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But Too Much Computer Time Could Hamper Development
From the WebMD Archives

June 7, 2004 -- Preschoolers who use computers are smarter. They're also better prepared for school, research shows. Just be careful: Too much computer time may have negative effects -- even on very young children.

"We believe that early access to computers does help kids learn," lead researcher Xiaoming Li, PhD, professor of pediatrics at Wayne State University in Detroit, tells WebMD.

"But we have to be cautious with this," Li says. "We don't want parents to use the computer as a baby sitter." His study appears in the June issue of the medical journal Pediatrics.

The finding is "very exciting," says Tiffany Field, PhD, a psychologist and director of the Touch Therapy Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

"Particularly in low-income families, a computer really puts children in touch with the world," she tells WebMD. "And it is another form of stimulation -- just like classical music and massage. It doesn't seem to matter whether it's auditory stimulation like music, or tactile like massage, or visual like a computer -- all increase intelligence to the same degree."

But she voices concerns, too: "Just as with older kids, young children will get fat, their social development will suffer [if they are inactive], and they could have more trouble sleeping [if they get too much] stimulation. Sleep deprivation has terrible effects on little kids," she tells WebMD.

Help or Hindrance?

Experts have disputed the effect of computers on a young child's development. Studies have found that computers can teach letters and numbers, which helps give children's self-esteem a boost. However, studies have also shown limitations -- that computers don't prepare kids for reading or participating in discussions.

Li set out to examine this issue. He says what he found surprised him. Home computers were present among many families with very tight budgets. Preschoolers in those homes were using the computers. They were also using computers at parents' worksites, the library, and the babysitter's house.

"We found more kids had computer access than we anticipated," Li tells WebMD. "We thought these rural low-income families would have little access, but that wasn't true."

Continued

Thumbs Up

The 122 4-year-olds in Li's study were enrolled in a rural Head Start program in an economically depressed region of West Virginia. "We wanted to pick a population with a limited access to computers. In the urban middle class, all families have them," he tells WebMD.

Parents completed a questionnaire: Did their home have a computer? Did the children use it? How often? Was there a video game system like the Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Xbox, or Sony Playstation 2? Also, did the children have access to a computer outside the home?

He found that about half of the families -- 53% -- had a computer at home, and most had some sort of game system, too.

Also:

83% of home computers had children's software on their computer.

29% of children used their home computer daily; 44% used it at least weekly

56% of families without a home computer had access to one elsewhere.

10% of those children without home access used that computer daily; 33% used it weekly.

"Many kids took advantage of computers in other settings (like the babysitter's house)," Li tells WebMD. "That was good news."

The children were given several tests to measure their eye-hand coordination, motor skills (like running, jumping, catching) and their IQ. Their "school readiness" was also evaluated: Could they follow directions and understand concepts like big and small, right and left?

Importantly, "we didn't see any problems in eye-hand or motor development," says Li. "We didn't see deteriorating impact of computer use."

The Good News

In fact, it was all good news. Preschoolers with computer access had:

Higher skill development test scores -- twice as high

IQ scores 12 points higher than kids who didn't use computers

Better school readiness scores

Were the children using educational software or just playing games? His study didn't look at that specifically. However, it did show that some computer or electronic game exposure was better than none.

"These kids are very young," Li explains. "They cannot do Excel or Power Point. They must be limited to simple games or simple learning. How the child uses the computer may not be important. But whether they use it is important."

Continued

Too Much Computer Time = Bad News

Li didn't examine the parents' role in the computer use scenario. "That could make a huge difference in how frequently kids played on the computer," Li explains. "Some parents leave kids in front of the computer every day, make it into a babysitter, so the parents can do something else. We don't want to encourage that."

Too-frequent use seemed to have some negative effects, Li reports. In his study, children who used the computer less often were better prepared for school. Daily and even weekly use left them less prepared.

In future reports, Li will look at effects of educational software in Head Start classrooms. Each child gets to spend 15 to 20 minutes a day on the computer, he says. The children's social, psychological, and physical development will be tested.

"A lot of people have very strong arguments against computer use by kids -- that it could have a negative social and motivational impact," says Li. "We believe that's true."

