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The Departments recognize that families and early educators have many different options for using technology with early learners. The Departments believe that guidance needs to reflect the reality that families and early educators have access to apps, digital books, games, video chatting software, and a multitude of other interactive technologies that can be used with young children. Even as new technologies emerge, the Departments believe that these principles apply, though guidance may evolve as more research on this topic is published.

The Departments' four guiding principles for use of technology with early learners are as follows:

Guiding Principle #1: Technology-when used appropriately-can be a tool for learning.

Guiding Principle #2: Technology should be used to increase access to learning opportunities for all children.

Guiding Principle #3: Technology may be used to strengthen relationships among parents, families, early educators, and young children.

Guiding Principle #4: Technology is more effective for learning when adults and peers interact or co-view with young children.

Two documents in particular influenced the development of the Departments' guiding principles: Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice and the 2016 National Education Technology Plan (NETP).

HHS published Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice⁹ in March 2015 to examine how technology can be used to support and improve the quality of practice of early childhood practitioners, particularly in their own professional development. The report presented an overview of research related to the use of technology by conducting a literature review and consulting with experts on the topic in four key focus areas: 1) instruction and assessment; 2) parent, family, and community engagement; 3) professional development and informal learning; and 4) facilitators and barriers.

At ED, the Office of Educational Technology released the 2016 NETP, the federal government's flagship educational technology policy document. Titled Future Ready Learning: Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education, the plan articulates a vision of equity, active use, and collaborative leadership to make everywhere, all-the-time learning possible for all learners. While acknowledging the continuing need to provide equitable access to technology itself, the plan goes further to call upon all involved in American education to ensure equity of access to transformational learning experiences enabled by technology, including for early learners. ¹⁰

The Departments' four principles state the position of the Departments on this topic and are expanded below.

Guiding Principle #1:

Technology-when used appropriately-can be a tool for learning.

Developmentally appropriate use of technology can help young children grow and learn, especially when families and early educators play an active role. Early learners can use technology to explore new worlds, make believe, and actively engage in fun and challenging activities. They can learn about technology and technology tools and use them to play, solve problems, and role play.

How Do You Determine What is Developmentally Appropriate for a Child When it Comes to Technology?

In Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Fred Rogers Center state that "appropriate experiences with technology and media allow children to control the medium and the outcome of the experience, to explore the functionality of these tools, and pretend how they might be used in real life ¹¹."

Lisa Guernsey, author of Screen Time: How Electronic Media-From Baby Videos to Educational Software-Affects Your Young Child, also provides guidance for families and early educators. For example, instead of applying arbitrary, "one-size-fits-all" time limits, families and early educators should determine when and how to use various technologies based on the Three C's: the content, the context, and the needs of the individual child. ¹² They should ask themselves following questions:

Content-How does this help children learn, engage, express, imagine, or explore?

Context-What kinds of social interactions (such as conversations with parents or peers) are happening before, during, and after the use of the technology? Does it complement, and not interrupt, children's learning experiences and natural play patterns?

The individual child-What does this child need right now to enhance his or her growth and development? Is this technology an appropriate match with this child's needs, abilities, interests, and development stage?

Appropriate use in formal early learning settings

Early educators should keep in mind the developmental levels of children when using technology for early learning. That is, they first should consider what is best for healthy child development and then consider how technology can help early learners achieve learning outcomes. Technology should never be used for technology's sake. Instead, it should only be used for learning and meeting developmental objectives, which can include being used as a tool during play.

When technology is used in early learning settings, it should be integrated into the learning program and used in rotation with other learning tools such as art materials, writing materials, play materials, and books, and should give early learners an opportunity for self-expression without replacing other classroom learning materials. ¹³ There are additional considerations for educators when technology is used, such as whether a particular device will displace interactions with teachers or peers or whether a device has features that would distract from learning. Further, early educators should consider the overall use of technology throughout a child's day and week, and adhere to recommended guidelines from the Let's Move initiative, in partnership with families. Additionally, if a child is eligible for services under IDEA and/or Section 504 and Title II, the student may require specific technology to ensure that the student can access the instructional material.

What Are Some Differences Between Using an e-Book and a Physical Book with Early Learners?

E-books have the potential to provide learning experiences for children and they also have capabilities that are impossible to deliver in print format. For example:

A device can hold a complete library of stories and information for children to explore.

Words and sentences can be highlighted during oral narration.

Children can elect to have a pre-recorded narrator read the entire text out loud to them.

Children can experience embedded interactive features within the text.

On the other hand, research has shown that some interactive features may actually impede a young child's comprehension. 14, 15 An example is a feature that allows children to jump around to different points in the story, which can make it difficult for developing readers to follow a sequence of events.

The optimal way for children to experience a physical book or an e-book is with an adult who is actively involved, 16, 17 asking questions that allow children to expand on what they've read to make connections and providing opportunities to check for comprehension. However, the design of some e-books may dampen parents' desires to play that interactive role. Two research studies have shown that when parents read e-books that have features that asked questions, parents were less likely to play that role with their children while reading together, 18, 19. On the positive side, another research study showed that children who read an e-book with a parent remembered content better than children who read an e-book alone, regardless of what the parent was saying during the reading. ²⁰

When making decisions about incorporating e-books, parents should consider what features are available and when and how they will be used. Bedtime use of e-books may also require additional considerations. For example, currently there is limited research on the impact on sleep when using e-books for bedtime reading, but some research suggests that the backlighting of electronic devices can curtail the amount of time children spend sleeping if a device is used right before bedtime. ²¹

Just as with other educational tools, school-aged children should be taught how to correctly handle and care for devices. These skills and the use of technology should generally not be taught as a separate rotation or class, but rather integrated into the learning objective of the lesson. ²² In some cases, however, individualized instruction may be desirable to meet the specific needs of a child. As children grow older, they should continue to build on this basic skill set with lessons in digital citizenship.

What is Digital Citizenship?

In the Ed Tech Developer's Guide, released by the Office of Educational Technology in April 2015, digital citizenship is defined as "a set of norms and practices regarding appropriate and responsible technology use... and requires a whole-community approach to thinking critically, behaving safely, and participating responsibly online." ²³

As early learners reach an appropriate age to use technology more independently, they must be taught about cyber safety, including the need to protect and not share personal information on the internet, the goals and influence of advertisements, and the need for caution when clicking on links. These skills are particularly important for older children who may be using a parent's device unsupervised. Early childhood educators and administrators should ensure that the proper filters and firewalls are in place so children cannot access materials that are not approved for a school setting.

Distinctions between active and passive use

To understand how to use technology appropriately with young children, families and early educators should understand the differences between passive and active use of technology. Passive use of technology generally occurs when children are consuming content, such as watching a program on television, a computer, or a handheld device without accompanying reflection, imagination, or participation. Active use occurs when children use technologies such as computers, devices, and apps to engage in meaningful learning or storytelling experiences. Examples include sharing their experiences by documenting them with photos and stories, recording their own music, using video chatting software to communicate with loved ones, or using an app to guide playing a physical game. These types of uses are capable of deeply engaging the child, especially when an adult supports them.

Deep engagement is less likely to occur when a device is used passively. In many circumstances, minimal learning occurs when children use devices merely to consume videos on their own. However, screen time should not be the only factor when considering the value of a child's interaction with technology since high-quality, research-based video content can lead to deep cognitive processing in the minds of young children. ²⁴ As most content does not meet this standard, adults need to recognize that what matters most is whether the child's mind is active and deeply engaged with the content. One way an adult can tell if a child is actively engaging with content is for an adult to watch with them (known as co-viewing) and to guide them to a deeper engagement. Co-viewing and the importance of adult interaction is further discussed in guiding principle #4.

Similarly, adults need to be cautious about assuming that a child using a device in a physically engaging way reflects active learning. While actions such as swiping or pressing on devices may seem to be interactive, if the child does not intentionally learn from the experience, it is not considered to be active use. To be considered active use, the content should enable deep, cognitive processing, and allow intentional, purposeful learning at the child's developmental level.

