Dear Ms. Smartphone: We are picking a kindergarten for our five- year-old next year and the schools we can choose from have different policies for tablets and electronics. One school says that following a math lesson the students use tablets for drills. The other school lets kids use tablets during art class. Is there evidence which school has the right approach?? Michael K.
Dear Michael.: These are tough choices but chances are most of the fellow kindergarten students will be very experienced with tablets because using them does not require the ability to read or type. A U.K. study from 2019, pre-Covid, reports that 63 percent of toddlers aged three to four used a tablet at home and this percentage had doubled since 2013. In many cases tablets were introduced at six months of age. There has been less discussion overall about when schools introduce electronics and tablets, so I appreciate your question.
Unlike you, many parents willingly accept that preschools and kindergartens should use touchscreens. They believe that educators know best what their child needs. And, they want their child to continue learning on electronic devices, since using technology defines their future. Be willing to question that logic. Handling a tablet to do a math drill is not the same thing as becoming conversant with the technology. It’s no more complex than using the remote control to turn on the television. The child who has never used an electronic tablet will only need an hour or two to catch up on the swipes and taps. At this age they are end-users, not programmers.
Learning Derailed?
As you visit these different schools, it’s a good idea to probe why the school has adopted tablets, and what they view as the educational value. Ed-tech is a huge business but it also has a lot of train-wrecks along the side of the rails, tragically, kids who get left behind. On paper, ed-tech sounds like a modern solution because educators can do more with fewer resources and fewer teachers. Moreover, they will keep learners more engaged because they can personalize the lessons. Yet everything I read says that these tablets diminish the classroom experience for young children. The best way to master basic reading and math skills is not inside this box.
One thought stream is that when young children become accustomed to using tablets for playing games and watching shows, they don’t want to transition to more academic pursuits. They have grown accustomed to using a tablet without a requirement for sustained focus and concentration. Something parallel happened in the 1950’s, when the dream of using over-the-air TV for educational purposes never realized. About thirty years later Sesame Street producers gained children’s attention when they married the short-bursty segments from commercials to the ABCs. Educator claimed then, and continue to say today, that Sesame Street changes expectations and reduces attention spans within traditional classrooms.
Lessons Learned:
A writer and educator who spent time researching ed-tech explains why ed-tech is oversold. Natalie Wexler finds that the most effective learning occurs when a teacher leads the classroom and there is interaction with peers. Children have an intrinsic motivation to stay engaged when there is an adult in the room leading the lesson- that makes sense since teachers can personalize the material far beyond the capabilities of a programmed machine. They can also explain the context and social usefulness of the material. And, children learn not only from the adult at the head of the classroom, but also from the peers bounce ideas off each other.
So, for these reasons (and more), if you are trying to pick the right school- and if it is within a reasonable commute, I would not pick either school that you mention. It sounds like you are already asking the important questions. Ideally, tablets should be used for neither math drills nor art in early education. The solitary nature of using tablets would also mean that students are interacting less with each other. They would not be using their precious school time to learn how to make friends and pick up on social cues.
Foundations First:
These early beginnings are important and you want to pick a school that will launch your child with foundational reading and math skills. By the way, look for the same standard in after-school programs and activities. Before you know it, your child will be asking for a phone and you will be wondering at what age it is appropriate to let your child have a connected watch or device. I would not elevate them to use more technology when you, as a parent, are still at the control center to opt them out.