Teachers must be careful to limit computer use, Field adds. "If preschools like Head Start start putting too many computers and not allowing enough pretend time -- that's how children learn how to have empathy, learn to be someone else. It develops their creativity and imagination and their social sense. They learn to take turns."

Sources

SOURCES: Li, X. Pediatrics, June 2004; vol 113: pp 1715-1722. Xiaoming Li, PhD, professor of pediatrics, Wayne State University, Detroit. Tiffany Field, PhD, psychologist; director, Touch Therapy Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine.

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Computers Boost Preschool Kids' Intelligence

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But Too Much Computer Time Could Hamper Development From the WebMD Archives June 7, 2004 -- Preschoolers who use computers are smarter. They're also better prepared for school, research shows. Just be careful: Too much computer time may have negative effects -- even on very young children.

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Educational Games, Worksheets, and More for Kids

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An Educational platform for parents and teachers of pre-k through 5th grade kids. Support your kids learning journey with games, worksheets and more that help children practice key skills. Download, print & watch your kids learn today!

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Education.com | #1 Educational Site for Pre-K through 5

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Because computer knowledge is vital in our society today, many parents believe that the earlier their children begin to use the computer, the better. By the preschool years, most children are spending time on computers at school and/or at home. But is it healthy for preschoolers to be interacting with computers? And if so, how do parents decide how much computer time is beneficial or when it's too much?

Advantages of Computers

Some studies have shown that children who use computers from an early age have several advantages. Computer classes are taught in most kindergarten and elementary schools, so preschoolers who are already familiar with the operation of the keyboard and mouse will be ahead of the learning curve. They may also have an advantage if they have the opportunity to play with educational programs, as many learn reading and number skills from computer software.

Some experts suggest that allowing preschoolers to have computer time can be beneficial because computer use:

Introduces educational skills

Teaches spatial and logical skills

Prepares children for future computer use

Increases self-esteem and self-confidence

Boosts problem-solving skills

Stimulates language comprehension

Improves long-term memory and manual dexterity

The greatest benefits, though, occur when children use computers side-by-side or when they work with adults. In these situations, preschoolers develop cooperative problem-solving skills. They also have the opportunity to interact with others, which enhances their overall learning.

Disadvantages of Computers

In spite of the many benefits, experts also point out drawbacks to preschool computer use. Some express concern for children's physical health. Others cite psychological and developmental concerns.

Preschooler's muscles and bones are still developing, but computers and furniture, especially at home, are rarely set up properly for children. "Most parents," says Peter Buckle of the Robens Centre for Health Ergonomics, "seem unaware of the possible dangers of children sitting for long periods unsupported, with necks twisted and wrists overextended." Physical problems can also result from sitting too close to the computer screen.

Another difficulty arises when the computer is used as a babysitter, as when parents put in educational games and believe their children are better off than sitting in front of a TV. Educational psychologist and teacher Jane Healy disagrees. She doesn't believe there is much difference between the two. "Simply selecting and watching a screen is a pallid substitute for real mental activity," Healy says. She suggests that reading together, having family discussions, or playing are a much more valuable use of time. These activities can provide as much educational stimulation as the software with the added benefit of social interaction. Healy also questions whether some popular computer games have academic value. Some, she says, "may even be damaging to creativity, attention, and motivation."

Wise Computer Usage

To make the computer beneficial for you and your preschooler, decide on rules and time limits. Using a timer to signal when your child's time is up helps avoid arguments.

When purchasing software for your child, look for programs that offer opportunities to try many different solutions. These help stimulate creativity and problem solving.

Setting up a separate profile for your preschooler is a good precaution. This can prevent her from clicking on things she shouldn't or accidentally deleting important files. Rather than leaving your child alone at the computer, stay with her. Use computer time for interaction and togetherness.

Here are some additional tips to enhance computer use for your preschooler:

Look for programs that support open-ended, discovery-oriented learning

Adjust the computer and furniture for your child's use

Adjust the sound and screen size for each use

Supervise your child's computer activities

Turn off all programs but the one your child is using

Limit the amount of time your child spends on the computer

Balance computer time with social interaction and physical exercise

Computers, used wisely, are tools for stimulating preschool learning. But it's important to take precautions for your child's safety and well-being. Teach your child proper computer use and monitor him to be sure his computer time is constructive and useful. But most importantly of all, focus on learning together, both on the computer and off.