Research on Television Use

Research on television has shown that the impact of children passively consuming content is associated with adverse effects on their health in terms of weight 25, 26, 27 sleep habits 28, 29 and language development 30, 31, 32. One study also showed that fast-paced, cartoon television shows can have an immediate negative impact on executive function skills for four-year-olds. ³³ Executive function refers to a set of cognitive and regulation skills involved in goal-directed problem solving, including working memory, inhibitory control, and flexible shifting of attention. These studies have led to previous recommendations from the AAP limiting the amount of time children have spent with screens.

The Departments further encourage families and early educators to think of ways they can reduce the sedentary nature of most technology use. Technology can encourage and complement physical activity, such as a parent and child using a yoga app together, exploring different varieties of flowers in a neighborhood park while referencing an app to learn about them, or playing console games that encourage adults and children to exercise or dance together.

Additional guidance for families and early educators

Adults should strive to provide balance and moderation when using technology with children. They should set limits that are developmentally appropriate and meet the needs of their children and family. When introducing technology to children, adults should model behaviors such as using technology to promote positive interaction instead of allowing it to interfere with interactions, designating and enforcing face-to-face time that is free of interruptions, and using technology together before allowing children to use it independently.

What is Developmentally Appropriate Technology Use for Children Aged 0-2?

Research shows that unstructured playtime is particularly important for infants and toddlers because they learn more quickly through interactions with the real world than they do through media use and, at such a young age, they have limited periods of awake time. ³⁴ At this age, children require "hands-on exploration and social interaction with trusted caregivers to develop their cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional skills." ³⁵

Research also shows that children aged 0-2 should not watch media or use technology alone. Children age 12-24 months can learn from videos if parents co-view material with them and use the video as a learning tool to build language skills. ³⁶ Some studies have shown that children in this age range can learn from videos, but do not retain information as long as comparison groups who learned the same material using books with their parents did. ³⁷ When video chatting, children under 16 months show no learning gains, ³⁸ though there may be a benefit in promoting bonding when physical distance limits frequent in-person interactions.

Based on this research, the Departments recommend the following:

For children under the age of 2, technology use in early learning settings is discouraged. With families, technology can be used in active ways that promote relationship development, such as using video chatting software to talk to relatives, friends, and families whom they are not able to see on a regular basis. Parents who are interested in using media with their children can start around 18 months with high-quality content, but should always co-view content and use technology with their children. As determined appropriate by the IFSP team under Part C of the IDEA, children with disabilities in this age range may also use technology, for example, an assistive technology device to help them communicate with others, access and participate in different learning opportunities, or help them get their needs met.

For children ages 2-5, families and early educators need to take into account that technology may be used at home and in early learning settings. New recommendations in the AAP's 2016 Media and Young Minds Brief suggest that one hour of technology use is appropriate per day, inclusive of time spent at home and in early learning settings and across devices. ³⁹ HHS supports more limited technology use in early care settings, and more information on their recommendations can be found in Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards. ⁴⁰ However, time is only one metric that should be considered with technology use for children in this age range. Families and early educators should also consider the quality of the content, the context of use, and opportunities the technology provides to strengthen or develop relationships. At home, parents can use technology to supplement real-world interactions, for instance, by using an app at the zoo or recapping what they experienced while there.

For children ages 6-8 in school settings, technology should be used as a tool for children to explore and become active creators of content. If children have more than one teacher, those teachers should be aware of how much screen time is being used across subject areas and at home. Students should learn to use technology as an integrated part of a diverse curriculum. At home, parents should set limits they feel are appropriate for their children, understanding the differences between passive and active technology use as well as the benefits of using technology with an adult versus solo use. Parents should also be aware of how much technology is being used in the classroom, what is needed for homework, and how this fits into an overall picture of technology use for their child throughout the day. The AAP has created an interactive Family Media Plan Tool on HealthyChildren.org to help parents be thoughtful about media exposure for their children.

Guiding Principle #2:

Technology should be used to increase access to learning opportunities for all children.

When appropriately used by early learners with guidance and modeling by adults, technology can complement or extend learning in ways not easily achieved otherwise. For example, technology can introduce children more directly to cultures and places outside their community. Although children may have access to print resources from libraries, technology can increase the amount of reference information immediately available to them on a given topic and give them the ability to ask questions of people outside of their classroom. Additionally, within a child's own community, technology should be culturally responsive.

What Does It Mean to Be Culturally Responsive?

Culturally responsive materials are designed to create learning environments that are conducive to learning for all students, no matter their ethnic, cultural, or linguistic background. In a chapter titled "Technology Tools for Family Engagement: The Role of Diversity," in the book Family Engagement in the Digital Age: Early Childhood Educators as Media Mentors edited by Chip Donahue, Kevin Clark suggests that early educators ask themselves the following questions when selecting media:

Do children see different types of people, characteristics, and attributes?

Do children hear a variety of sounds, voices, and music?

Are a variety of situations being depicted (e.g. family structure, lifestyles, power/working relationships?)⁴¹

It is important that these questions are considered across content, including in apps and other media.

Children themselves may be encouraged to take part in creating this content. Technology can help children author their own materials and stories and share their real-life experiences with others, increasing the amount of diverse, culturally relevant, and community-based content in the classroom.

How Does Technology Support STEM and Early Learning?

Technology can be a powerful tool to support learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). There are many resources that use technology to make STEM come to life for young children, allowing access to experiences they wouldn't otherwise have. For example, children can use the panda cams at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park to observe animals that aren't found in their everyday lives, take virtual tours of science museums, and observe cause and effect through simulations and games, without risk of harm.

When combined with social interactions and guidance from parents and early educators, the combination of video and games (transmedia) can be powerful tools at home and in the classroom to promote STEM learning. For example, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting-PBS, a 2010 grantee of ED's Ready to Learn Television program demonstrated significant improvement in 4-year olds' math skills when using the PBS KIDS Transmedia Math Supplement to bolster mathematics instruction. ⁴² The 2015 Ready to Learn Television program grant application included a competitive priority to support scientific literacy, which has additional potential to support young children in STEM.

The "T" in STEM is often confused with technological devices such as tablets, laptops, and other physical devices or with the broad term "educational technology." Educational technology is content agnostic and describes using technology as a tool to promote learning across disciplines or content areas. The "T" in STEM, however, is intended to introduce children to the underlying concepts of building or creating technology, including computational thinking, which is the basic logic underlying computer science and is beginning to be incorporated into early childhood settings.

Digital use divide

The 2016 NETP presents research that points to a widening digital use divide, which occurs when some children have the opportunity to use technology actively while others are asked primarily to use it passively. The research showed that children at lower income levels are more likely to complete passive tasks in learning settings while their more affluent peers are more likely to use technology to complete active tasks. 43, 44

For low-income children who may not have access to devices or the internet at home, early childhood settings provide opportunities to learn how to use these tools more actively. For example, research shows that preschool-aged children from low-income families in an urban Head Start center who received daily access to computers and were supported by an adult mentor displayed more positive attitudes toward learning, improved self-esteem and self-confidence, and increased kindergarten readiness skills than children who had computer access, but did not have support from a mentor. ⁴⁵ Access to technology for children is necessary in the 21st century but not sufficient. To have beneficial effects, it must be accompanied by strong adult supports.

Children with disabilities

The 2016 NETP discusses equity in the context of connectivity, access, and active experiences, including the accessibility of technology by children with disabilities. These include apps, devices, materials, and environments that support and enable access to content and educational activities for all learners. ⁴⁶ The Departments support the creation of "born accessible" materials (a play on "born digital," which refers to materials created specifically for digital platforms) that use the principles of Universal Design for Learning and follow industry accessibility standards from the very beginning of the development process. ⁴⁷ Accessibility is not limited to those with sensory or physical disabilities; it also includes individuals with intellectual or other developmental disabilities.

Universal Design for Learning

In the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is defined as "the meaning given the term in Section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. § 1003)." In that section of the Higher Education Act of 1965, UDL is defined as "a scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice that-(a) provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students are engaged; and (b) reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including students with disabilities and students who are limited English proficient."

The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) developed the UDL framework for making a curriculum inclusive of "flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs." The CAST guidelines encourage instructional practices and educational content that embrace the widest possible diversity of learners. The UDL approach encourages the development of tools that consider this diverse range of users in the original design rather than add-on features. To see the guidelines, refer to the CAST website.

