your own storybook, making videos for storytelling and even templates for comic strips.
2. Online games. Although there are also a lot of negative effects when using technology, when it is used it can also be a very effective tool for reinforcing learning. Click here to read on why MineCraft can be a useful game for children. http://technology-in-preschool.blogspot.com/2015/03/minecraft-review.html
3.  Interactive applications. With the release of tablet computers and android phones, many companies have developed numerous applications children can play with using those devices. It is not enough that these apps are interactive. They must also develop their social skills, critical thinking and their knowledge about the world around them.

These 3 developments in technology are only guides on what kind of technology children should be exposed to. For a more comprehensive review of selected websites, games and applications, please visit our other blog posts here.

To end, I would like to leave parents with this final message with regards to what technology can do for children. Technologies can broaden the array of opportunities for children to learn about the world, to develop their communication skills, and to learn about how to learn (Plowman & McPake, 2013).

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References:

Kernan, M. (2012).Parental involvement in early learning. Retrieved from

http://www.bernardvanleer.org/files/Parental_involvement_in_early_learning.pdf

NAEYC. (2012). Key messages of the naeyc/fredrogers center position statement on technology and

interactive media in early childhood programs. Retrieved from

http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/12_KeyMessages_Technology.pdf

Plowman L & McPake J (2013). Seven Myths About Young Children and Technology.

Childhood Education 89 (1) 27‐33.