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Computers in Preschool: Hurting or Helping?

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Because computer knowledge is vital in our society today, many parents believe that the earlier their children begin to use the computer, the better. By the preschool years, most children are spending time on computers at school and/or at home. But is it healthy for preschoolers to be interacting with computers?

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Young children love playing with technology, from iPads to digital cameras. What do early childhood practitioners - and parents, too - need to think about before handing children these gadgets?

We asked Chip Donohue, dean of distance learning and continuing education, for his insights. In March, Donohue launched Erikson's TEC Center, which stands for Technology in Early Childhood, with the support of The Boeing Company.

Donohue also co-chaired the writing team and working group that developed the guidelines for media and technology in early childhood programs released in March by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media.

Let's start at the beginning: what is technology in early childhood?

Chip Donohue: It could be a camera, audio recorder, music player, TV, DVD player, or more recent technology like tablet computers and smartphones used in child care centers, classrooms, or at home. More than once, a teacher has told me, "I don't do technology." I ask them if they've ever taken a digital photo of their students, played a record, tape, or DVD, or given kids headphones to listen to a story. Teachers have always used technology. The difference is that now teachers are using really powerful tools like iPads and iPhones in their personal and professional lives.

Technology is just a tool. It shouldn't be used in classrooms or child care centers because it's cool, but because teachers can do activities that support the healthy development of children. Teachers are using digital cameras - a less flashy technology than iPads - in really creative ways to engage children in learning. That may be all they need.

At the same time, teachers need to be able to integrate technology into the classroom or child care center as a social justice matter. We can't assume that all children have technology at home. A lack of exposure could widen the digital divide - that is, the divide between those with and without access to digital technology - and limit some children's school readiness and early success. Just as all children need to learn how to handle a book in early literacy, they need to be taught how to use technology, including how to open it, how it works, and how to take care of it.

Some experts worry that technology is bad for children. Where do you come down?

Donohue: There are real concerns about children spending too much time in front of screens, especially given the many screens in children's lives. Today, very young children are sitting in front of TVs, playing on iPads and iPhones, and watching their parents take photos on a digital camera, which has its own screen. There used to be only the TV screen. That was the screen we worried about and researched for 30 years. We as a field know a whole lot about the impact of TV on children's behavior and learning, but we know very little about all the new digital devices.

The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages screen time for children under two years old, but the NAEYC/Fred Rogers position statement takes a slightly different stance. It says that technology and media should be limited, but what matters most is how it is used. What is the content? Is it being used in an intentional manner? Is it developmentally appropriate? The NAEYC/Fred Rogers position statement doesn't set specific limits on technology, just as the field doesn't set limits on block time or the book corner or dramatic play or manipulatives. We wouldn't tell a child that his 10 minutes of puzzle making or reading for the week is up.

My advice to teachers and parents is to trust your instincts. You know your child and if you think they have been watching the screen too long, turn it off. It's up to the adult to notice that a child's computer time is limiting interactions with other kids and nudge her in new directions. It's also up to the adult to understand the child's personality and disposition and to understand if technology is one of the ways the child chooses to interact with the world.

At the same time, cut yourself some slack. We all know that there are better things to do with children's time than to plop them in front of a TV, but we also know that child care providers have to make lunch, and parents need time to take a shower. In situations like that, it is the adult's job to make the technology time more valuable and interactive by asking questions and connecting a child's virtual experience on the screen with real-life experiences in her world.

How do early childhood professionals learn how to use technology appropriately?

Donohue: No one is really teaching early childhood professionals about using technology and that's a big problem. Teacher education programs have to help future teachers be digitally literate and comfortable enough with the intersection of technology and child development to know how to be appropriate, what's effective, how much is too much, and what to avoid.

The other part of the conversation is program directors and administrators. They are going to be expected to train their teachers on how to use technology in the classroom and need to know how to do it well. If not, teachers will continue to set new technology aside or use it inappropriately because they haven't had a chance to play with the technology and learn about what it can do. That's a big missed opportunity for children.