When used appropriately, technology has the potential to help learners of all ages and abilities fully engage in learning by providing greater access to curriculum and improving learning outcomes. ⁴⁸ For instance technology may provide children who struggle to communicate with an efficient means of communicating. One example is an app that enables children to point to a picture or a series of pictures and then says the words that correspond to the selected item.

For IDEA-eligible children receiving early intervention services or special education and related services, decisions about assistive technology use would be made by the child's IEP or IFSP) team under IDEA, as appropriate. For children with disabilities who are not eligible for services under the IDEA, children could receive appropriate technology in a preschool program operated by a recipient of Federal financial assistance or in a public preschool program, regardless of receipt of Federal funds. For students enrolled in public elementary schools who are not IDEA-eligible who are entitled to special education or related aids and services under Section 504, these determinations generally would be made by the group that makes the placement and services decisions for that student under Section 504.

Recommendations regarding active and passive use for entertainment and learning purposes apply to all children, including those with disabilities. For assistive technology that is necessary for the child to communicate with others or allows them to participate in developmentally appropriate activities, age or time limits should be determined together with the child's IEP or IFSP team.

Dual language learners

For dual language learners, digital resources can support language skills development in the home language and English. For example, students and families can use digital tools to create and share stories in their home language that are culturally relevant for classroom use. Educators can use digital tools to adapt materials with translations in both languages to improve comprehension and communication. In addition, oral language development focused on listening and speaking skills can be enhanced in two or more languages using speech-recording and playback features. When used appropriately and sensitively, technology can help meet the needs of dual language learners as individuals and enhance their learning opportunities. ⁴⁹

Guiding Principle #3:

Technology may be used to strengthen relationships among parents, families, early educators, and young children.

Connections between home and school

In early childhood settings, technology can be used to strengthen relationships between early educators and family members. For example, digital portfolios documenting student work through photos, audio, and video recordings enable teachers to share what children are learning in class with families more often and more informally than is possible in traditional school-based conferences. This allows parents to track their child's progress, provides more opportunities for them to validate their child's efforts and accomplishments, and opens up opportunities for the parents to engage their child about their learning to reinforce or supplement it. In addition to using e-mail, text messages, and social media to make communication between early educators and families easier, technology can also be used to provide information and coaching to parents to reinforce at home what is learned at school. In fact, according to the HHS report, Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice, 40% of parent, family, and community engagement (PFCE) products used video technology to model ideal parent behaviors or coach a parent's behavior. An additional 40% of PFCE products were used to present parents with educational materials. ⁵⁰ Technology has tremendous potential to strengthen communication and connection between families and early educators to the benefit of children.

Strengthening relationships

Technology can also be used to enhance relationships between children and adults and between children when distance or other barriers such as health prevent in-person interaction. While video chatting can be done at any age (as interactions tend to be brief and guided by an adult), "new evidence shows that infants and toddlers can attend to and engage in joint attention during video-chat interactions but do so more effectively after approximately 16 months of age and with parental support." ⁵¹ Video chatting is not limited to interactions between parents and children or grandparents and children, but is also applicable when children communicate with peers.

While technology has the power to bridge the physical divide between children and loved ones in the ways described, technology should not be used to replace meaningful face-to-face interactions. Precautions should be taken to ensure that technology use does not impede the development of healthy, authentic interactions with adults and peers.

Guiding Principle #4:

Technology is more effective for learning when adults and peers interact or co-view with young children.

Most research on children's media usage shows that children learn more from content when parents or early educators watch and interact with children, encouraging them to make real-world connections to what they are viewing both while they are viewing and afterward. ⁵²

The Ready to Learn Television Program

The Ready to Learn Program: 2010-2015 Policy Brief, published in March 2016, summarized ED's Ready to Learn Television program research on the effectiveness of three educational television production organizations. ⁵³ The brief reported on 15 effectiveness/summative research studies with children aged 3-8 using media in informal learning settings (such as after school or child care programs); 7 of the studies focused on learning at home. From the 7 studies that focused on learning at home, positive associations were found between at-home engagement and children's math learning with children whose parents received interventions such as content guides and suggestions for supplemental activities. The studies also found that parents' awareness of children's math learning increased their likeliness to engage in activities and strategies to help their children learn math. ⁵⁴

While technology such as tablets and smartphones are designed to be handheld and lend themselves to individualized instead of shared experiences, children may benefit greatly when parents are actively involved while children use such devices. One research study of maternal interaction with 15-month olds found that the infants are 22 times more likely to transfer learning from a touchscreen to a real object, but only if the interaction with the mother was highly scaffolded with high levels of maternal input and emotional responsiveness. ⁵⁵

There are many ways that adult involvement can make learning more effective for young children using technology. Adult guidance that can increase active use of more passive technology includes, but are not limited to, the following:

Prior to the child viewing content, an adult can talk to child about the content and suggest certain elements to watch for or pay particular attention to;

An adult can view the content with the child and interact with the child in the moment;

After a child views the content, an adult can engage the child in an activity that extends learning such as singing a song they learned while viewing the content or connecting the content to the world.

How Can We Protect Privacy and Security for Young Children?

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) (15 U.S.C. § 6501-6505) governs online collection of personal information by online services such as apps and websites from children under aged 13. For example, before a developer can collect personally identifiable information from a child under 13 verifiable parental consent is required. Any information collected from a child, including photos of the child or a voice recording, must be protected by reasonable security measures. The Federal Trade Commission, which enforces COPPA, has said that school officials can act in the capacity of a parent to provide consent to sign students up for online educational programs at school.

If technology is being used in a school setting, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) might also protect the child's privacy online. More information on FERPA is available through the U.S. Department of Education's Privacy Technical Assistance Center: http://ptac.ed.gov/.

Regardless of whether either of these two statutes applies, families and educators should evaluate an app's privacy policies prior to using the app. Assistance on what to review for can be found in the PTAC Model Terms of Service.

Advertising and in-app purchases

Beyond ensuring privacy and security, before downloading an app, families, educators, and others who work with young children also need to evaluate whether the app offers in-app purchasing or advertising. Many apps, particularly those that are free, offer advertising or in-app purchases, both of which are generally inappropriate for young children. Many methods of online advertising have the ability to track a user's behavior across multiple sites and services, putting a child's privacy and security at risk. Additionally, parents should also evaluate whether the app includes advertising, particularly age-inappropriate advertising. While adults can sometimes protect from in-app purchases by using appropriate passwords or disabling in-app purchases at the device level, a best practice is to choose software for very young children that avoids in-app purchases and advertising altogether.

Parents and early learning educators should stay up-to-date and informed

Parents and early learning educators who follow the Departments' principles can help ensure that technology is being used intentionally and appropriately to expand a young child's learning and enable experiences and opportunities that previously were not available. However, not all technology is appropriate for young children and not every technology-based experience is good for young children's development. To ensure that technology has a positive impact, adults who use technology with children should continually update their knowledge and equip themselves to make sophisticated decisions on how to best leverage these technology tools to enhance learning and interpersonal relationships for young children. Some sources for information on how to do this include: Common Sense Media, Fred Rogers Center, Joan Ganz Cooney Center, National Association for the Education of Young Children, and Zero to Three.

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Guiding Principles for Use of Technology with Early Learners - Office of Educational Technology

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The Departments recognize that families and early educators have many different options for using technology with early learners. The Departments believe that guidance needs to reflect the reality that families and early educators have access to apps, digital books, games, video chatting software, and a multitude of other interactive technologies that can be used with [...]

