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Drawing on the literature, seven 21st century skills can profit from the addition of ICT skills, i.e., technical, information, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creative, and problem-solving skills.

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ICT skills refer to the skills that are needed in today’s digitized society in relation to information and communication technology.

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Technical

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Information

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Communication

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Collaboration

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Critical thinking

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Creative

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Problem-solving skills

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it is argued that they should be supported in school curricula, and undoubtedly many efforts have been made to integrate ICT skills in the context of 21st century education into secondary and even primary school curricula

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the Innovative Technologies for an Engaging Classroom (iTEC) project supports technological innovation in 19 European countries, and many governments have made the integration of ICT skills into schools mandatory, often in the context of 21st century skills education (e.g., Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, and South Korea

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These notions contrast with the fact that, inevitably, children encounter digital technologies in their everyday lives and engage with them frequently . Therefore, it is of fundamental importance for ECEC that even young children acquire an at least rudimentary understanding of how these digital technologies work, that is, at least a rudimentary level of ICT skills.

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Based on an extensive literature review on ICT skills, 21st century skills, and (cognitive) development, we aim first to connect 21st century ICT skills, as defined by van Laar and colleagues , to the literature on children’s development.

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In order to define and revisit developmental antecedents for ICT skills in young children, a conceptualization of ICT skills in early childhood is needed. One comprehensive way of defining and conceptualizing ICT skills is in the context of 21st century skills, since 21st century skills, by their very nature, are usually applied through the use or the integration of digital technologies.

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the use of ICT devices is one form of how information can be accessed, which might influence 21st century skills and can inform how they can be fostered at all ages

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Technical skills refer to the basic skills needed to operate digital devices.

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Information skills encompass the search, evaluation, and organization of digital information

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Communication skills include the skills needed for digital social interactions, such as contacting others or sharing information via e-mail, social media, and messenger apps.

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Collaboration skills regard the skills needed for collaboration in digital environments, e.g., simultaneously working on a document or online project or sharing ideas via messengers

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Critical thinking skills involve making informed decisions, which can be achieved by closely analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating received information.

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Creative skills include the development and creation of new ideas with the help of digital tools.

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Problem-solving skills encompass the skills to formulate problems in a way that digital devices can process, search for (multiple) solutions for familiar and unfamiliar problems, and generalize knowledge to new problems.

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As stated, the ECEC context has three specific challenges that need to be considered. First, a fruitful implementation of ICT skills in ECEC demands knowledge about young children’s developmental processes. Thus, cognitive, emotional, and social antecedents need to be addressed.

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Second, it remains unclear how the implementation of ICT skills can build on these antecedents while also fostering the antecedents adequately. Third, ECEC should be developmentally appropriate. ECEC mostly relies on playful learning. Thus, play might be a way to foster ICT skills in the context of 21st century skills in young children.