The TEC Center was created to help provide a professional resource that is sorely lacking. On our website, the Center aggregates and curates examples of best practice. People are already doing great things with technology and children. We need to learn from them. Soon, the TEC Center will also begin offering professional development courses. Likewise, Erikson's teacher preparation program is helping teachers become more comfortable with these tools.

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Technology can benefit young children when used appropriately, says Donohue - Erikson Institute

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Young children love playing with technology, from iPads to digital cameras. What do early childhood practitioners - and parents, too - need to think about before handing children these gadgets? We asked Chip Donohue , dean of distance learning and continuing education, for his insights.

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STARFALL: ABC Alphabet

STARFALL: Learn to Read

STARFALL: It's Fun to Read!

STARFALL: I'm Reading!

PBS KIDS: Sesame Street Elmo

PBS KIDS: Curious George

PBS KIDS: Between the Lions

GIRAFFIAN: Shapes and Colors

LITERACY CENTER: L etters, Shapes, Words, Numbers, Colors, Keyboard

KINDERWEB: Animals, Letters, Numbers, Money, and More

SADLIER-OXFORD: Match the Pictures (sun, moon, stars, and comets)

SADLIER-OXFORD: Match the Pictures (colorful bugs)

SADLIER-OXFORD: Match the Pictures (fruits)

SADLIER-OXFORD: Match Upper & Lower Case Letters

INTERNET4CLASSROOMS: PreK Resources

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STARFALL: ABC Alphabet STARFALL: Learn to Read STARFALL: It's Fun to Read! STARFALL: I'm Reading!

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The effects of using computers and IPads on pre-school students achievement in reading and letter identification skills.

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Finding the Education in educational technology

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Finding the Education in educational technology

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Technology For Early Childhood Education

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Digital Technology in Early Childhood Education

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Technology in Early Childhood Family Education Classrooms

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Website with recent articles about early childhood

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How much time do you spend with technology?

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How much time do you spend with technology?

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Graph demonstrates a survey by teachers.

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Earlychildhood NEWS - Article Reading Center

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Earlychildhood NEWS is the online resource for teachers and parents of young children, infants to age 8. You will find articles about developmentally appropriate practice, child health, safety and behavior as well as links to teacher resources and networking opportunities.

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Technology in Early Childhood Center at Erikson Institute

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Technology and Young Children | National Association for the Education of Young Children | NAEYC

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© National Association for the Education of Young Children - Promoting excellence in early childhood education 1313 L St. NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20005 | (202)232-8777 | (800)424-2460 | webmaster@naeyc.org

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HS Tools and Technology Standard Information

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HS Tools and Technology Standard Information

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This simply reviews my standard about technology and exploration.

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Dr. Bruce Perry View on Early Childhood and Tech

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Dr. Bruce Perry View on Early Childhood and Tech

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Q and A with Dr. Perry about ECE and technology

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By Kimberly Moore Kneas, Ph.D. and Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.

Early Childhood Today: Are young children's brains (ages three through six) well suited to the use of technology? (We define technology as children using cameras, computers, tape recorders and video cameras in classroom projects.) If so, how? Are some forms of technology better than others for these specific age levels?

Dr. Perry: In order to answer that question we must consider some of the genetic biases of the human brain. For 99 percent of the time we have been on the planet, we lived in small hunter-gatherer groups of about 40 to 50 people. Our brains developed specialized capabilities for social affiliation, communication and various kinds of symbolic representation. Our cultures evolved through social interactions, initially without written language. The development of written language changed the way human beings developed, in large part by influencing brain development and expressed new brain-mediated capabilities that had previously been un-expressed.

I see technology doing the same things today. The brain clearly could not have a "genetics" specific for the use of a joystick. Nor could the brain have a genetics specific for continuous attention to a two-dimensional moving image such as those in the television. Yet external symbolic representation such as the written word, visual images on television, and complex three-dimensional videography are all sensed, processed, stored, and acted on by the human brain. Because the brain literally changes in response to experiences, these "new" (from a historical perspective) experiences (the written word or television) cause changes in brain development, brain organization, and brain function that were never expressed hundreds of generations ago.