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The Effects of Technology in Early Childhood

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The Effects of Technology in Early Childhood

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Technology and Play for the Early Learner on p.14

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Embedding educational technologies in early years education

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Embedding educational technologies in early years education

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ALT, 2019

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View of Embedding educational technologies in early years education

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Return to Article Details Embedding educational technologies in early years education

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The Learning Community (2018 Enhanced PYP)

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The Learning Community (2018 Enhanced PYP)

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Technology in the PYP starts on p.48

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2018 Enhanced PYP - The Learning Community.pdf

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Enhancing the learning of technology in early childhood settings

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Enhancing the learning of technology in early childhood settings

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AJEC, 2019

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NAEYC, 2016

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Touchscreens and Young Children on JSTOR

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David Elkind, Touchscreens and Young Children, YC Young Children, Vol. 71, No. 1 (March 2016), pp. 90-93

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Factors influencing digital technology use in early childhood education

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Factors influencing digital technology use in early childhood education

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Elsevier, 2014

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Princeton University, 2008

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Media and Young Children's Learning on JSTOR

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Electronic media, particularly television, have long been criticized for their potential impact on children. One area for concern is how early media exposure influences cognitive development and academic achievement. Heather Kirkorian, Ellen Wartella, and Daniel Anderson summarize the relevant research and provide suggestions for maximizing the positive effects of media and minimizing the negative effects.

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Meaningful Technology Integration in Early Learning Environments

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Meaningful Technology Integration in Early Learning Environments

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NAEYC, 2008

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Chapters 17 and 19

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This book is a great introduction to the schools of Reggio Emilia, and the philosophy inspired by their belief in the child. A must-read for any early childhood educator, even if you use a more traditional approach.

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This book is a great introduction to the schools of Reggio Emilia, and the philosophy inspired by their belief in the child. A must-read for any early childhood educator, even if you use a more traditional approach.

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Key Messages from NAEYC/Fred Rogers Position Statement

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Key Messages from NAEYC/Fred Rogers Position Statement

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Early Learning and Educational Technology Brief (US DofE)

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Early Learning and Educational Technology Brief (US DofE)

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Checklist for identifying exemplary uses of technology for early learning

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Checklist for identifying exemplary uses of technology for early learning

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Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning & Children's Media

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How Am I Doing? A Checklist for Identifying Exemplary Uses of Technology for Early Learning

Do technology tools and interactive media like iPads, cameras, or e-readers, belong in the early childhood classroom? If so, how should early childhood educators be using them? What are the best ways and when are the best times to use technology with very young kids in a classroom setting?

The NAEYC-Fred Rogers Center position statement is meant to help educators answer some of these questions. We believe that technology and interactive media can be effective tools for learning and development when early childhood educators use them intentionally and in developmentally appropriate ways. But how can educators know if they're using technology well? What does that look like?

Enter the Pennsylvania Digital Media Literacy Project, an initiative that supports standards-aligned practices and high-quality programs that extend and enrich opportunities for learning and development through digital media literacy.

How can educators know if they're using technology well? What does that look like?

One goal of this initiative, which includes representatives from the Fred Rogers Center, the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children, the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning, and Carlow University, has been identifying ways to help adapt our position statement to the field of early childhood education. The statement provides guidance, and provides examples of age-appropriate use. It also includes suggestions from researchers, educators, and advocates, who can help educators navigate this continuously evolving environment. The quantity of information can be overwhelming, and a question we often hear from educators is, "What do I do now?"

To help, we are pleased to introduce a checklist that brings together recommendations from all of these experts. This checklist is meant to help educators identify exemplary uses of technology and interactive media for early learning.

We hope this document will serve as a planning and reflection tool. It's grouped around four major digital media literacy skills: selection, analysis, use, and evaluation. Each section identifies general goals for educators, provides examples of how those goals may be realized, and suggests paths to reach them. Using the checklist can support best practices and help educators put the position statement into action.

We tried to identify the many overlapping themes and recommendations from trustworthy, research-based sources, and classify them according to essential digital media literacy skills. This checklist is focused primarily on integration, and can be used alongside other guides to selecting developmentally appropriate media for classrooms, like the ones from HATCH, Learning in Hand, and Chicago Public Schools, among others.

It isn't scored. Instead, it provides spaces for educators to comment on what they are doing. Educators don't have to check off every box for technology use to be successful. Many of the checklist items apply to specific instances of technology and interactive media use in early childhood education. Others are more general.

In an environment where there is so much available technology, it is our hope that this checklist can serve as a useful guide to support educators and improve program quality. For more read, Ten Questions Educators Should Ask When Using Technology With Young Children.

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How Am I Doing? A Checklist for Identifying Exemplary Uses of Technology for Early Learning - Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning & Children's Media

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Do technology tools and interactive media like iPads, cameras, or e-readers, belong in the early childhood classroom? If so, how should early childhood educators be using them? What are the best ways and when are the best times to use technology with very young kids in a classroom setting?

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Factors influencing digital technology use in early childhood education

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Factors influencing digital technology use in early childhood education

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Play and Technology: An  important intersection for developing literacy

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Play and Technology: An  important intersection for developing literacy

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10 questions for educators to ask when using technology for young children

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10 questions for educators to ask when using technology for young children

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Questions based on checklist above. ⬆️

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Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning & Children's Media

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Ten Questions for Educators to Ask When Using Technology with Young Children

Do technology tools and interactive media like iPads, cameras, or e-readers, belong in the early childhood classroom? If so, how should educators be using them?

At the Fred Rogers Center, we believe technology and interactive media do have the potential to help children learn in the early years, but only if they are used in intentional, developmentally appropriate ways. Here are some important questions for early childhood educators to consider when using technology or interactive media with young children:

1. Does the media support my learning goals? Have I identified a curricular need first and then selected an appropriate media tool to meet that need, and not vice versa?

2. Are the interactive media I selected developmentally appropriate? Are they age-appropriate and free of stereotypes? Do they provide clear instructions and prompts? Are they free of commercial messaging?

3. Do they take into account the cognitive abilities, motor skills, social-emotional needs, and interests of the child?

Does the media I've selected support my learning goals? Are they age-appropriate? Are they free of commercial messaging?

4. Is the technology I've selected playful and open-ended? Does it encourage creativity, pretend play, active play, and outdoor activities?

5. Is the physical environment configured to accommodate the specific technology tool? Is it set up to accommodate small or whole group instruction? Is the technology part of multiple learning areas in the classroom, alongside traditional materials?

6. Does it offer kids opportunities for joint engagement or collaboration? In other words, does it encourage kids to share information and have conversations with peers, teachers, parents, or other caregivers?

7. In what ways does the tool encourage kids to connect with the nondigital world?

8. Does it encourage kids to explore real-world issues or to learn new content?

9. Is the technology cost effective? Is it durable for active use by young kids?

10. How will I evaluate its use? Do teachers have appropriate supports and professional development in place to assist them in using it effectively?

These questions are based on a checklist put together by The Pennsylvania Digital Media Literacy Project, a partnership between the Fred Rogers Center, the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children, the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning, and Carlow University.

You can find the full checklist here. And for more information, read the NAEYC-Fred Rogers Center position statement on Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8.

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Ten Questions for Educators to Ask When Using Technology with Young Children - Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning & Children's Media

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Do technology tools and interactive media like iPads, cameras, or e-readers, belong in the early childhood classroom? If so, how should educators be using them? At the Fred Rogers Center, we believe technology and interactive media do have the potential to help children learn in the early years, but only if they are used in intentional, developmentally appropriate ways.

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Purposeful Technology Integration and Implementation (2018 Enhanced PYP)

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Purposeful Technology Integration and Implementation (2018 Enhanced PYP)

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2018 Enhanced PYP - Purposeful Technology Integration and Implementation.pdf

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Tuning In: Strategies for Incorporating Technology into Social Skills Instruction in PreSchool and Kindergarten

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Tuning In: Strategies for Incorporating Technology into Social Skills Instruction in PreSchool and Kindergarten

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Amanda C. Quesenberry, April L. Mustian, Christine Clark-Bischke, Preschool and Kindergarten, YC Young Children, Vol. 71, No. 1 (March 2016), pp. 74-81

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Technology and Interactive Media in Early Childhood Programs: What We’ve Learned from Five Years of Research, Policy, and Practice

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Technology and Interactive Media in Early Childhood Programs: What We’ve Learned from Five Years of Research, Policy, and Practice

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Technology and Interactive Media in Early Childhood Programs on JSTOR

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Journal Information Young Children is a peer-reviewed professional journal published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Young Children issues are organized around topical clusters that devote special attention to issues in the field of early childhood education.

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Enhancing the Learning of Technology in Early Childhood Settings

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Enhancing the Learning of Technology in Early Childhood Settings

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**Includes technology observation and conversation framework

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Technology and Interactive Media for Young Children (Fred Rogers Centre)

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Technology and Interactive Media for Young Children (Fred Rogers Centre)

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Using Early Childhood to Bridge the Digital Divide

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Using Early Childhood to Bridge the Digital Divide

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Mostly about low-income children in the US

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Many children in low-income families in the United States are not able to access and use technology in the same ways as their more-advantaged peers. This means they may not be able to benefit from enhanced educational opportunities, and they will have fewer chances to develop the workforce skills they will need to succeed in later life. This Perspective explores the potential role of early childhood education in addressing the digital divide.

Research Questions

1. Can early childhood education help address disparities in the access to and use of information and communication technology - a disparity known as the digital divide?

2. Can information and communication technology help address early disparities in academic and "soft skills," such as motivation and socialization?

3. What are the potential facilitators and barriers to successful implementation of information and communication technology in early childhood education?

Technology literacy plays an important role in a child's ability to succeed in school and later life. Yet, despite rapid growth in society's use of digital technology, many children in low-income families in the United States are not able to access and use technology in the same ways as their more-advantaged peers. This means they have fewer opportunities to learn, explore, and communicate digitally, and fewer chances to develop the workforce skills they will need to succeed in later life. Early childhood education can play a valuable role in ensuring that low-income children can access technology and learn how to use it. However, there are a number of important issues that need to be addressed. This Perspective frames a discussion on these subjects by exploring the role of early childhood education in bridging the digital divide. We highlight five key questions that need to be considered in the discussion of integrating technology into early childhood education.

Key Findings

Early Childhood Education Prepares Children for School and Provides an Opportunity to Address Disparities

Children who participate in early childhood education achieve better education and life outcomes, with the strongest impacts for children from low-income families.

Early childhood is an important time to build foundational skills in traditional academic areas, and may play a similar role for technology literacy.

Technology Literacy Opens the Door to Many of Life's Opportunities

Those who use technology in the workplace earn 14-27 percent more than those who do not, and projections indicate that much of the country's future job growth will be concentrated in areas that require use of information and communications technology on the job.

Technology Can Also Open the Door to New Learning Opportunities for Young Children

Studies have shown that ICT can build motor skills, socio-emotional skills, and cognitive skills, helping to reduce skill gaps in important foundational areas for disadvantaged young children.

However, there is debate over the impact of technology on young children, and many continue to feel that the role of technology should remain limited.

Supports Are Needed to Realize the Benefits of Technology in ECE

High-quality Internet connectivity, developmentally appropriate software, and smart and portable devices are helpful in supporting educational technology efforts, as well as family support.

Even if the most up-to-date software-device-connection combination is present, it may not be usable if there is no one to guide the child. The real value is derived from the presence of a high-quality knowledge facilitator.

Recommendations

We recommend exploring five questions as the integration of information and communication technology is considered for early childhood education:

What is the goal for information and communication technology in early childhood education?

How do we define appropriate use of technology in ECE?

Once defined, how do we support effective use through devices, connectivity, software, and other components of ICT infrastructure?

How do we ensure that ECE providers are prepared to address the digital divide?

What relationship should parents and families have to the integration of technology into ECE?

Related Products

The research described in this report was conducted within RAND Education, a division of the RAND Corporation.

This report is part of the RAND Corporation perspective series. RAND perspectives present informed perspective on a timely topic that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND perspectives undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

Permission is given to duplicate this electronic document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Copies may not be duplicated for commercial purposes. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non-RAND Web site is prohibited. RAND PDFs are protected under copyright law. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit the RAND Permissions page.

The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.

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Early Education Plays Role in Bridging the 'Digital Divide'

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Many children in low-income families in the United States are not able to access and use technology in the same ways as their more-advantaged peers. This means they may not be able to benefit from enhanced educational opportunities, and they will have fewer chances to develop the workforce skills they will need to succeed in later life.

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iPads and opportunities for teaching and learning for young children

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iPads and opportunities for teaching and learning for young children

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"The Fred Rogers Center is dedicated to helping children and adults thrive in this digital age, and to ensuring that technology use complements children’s social interactions, play, and other activities with the caring friends and family in their lives."

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Position Statement: Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8

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Position Statement: Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8

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Guiding Principles for Use of Technology with Early Learners

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Guiding Principles for Use of Technology with Early Learners

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The Departments recognize that families and early educators have many different options for using technology with early learners. The Departments believe that guidance needs to reflect the reality that families and early educators have access to apps, digital books, games, video chatting software, and a multitude of other interactive technologies that can be used with young children. Even as new technologies emerge, the Departments believe that these principles apply, though guidance may evolve as more research on this topic is published.

The Departments' four guiding principles for use of technology with early learners are as follows:

Guiding Principle #1: Technology-when used appropriately-can be a tool for learning.

Guiding Principle #2: Technology should be used to increase access to learning opportunities for all children.

Guiding Principle #3: Technology may be used to strengthen relationships among parents, families, early educators, and young children.

Guiding Principle #4: Technology is more effective for learning when adults and peers interact or co-view with young children.

Two documents in particular influenced the development of the Departments' guiding principles: Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice and the 2016 National Education Technology Plan (NETP).

HHS published Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice⁹ in March 2015 to examine how technology can be used to support and improve the quality of practice of early childhood practitioners, particularly in their own professional development. The report presented an overview of research related to the use of technology by conducting a literature review and consulting with experts on the topic in four key focus areas: 1) instruction and assessment; 2) parent, family, and community engagement; 3) professional development and informal learning; and 4) facilitators and barriers.

At ED, the Office of Educational Technology released the 2016 NETP, the federal government's flagship educational technology policy document. Titled Future Ready Learning: Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education, the plan articulates a vision of equity, active use, and collaborative leadership to make everywhere, all-the-time learning possible for all learners. While acknowledging the continuing need to provide equitable access to technology itself, the plan goes further to call upon all involved in American education to ensure equity of access to transformational learning experiences enabled by technology, including for early learners. ¹⁰

The Departments' four principles state the position of the Departments on this topic and are expanded below.

Guiding Principle #1:

Technology-when used appropriately-can be a tool for learning.

Developmentally appropriate use of technology can help young children grow and learn, especially when families and early educators play an active role. Early learners can use technology to explore new worlds, make believe, and actively engage in fun and challenging activities. They can learn about technology and technology tools and use them to play, solve problems, and role play.

How Do You Determine What is Developmentally Appropriate for a Child When it Comes to Technology?

In Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Fred Rogers Center state that "appropriate experiences with technology and media allow children to control the medium and the outcome of the experience, to explore the functionality of these tools, and pretend how they might be used in real life ¹¹."

Lisa Guernsey, author of Screen Time: How Electronic Media-From Baby Videos to Educational Software-Affects Your Young Child, also provides guidance for families and early educators. For example, instead of applying arbitrary, "one-size-fits-all" time limits, families and early educators should determine when and how to use various technologies based on the Three C's: the content, the context, and the needs of the individual child. ¹² They should ask themselves following questions:

Content-How does this help children learn, engage, express, imagine, or explore?

Context-What kinds of social interactions (such as conversations with parents or peers) are happening before, during, and after the use of the technology? Does it complement, and not interrupt, children's learning experiences and natural play patterns?

The individual child-What does this child need right now to enhance his or her growth and development? Is this technology an appropriate match with this child's needs, abilities, interests, and development stage?

Appropriate use in formal early learning settings

Early educators should keep in mind the developmental levels of children when using technology for early learning. That is, they first should consider what is best for healthy child development and then consider how technology can help early learners achieve learning outcomes. Technology should never be used for technology's sake. Instead, it should only be used for learning and meeting developmental objectives, which can include being used as a tool during play.

When technology is used in early learning settings, it should be integrated into the learning program and used in rotation with other learning tools such as art materials, writing materials, play materials, and books, and should give early learners an opportunity for self-expression without replacing other classroom learning materials. ¹³ There are additional considerations for educators when technology is used, such as whether a particular device will displace interactions with teachers or peers or whether a device has features that would distract from learning. Further, early educators should consider the overall use of technology throughout a child's day and week, and adhere to recommended guidelines from the Let's Move initiative, in partnership with families. Additionally, if a child is eligible for services under IDEA and/or Section 504 and Title II, the student may require specific technology to ensure that the student can access the instructional material.