Modern technologies are very powerful because they rely on one of the most powerful genetic biases we do have — the preference for visually presented information. The human brain has a tremendous bias for visually presented information. Television, movies, videos, and most computer programs are very visually oriented and therefore attract and maintain the attention of young children.

The problem with this is that many of the modern technologies are very passive. Because of this they do not provide children with the quality and quantity of crucial emotional, social, cognitive, or physical experiences they require when they are young. The developing child requires the right combination of these experiences at the right times during development in order to develop optimally. This cannot happen if the child is sitting for hours passively watching television.

Sitting young children in front of a television for hours also prevents that child from having hours of other developmental experiences. Children need real-time social interactions; technology such as television can prevent that from happening.

On the other hand there are many positive qualities to modern technologies. The technologies that benefit young children the greatest are those that are interactive and allow the child to develop their curiosity, problem solving and independent thinking skills.

ECT: Do you see the use of specific things like computers as part of an early childhood curriculum as being powerful enough to change brain development the same way you've just described television?

Dr. Perry: Absolutely. I think the difference between computers and television is that television tends to be quite passive. You sit and you are watching and things are happening in front of you but you don't do anything. Children are natural "manipulators" of the world — they learn through controlling the movement and interactions between objects in their world — dolls, blocks, toy cars, their own bodies. With television, they watch and do not control anything. Computers allow interaction. Children can control the pace and activity and make things happen on computers. They can also repeat an activity again and again if they choose.
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ECT: As you look at 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds being offered opportunities like using cameras and tape recorders and video cameras in the classroom, do you think that based on your comments earlier on how children develop with real-time activities, do you think they have the capability of understanding and using those tools well?

Dr. Perry: That's actually a really good question. Preschool children are still having significant cognitive growth. In a very real sense, children think differently than adults. This is so because their brains have not yet completely developed. So to tape a conversation and replay it for an adult means something entirely different than when a three-year-old hears their voice on a tape. These experiences can be very positive and mind-expanding for a child — as long as they are done at the right time.

Children need real-life experiences with real people to truly benefit from available technologies. Technologies should be used to enhance curriculum and experiences for children. Children have to have an integrated and well-balanced set of experiences to help them grow into capable adults that can handle social-emotional interactions as well as develop their intellectual abilities.

I think that balance and timing are the keys to healthy development. Provide the right kinds of experiences at the right time. For example, if you take a newborn and do not hold that infant and put her in a seventh grade classroom and leave her for the afternoon, it's not a good experience. It can actually be abusive. But, if you take the 14-year-old child and rather than having them spend the afternoon in school, you hold and rock them all afternoon, that is not the right experience at the right time for that child. When a six-month-old child is strapped into a chair in front of a videotape designed to teach them a different language, that is a different experience than an eight-year-old child listening to the same tape. The infant's experience would be totally inappropriate, but the eight-year-old's may be great. What's important is when experience is provided and how it's mixed in with other crucial experiences.

ECT: Your comments begin to address an issue that's important today. As we move into the 21st century with pressure to gain experiences in technology, specifically computers, would you address how parents and early childhood educators could specifically work together to create this balance for young children?

Dr. Perry: While technology can help us teach children, in the end our children learn from us. Parents and teachers must act as facilitators in children's learning. For example, sitting down together and using playing cards is a very cognitive experience. They can learn how to add, they can learn how to predict, they can laugh, and they can learn how to win. In their interaction with a parent they're using this externalized object which is a playing card and a game. A very similar thing can happen with emerging technologies. I believe parents and teachers can take advantage of the interactive qualities of a computer to enhance the experiences available to children.

As parents think about the future they need to realize two things: technology is not going to go away and we are in the midst of a major sociocultural quantum shift. These technologies are revolutionizing the world our children will live in. So our task is to balance appropriate skill-development with technologies with the core principles and experiences necessary to raise healthy children.

We must keep the core principles of healthy development in mind as we incorporate these technology and tools. If we do that we'll be fine. And at the heart of any healthy child is the opportunity for enriching and nurturing interactions with other human beings. I think the key to making technologies healthy is to make sure that we use them to enhance or even expand our social interactions and our view of the world as opposed to using them to isolate and create an artificial world.