What Are Some Differences Between Using an e-Book and a Physical Book with Early Learners?

E-books have the potential to provide learning experiences for children and they also have capabilities that are impossible to deliver in print format. For example:

A device can hold a complete library of stories and information for children to explore.

Words and sentences can be highlighted during oral narration.

Children can elect to have a pre-recorded narrator read the entire text out loud to them.

Children can experience embedded interactive features within the text.

On the other hand, research has shown that some interactive features may actually impede a young child's comprehension. 14, 15 An example is a feature that allows children to jump around to different points in the story, which can make it difficult for developing readers to follow a sequence of events.

The optimal way for children to experience a physical book or an e-book is with an adult who is actively involved, 16, 17 asking questions that allow children to expand on what they've read to make connections and providing opportunities to check for comprehension. However, the design of some e-books may dampen parents' desires to play that interactive role. Two research studies have shown that when parents read e-books that have features that asked questions, parents were less likely to play that role with their children while reading together, 18, 19. On the positive side, another research study showed that children who read an e-book with a parent remembered content better than children who read an e-book alone, regardless of what the parent was saying during the reading. ²⁰

When making decisions about incorporating e-books, parents should consider what features are available and when and how they will be used. Bedtime use of e-books may also require additional considerations. For example, currently there is limited research on the impact on sleep when using e-books for bedtime reading, but some research suggests that the backlighting of electronic devices can curtail the amount of time children spend sleeping if a device is used right before bedtime. ²¹

Just as with other educational tools, school-aged children should be taught how to correctly handle and care for devices. These skills and the use of technology should generally not be taught as a separate rotation or class, but rather integrated into the learning objective of the lesson. ²² In some cases, however, individualized instruction may be desirable to meet the specific needs of a child. As children grow older, they should continue to build on this basic skill set with lessons in digital citizenship.

What is Digital Citizenship?

In the Ed Tech Developer's Guide, released by the Office of Educational Technology in April 2015, digital citizenship is defined as "a set of norms and practices regarding appropriate and responsible technology use... and requires a whole-community approach to thinking critically, behaving safely, and participating responsibly online." ²³

As early learners reach an appropriate age to use technology more independently, they must be taught about cyber safety, including the need to protect and not share personal information on the internet, the goals and influence of advertisements, and the need for caution when clicking on links. These skills are particularly important for older children who may be using a parent's device unsupervised. Early childhood educators and administrators should ensure that the proper filters and firewalls are in place so children cannot access materials that are not approved for a school setting.

Distinctions between active and passive use

To understand how to use technology appropriately with young children, families and early educators should understand the differences between passive and active use of technology. Passive use of technology generally occurs when children are consuming content, such as watching a program on television, a computer, or a handheld device without accompanying reflection, imagination, or participation. Active use occurs when children use technologies such as computers, devices, and apps to engage in meaningful learning or storytelling experiences. Examples include sharing their experiences by documenting them with photos and stories, recording their own music, using video chatting software to communicate with loved ones, or using an app to guide playing a physical game. These types of uses are capable of deeply engaging the child, especially when an adult supports them.

Deep engagement is less likely to occur when a device is used passively. In many circumstances, minimal learning occurs when children use devices merely to consume videos on their own. However, screen time should not be the only factor when considering the value of a child's interaction with technology since high-quality, research-based video content can lead to deep cognitive processing in the minds of young children. ²⁴ As most content does not meet this standard, adults need to recognize that what matters most is whether the child's mind is active and deeply engaged with the content. One way an adult can tell if a child is actively engaging with content is for an adult to watch with them (known as co-viewing) and to guide them to a deeper engagement. Co-viewing and the importance of adult interaction is further discussed in guiding principle #4.

Similarly, adults need to be cautious about assuming that a child using a device in a physically engaging way reflects active learning. While actions such as swiping or pressing on devices may seem to be interactive, if the child does not intentionally learn from the experience, it is not considered to be active use. To be considered active use, the content should enable deep, cognitive processing, and allow intentional, purposeful learning at the child's developmental level.

Research on Television Use

Research on television has shown that the impact of children passively consuming content is associated with adverse effects on their health in terms of weight 25, 26, 27 sleep habits 28, 29 and language development 30, 31, 32. One study also showed that fast-paced, cartoon television shows can have an immediate negative impact on executive function skills for four-year-olds. ³³ Executive function refers to a set of cognitive and regulation skills involved in goal-directed problem solving, including working memory, inhibitory control, and flexible shifting of attention. These studies have led to previous recommendations from the AAP limiting the amount of time children have spent with screens.

The Departments further encourage families and early educators to think of ways they can reduce the sedentary nature of most technology use. Technology can encourage and complement physical activity, such as a parent and child using a yoga app together, exploring different varieties of flowers in a neighborhood park while referencing an app to learn about them, or playing console games that encourage adults and children to exercise or dance together.

Additional guidance for families and early educators

Adults should strive to provide balance and moderation when using technology with children. They should set limits that are developmentally appropriate and meet the needs of their children and family. When introducing technology to children, adults should model behaviors such as using technology to promote positive interaction instead of allowing it to interfere with interactions, designating and enforcing face-to-face time that is free of interruptions, and using technology together before allowing children to use it independently.

What is Developmentally Appropriate Technology Use for Children Aged 0-2?

Research shows that unstructured playtime is particularly important for infants and toddlers because they learn more quickly through interactions with the real world than they do through media use and, at such a young age, they have limited periods of awake time. ³⁴ At this age, children require "hands-on exploration and social interaction with trusted caregivers to develop their cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional skills." ³⁵

Research also shows that children aged 0-2 should not watch media or use technology alone. Children age 12-24 months can learn from videos if parents co-view material with them and use the video as a learning tool to build language skills. ³⁶ Some studies have shown that children in this age range can learn from videos, but do not retain information as long as comparison groups who learned the same material using books with their parents did. ³⁷ When video chatting, children under 16 months show no learning gains, ³⁸ though there may be a benefit in promoting bonding when physical distance limits frequent in-person interactions.

Based on this research, the Departments recommend the following:

For children under the age of 2, technology use in early learning settings is discouraged. With families, technology can be used in active ways that promote relationship development, such as using video chatting software to talk to relatives, friends, and families whom they are not able to see on a regular basis. Parents who are interested in using media with their children can start around 18 months with high-quality content, but should always co-view content and use technology with their children. As determined appropriate by the IFSP team under Part C of the IDEA, children with disabilities in this age range may also use technology, for example, an assistive technology device to help them communicate with others, access and participate in different learning opportunities, or help them get their needs met.

For children ages 2-5, families and early educators need to take into account that technology may be used at home and in early learning settings. New recommendations in the AAP's 2016 Media and Young Minds Brief suggest that one hour of technology use is appropriate per day, inclusive of time spent at home and in early learning settings and across devices. ³⁹ HHS supports more limited technology use in early care settings, and more information on their recommendations can be found in Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards. ⁴⁰ However, time is only one metric that should be considered with technology use for children in this age range. Families and early educators should also consider the quality of the content, the context of use, and opportunities the technology provides to strengthen or develop relationships. At home, parents can use technology to supplement real-world interactions, for instance, by using an app at the zoo or recapping what they experienced while there.

For children ages 6-8 in school settings, technology should be used as a tool for children to explore and become active creators of content. If children have more than one teacher, those teachers should be aware of how much screen time is being used across subject areas and at home. Students should learn to use technology as an integrated part of a diverse curriculum. At home, parents should set limits they feel are appropriate for their children, understanding the differences between passive and active technology use as well as the benefits of using technology with an adult versus solo use. Parents should also be aware of how much technology is being used in the classroom, what is needed for homework, and how this fits into an overall picture of technology use for their child throughout the day. The AAP has created an interactive Family Media Plan Tool on HealthyChildren.org to help parents be thoughtful about media exposure for their children.