Unfortunately, technology is often used to replace social situations and I would rather see it used to enhance human interactions. And I think that can happen.

ECT: Earlier you began to discuss some of the pitfalls that you see with respect to using technology with children. Do you have any other thoughts or anything you would specifically like to cover there?

Dr. Perry: One of the obvious issues that all parents and even the people that develop multimedia material struggle with is controlling access to content that may not be developmentally appropriate. There are going to be computer programs and sites on the Internet and television shows that have content that may be appropriate for an 18-year-old, but very inappropriate for a preschool child. It means that in an environment where there is not parental control or the possibility for supervision, a child may have access to content that has extreme violence or presents inappropriate or destructive concepts such as racism, misogyny, or age-inappropriate sexuality. In the end, as with all other tools, adults must protect children from misuse or inappropriate access.

As we begin to create more child-sensitive television, for example, we will have to recognize that young children will understand in different ways from adults. For example, a 4-year-old child seeing the Oklahoma bombing — or a plane crash coverage on the news multiple times may think that buildings are blowing up all over the place and many planes crashed — rather than understanding that these multiple stories are actually from single events. And so access to information that is developmentally appropriate is something that we need to be very concerned about.

ECT: Would you address how you see specific opportunities for the use of technology to support children, say with special needs, are at-risk or who need assistance with language development?

Dr. Perry: Yes, in fact we have seen the use of technology here work very well to help children. The use of specialized computer programs has really helped a lot of kids that we work with. Even on the simplest level, if a child has some sort of fine motor or large motor problem so that their handwriting is very immature and very slow and looks sloppy, their esteem about their work product or their homework is very low. So they may be very reluctant to work hard because they always get negative feedback. They hand in papers that are all messy. You put them on a word processor and they can hand in papers that are clean and neat and they can see how to spell words correctly. Just very simple, non-specialized, software can be very helpful if used in the right way.

In addition, there are a number of specialized programs that allow children with certain information-processing problems to get a multimedia presentation of content so that they can better understand and process the material. They are able to see the written words and see a visual image and hear the sounds — all at the same time. Combining these sensory-modalities helps a child to more efficiently internalize information about a topic. If they have, for example, an auditory processing difficulty or a reading disorder they may be very bright but they don't read very efficiently so if something is read to them on a CD-ROM with visual images they are better able to internalize the information. This helps these children feel better about themselves because they perform better. They're not as afraid of school anymore.

There are emerging technologies used in traditional video games (e.g., Sega, Nintendo) that our group is trying to get dedicated to alternative interactive games with more stimulating but non-violent themes. We are hoping to use a variety of game-like models to teach kids language, to teach children about self-esteem, to teach children about the impact of trauma and how it can be overcome, for example. I think that when these technologies are actually used for more than entertainment we're going to see tremendous positive benefits.

Even now there are a number of good software programs with a primary educational focus on mathematics or reading. These programs, which are very engaging, challenge children to read better and learn how to solve math problems. When information is presented in a fun and engaging way, it is a lot easier than looking at a single page that has a bunch of columns of numbers you're supposed to add up.

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SIDEBAR:

Dr. Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D., is an internationally recognized authority on brain development and children in crisis. Dr. Perry leads the ChildTrauma Academy, a pioneering center providing service, research and training in the area of child maltreatment ( www.ChildTrauma.org). In addition he is the Medical Director for Provincial Programs in Children's Mental Health for Alberta, Canada. Dr. Perry served as consultant on many high-profile incidents involving traumatized children, including the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado; the Oklahoma City Bombing; and the Branch Davidian siege. His clinical research and practice focuses on traumatized children-examining the long-term effects of trauma in children, adolescents and adults. Dr. Perry's work has been instrumental in describing how traumatic events in childhood change the biology of the brain. The author of more than 200 journal articles, book chapters, and scientific proceedings and is the recipient of a variety of professional awards.

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Using Technology in the Early Childhood Classroom

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By Kimberly Moore Kneas, Ph.D. and Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D. Early Childhood Today: Are young children's brains (ages three through six) well suited to the use of technology? (We define technology as children using cameras, computers, tape recorders and video cameras in classroom projects.) If so, how?