Guiding Principle #2:

Technology should be used to increase access to learning opportunities for all children.

When appropriately used by early learners with guidance and modeling by adults, technology can complement or extend learning in ways not easily achieved otherwise. For example, technology can introduce children more directly to cultures and places outside their community. Although children may have access to print resources from libraries, technology can increase the amount of reference information immediately available to them on a given topic and give them the ability to ask questions of people outside of their classroom. Additionally, within a child's own community, technology should be culturally responsive.

What Does It Mean to Be Culturally Responsive?

Culturally responsive materials are designed to create learning environments that are conducive to learning for all students, no matter their ethnic, cultural, or linguistic background. In a chapter titled "Technology Tools for Family Engagement: The Role of Diversity," in the book Family Engagement in the Digital Age: Early Childhood Educators as Media Mentors edited by Chip Donahue, Kevin Clark suggests that early educators ask themselves the following questions when selecting media:

Do children see different types of people, characteristics, and attributes?

Do children hear a variety of sounds, voices, and music?

Are a variety of situations being depicted (e.g. family structure, lifestyles, power/working relationships?)⁴¹

It is important that these questions are considered across content, including in apps and other media.

Children themselves may be encouraged to take part in creating this content. Technology can help children author their own materials and stories and share their real-life experiences with others, increasing the amount of diverse, culturally relevant, and community-based content in the classroom.

How Does Technology Support STEM and Early Learning?

Technology can be a powerful tool to support learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). There are many resources that use technology to make STEM come to life for young children, allowing access to experiences they wouldn't otherwise have. For example, children can use the panda cams at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park to observe animals that aren't found in their everyday lives, take virtual tours of science museums, and observe cause and effect through simulations and games, without risk of harm.

When combined with social interactions and guidance from parents and early educators, the combination of video and games (transmedia) can be powerful tools at home and in the classroom to promote STEM learning. For example, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting-PBS, a 2010 grantee of ED's Ready to Learn Television program demonstrated significant improvement in 4-year olds' math skills when using the PBS KIDS Transmedia Math Supplement to bolster mathematics instruction. ⁴² The 2015 Ready to Learn Television program grant application included a competitive priority to support scientific literacy, which has additional potential to support young children in STEM.

The "T" in STEM is often confused with technological devices such as tablets, laptops, and other physical devices or with the broad term "educational technology." Educational technology is content agnostic and describes using technology as a tool to promote learning across disciplines or content areas. The "T" in STEM, however, is intended to introduce children to the underlying concepts of building or creating technology, including computational thinking, which is the basic logic underlying computer science and is beginning to be incorporated into early childhood settings.

Digital use divide

The 2016 NETP presents research that points to a widening digital use divide, which occurs when some children have the opportunity to use technology actively while others are asked primarily to use it passively. The research showed that children at lower income levels are more likely to complete passive tasks in learning settings while their more affluent peers are more likely to use technology to complete active tasks. 43, 44

For low-income children who may not have access to devices or the internet at home, early childhood settings provide opportunities to learn how to use these tools more actively. For example, research shows that preschool-aged children from low-income families in an urban Head Start center who received daily access to computers and were supported by an adult mentor displayed more positive attitudes toward learning, improved self-esteem and self-confidence, and increased kindergarten readiness skills than children who had computer access, but did not have support from a mentor. ⁴⁵ Access to technology for children is necessary in the 21st century but not sufficient. To have beneficial effects, it must be accompanied by strong adult supports.

Children with disabilities

The 2016 NETP discusses equity in the context of connectivity, access, and active experiences, including the accessibility of technology by children with disabilities. These include apps, devices, materials, and environments that support and enable access to content and educational activities for all learners. ⁴⁶ The Departments support the creation of "born accessible" materials (a play on "born digital," which refers to materials created specifically for digital platforms) that use the principles of Universal Design for Learning and follow industry accessibility standards from the very beginning of the development process. ⁴⁷ Accessibility is not limited to those with sensory or physical disabilities; it also includes individuals with intellectual or other developmental disabilities.

Universal Design for Learning

In the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is defined as "the meaning given the term in Section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. § 1003)." In that section of the Higher Education Act of 1965, UDL is defined as "a scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice that-(a) provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students are engaged; and (b) reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including students with disabilities and students who are limited English proficient."

The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) developed the UDL framework for making a curriculum inclusive of "flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs." The CAST guidelines encourage instructional practices and educational content that embrace the widest possible diversity of learners. The UDL approach encourages the development of tools that consider this diverse range of users in the original design rather than add-on features. To see the guidelines, refer to the CAST website.

When used appropriately, technology has the potential to help learners of all ages and abilities fully engage in learning by providing greater access to curriculum and improving learning outcomes. ⁴⁸ For instance technology may provide children who struggle to communicate with an efficient means of communicating. One example is an app that enables children to point to a picture or a series of pictures and then says the words that correspond to the selected item.

For IDEA-eligible children receiving early intervention services or special education and related services, decisions about assistive technology use would be made by the child's IEP or IFSP) team under IDEA, as appropriate. For children with disabilities who are not eligible for services under the IDEA, children could receive appropriate technology in a preschool program operated by a recipient of Federal financial assistance or in a public preschool program, regardless of receipt of Federal funds. For students enrolled in public elementary schools who are not IDEA-eligible who are entitled to special education or related aids and services under Section 504, these determinations generally would be made by the group that makes the placement and services decisions for that student under Section 504.

Recommendations regarding active and passive use for entertainment and learning purposes apply to all children, including those with disabilities. For assistive technology that is necessary for the child to communicate with others or allows them to participate in developmentally appropriate activities, age or time limits should be determined together with the child's IEP or IFSP team.

Dual language learners

For dual language learners, digital resources can support language skills development in the home language and English. For example, students and families can use digital tools to create and share stories in their home language that are culturally relevant for classroom use. Educators can use digital tools to adapt materials with translations in both languages to improve comprehension and communication. In addition, oral language development focused on listening and speaking skills can be enhanced in two or more languages using speech-recording and playback features. When used appropriately and sensitively, technology can help meet the needs of dual language learners as individuals and enhance their learning opportunities. ⁴⁹

Guiding Principle #3:

Technology may be used to strengthen relationships among parents, families, early educators, and young children.

Connections between home and school

In early childhood settings, technology can be used to strengthen relationships between early educators and family members. For example, digital portfolios documenting student work through photos, audio, and video recordings enable teachers to share what children are learning in class with families more often and more informally than is possible in traditional school-based conferences. This allows parents to track their child's progress, provides more opportunities for them to validate their child's efforts and accomplishments, and opens up opportunities for the parents to engage their child about their learning to reinforce or supplement it. In addition to using e-mail, text messages, and social media to make communication between early educators and families easier, technology can also be used to provide information and coaching to parents to reinforce at home what is learned at school. In fact, according to the HHS report, Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice, 40% of parent, family, and community engagement (PFCE) products used video technology to model ideal parent behaviors or coach a parent's behavior. An additional 40% of PFCE products were used to present parents with educational materials. ⁵⁰ Technology has tremendous potential to strengthen communication and connection between families and early educators to the benefit of children.

Strengthening relationships

Technology can also be used to enhance relationships between children and adults and between children when distance or other barriers such as health prevent in-person interaction. While video chatting can be done at any age (as interactions tend to be brief and guided by an adult), "new evidence shows that infants and toddlers can attend to and engage in joint attention during video-chat interactions but do so more effectively after approximately 16 months of age and with parental support." ⁵¹ Video chatting is not limited to interactions between parents and children or grandparents and children, but is also applicable when children communicate with peers.

While technology has the power to bridge the physical divide between children and loved ones in the ways described, technology should not be used to replace meaningful face-to-face interactions. Precautions should be taken to ensure that technology use does not impede the development of healthy, authentic interactions with adults and peers.

Guiding Principle #4:

Technology is more effective for learning when adults and peers interact or co-view with young children.

Most research on children's media usage shows that children learn more from content when parents or early educators watch and interact with children, encouraging them to make real-world connections to what they are viewing both while they are viewing and afterward. ⁵²

The Ready to Learn Television Program

The Ready to Learn Program: 2010-2015 Policy Brief, published in March 2016, summarized ED's Ready to Learn Television program research on the effectiveness of three educational television production organizations. ⁵³ The brief reported on 15 effectiveness/summative research studies with children aged 3-8 using media in informal learning settings (such as after school or child care programs); 7 of the studies focused on learning at home. From the 7 studies that focused on learning at home, positive associations were found between at-home engagement and children's math learning with children whose parents received interventions such as content guides and suggestions for supplemental activities. The studies also found that parents' awareness of children's math learning increased their likeliness to engage in activities and strategies to help their children learn math. ⁵⁴

While technology such as tablets and smartphones are designed to be handheld and lend themselves to individualized instead of shared experiences, children may benefit greatly when parents are actively involved while children use such devices. One research study of maternal interaction with 15-month olds found that the infants are 22 times more likely to transfer learning from a touchscreen to a real object, but only if the interaction with the mother was highly scaffolded with high levels of maternal input and emotional responsiveness. ⁵⁵

There are many ways that adult involvement can make learning more effective for young children using technology. Adult guidance that can increase active use of more passive technology includes, but are not limited to, the following:

Prior to the child viewing content, an adult can talk to child about the content and suggest certain elements to watch for or pay particular attention to;

An adult can view the content with the child and interact with the child in the moment;

After a child views the content, an adult can engage the child in an activity that extends learning such as singing a song they learned while viewing the content or connecting the content to the world.

How Can We Protect Privacy and Security for Young Children?

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) (15 U.S.C. § 6501-6505) governs online collection of personal information by online services such as apps and websites from children under aged 13. For example, before a developer can collect personally identifiable information from a child under 13 verifiable parental consent is required. Any information collected from a child, including photos of the child or a voice recording, must be protected by reasonable security measures. The Federal Trade Commission, which enforces COPPA, has said that school officials can act in the capacity of a parent to provide consent to sign students up for online educational programs at school.

If technology is being used in a school setting, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) might also protect the child's privacy online. More information on FERPA is available through the U.S. Department of Education's Privacy Technical Assistance Center: http://ptac.ed.gov/.

Regardless of whether either of these two statutes applies, families and educators should evaluate an app's privacy policies prior to using the app. Assistance on what to review for can be found in the PTAC Model Terms of Service.

Advertising and in-app purchases

Beyond ensuring privacy and security, before downloading an app, families, educators, and others who work with young children also need to evaluate whether the app offers in-app purchasing or advertising. Many apps, particularly those that are free, offer advertising or in-app purchases, both of which are generally inappropriate for young children. Many methods of online advertising have the ability to track a user's behavior across multiple sites and services, putting a child's privacy and security at risk. Additionally, parents should also evaluate whether the app includes advertising, particularly age-inappropriate advertising. While adults can sometimes protect from in-app purchases by using appropriate passwords or disabling in-app purchases at the device level, a best practice is to choose software for very young children that avoids in-app purchases and advertising altogether.

Parents and early learning educators should stay up-to-date and informed

Parents and early learning educators who follow the Departments' principles can help ensure that technology is being used intentionally and appropriately to expand a young child's learning and enable experiences and opportunities that previously were not available. However, not all technology is appropriate for young children and not every technology-based experience is good for young children's development. To ensure that technology has a positive impact, adults who use technology with children should continually update their knowledge and equip themselves to make sophisticated decisions on how to best leverage these technology tools to enhance learning and interpersonal relationships for young children. Some sources for information on how to do this include: Common Sense Media, Fred Rogers Center, Joan Ganz Cooney Center, National Association for the Education of Young Children, and Zero to Three.

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Guiding Principles for Use of Technology with Early Learners - Office of Educational Technology

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The Departments recognize that families and early educators have many different options for using technology with early learners. The Departments believe that guidance needs to reflect the reality that families and early educators have access to apps, digital books, games, video chatting software, and a multitude of other interactive technologies that can be used with [...]

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A Framework for Quality in Digital Media For Young Children

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A Framework for Quality in Digital Media For Young Children

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Using Technology Appropriately in the Preschool Classroom 

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Using Technology Appropriately in the Preschool Classroom 

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For infants and toddlers in the digital age

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For infants and toddlers in the digital age

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Has examples of how technology and interactive media can be used in age-appropriate and intentional ways

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Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning & Children's Media

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For Infants and Toddlers in the Digital Age, Time with Adults Still Matters Most

The Rogers Center's Michael Robb takes a look at what we know from the research about infants and media and shares suggestions for how to use technology and interactive media in age-appropriate, intentional ways.

When it comes to infants and toddlers have long been considered a special audience. Although several public health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity, discourage any screen media for children under age 2, recent suggests a disconnect between what pediatricians and advocacy groups recommend and the reality of children's home lives. The research, for example, finds a growing prominence of screen media in the lives of children under age 2.

Child development researchers and educators regularly point to the critical importance of the first years of life for children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Unfortunately, researchers are just beginning to study how media use actually influences early development. As has been noted elsewhere, families have easy access to a variety of digital devices, each with its own set of affordances and usage patterns including tablet computers, digital cameras, smartphones, and digitally enhanced toys. Yet most of the research to date has examined infants and toddlers exposure to television, and has been narrowly focused on small groups of children without taking into account the many contexts in which children are exposed to media (see The Future of Children for a summary). Although television research cannot answer all of our questions about how young children are likely to be affected by new technologies, it can offer some guidance.

Cognitively, children under age 2 are still learning to mentally represent their environment. Until around 18-24 months of age, children represent information and experiences through physical action. For example, when putting a toy block through a hole, an infant younger than 18 months would be unable to solve the problem internally through a mental representation, but could use physical actions such as trying out different blocks until he or she finds the right block that fits in the hole. By 24 months, children are better able to mentally represent objects (through language, play, and mental imagery) so they can solve problems without having to physically manipulate objects.

Learning from media can be particularly difficult for infants and toddlers because the various platforms are more demanding than physical reality: media offer images and video that play with time and space, placing greater strain on limited mental resources. Children may also find it more difficult to learn from television's representations of real-world objects, which offer a much richer perceptual experience. Studies with television have also found that it takes children under age 3 much longer to learn simple actions from televised images than from people.

Does that mean that there are no practical applications of digital media for young children? No, we may just be looking for learning in the wrong places. Instead of focusing on whether young children are able to learn their ABCs from an app, we should be looking at what child development research has been telling us all along and asking whether the warm, language-rich interaction between young children and their caregivers that is so critical for developing the cognitive, social, emotional, and linguistic skills children need for school and life success is happening when they use digital media. This exchange is where early learning is most likely to occur. The smartphones, computers, tablets, and digital cameras are already in children's environments. That is not going to change. It is up to caregivers to find ways to appropriately use the digital objects that permeate young children's lives.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Fred Rogers Center have compiled some examples on how to use technology tools and interactive media in age-appropriate, intentional ways. Although these examples are meant for early childhood programs, they are also relevant for families. Here are a few:

Use a digital camera or computer to show images and video of family, friends, animals, or events to children, especially when children might not otherwise have exposure to them.

When reading an e-book, treat the experience the same as if you were using a print book: put the child in your lap, point to objects on screen, talk with the child, and introduce new vocabulary.

Allow children to play with play versions of technology or old computers or cellphones that don&rsquo;t work anymore (with the batteries removed).

Video chat with a loved one.

While we wait for additional research, parents should remember that the most important part of the experience is not the technology itself, but the warmth and support of an adult play-partner.

Let's keep the focus there.

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For Infants and Toddlers in the Digital Age, Time with Adults Still Matters Most - Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning & Children's Media

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The Rogers Center's Michael Robb takes a look at what we know from the research about infants and media and shares suggestions for how to use technology and interactive media in age-appropriate, intentional ways. When it comes to infants and toddlers have long been considered a special audience.

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Some great info for parents of young children

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Learning and Teaching (2019 Enhanced PYP)

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Learning and Teaching (2019 Enhanced PYP)

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'Technology' is mentioned in many sections of this document.

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2019 Enhanced PYP - Learning and Teaching.pdf

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The Lego Foundation: Children, Technology and Play

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The Lego Foundation: Children, Technology and Play