1. Recommendations to Parents, Teachers and
Researchers
by
Candy Channell and Brenda E. Mondy
Technology and the Young Learner
FS 5283
Texas Woman’s University

2. Introduction
The power medium of technology must be
dissected and explored to glean the
optimal advantages it brings to young
children. The impact of technology on
the young learner is of growing national
concern. The exploding abundance of
material from product to printed material
supports the truism that technology is
now a constant in our society, including
the world of the young child.

3. Recommendations to Parents
Suggestions that will help parents and children
have a positive experience with technology in
home are:
• Choose age appropriate software
• Choose software that has been reviewed by early
childhood professionals
• Become familiar with the technology services offered
by schools
• Choose software that is free of cultural, gender, and
age biases
• Choose software that is nonviolent (Healy, 1998)

4. Recommendations to Parents
Suggestions when using technology in the
home:
• Do not leave your child unsupervised
• Do not choose software where the program
is in control
• Do not allow your child unlimited time on the
computer
• Do not select software that looks appealing
to the parent

5. Recommendations to Parents
Helpful resources for the parents
to explore:
• Director of a child care setting
• A preschool teacher
• Technology coordinator of a
public school

6. Recommendations to Parents
Websites that would offer information
to aid parents in software selection:
• Children’s Software Revue
http://childrenssoftware.com/
• Kid’s Domain Family Resource
http://www.kidsdomain.com/review/listing.php?cid=software

7. Recommendations to Teachers
For many of today’s
children their first
exposure to technology
will be in the classroom
setting (International Reading
Association, 2002)

8. Recommendations to Teachers
Suggestions for the classroom:
• Select software that supports collaboration
between students instead of competition
• Allow for equitable time on the computer for
all students
• Select software that has real world
connections
• Expect professional development
• Integrate technology use with classroom
instruction

9. Recommendations to Teachers
Restrictions to consider while working in the
classroom:
• Do not overuse software that is drill and
practice in nature
• Do not rush into using technology with the
class
• Do not deny children with special needs the
use of assistive technology

10. Recommendations to Teachers
Teachers need to become
familiar with the philosophy
and mission statements of
the various educational
organizations

11. Recommendations to Researchers
The impact of technology on the very
young learner from ages 0-3 is
unknown. There is little research on
uses and impact of the media on infants
and toddlers (Anderson, 2001). The
research varies in opinions as to how
certain technologies affect the social,
emotional, physical and cognitive
development of children 3-8 years old.

12. Recommendations to Researchers
Questions to consider for future studies on the impact of
technology in social, cognitive, and physical development
of young children:
• Considering the lack of research in the area of computer impact
on the very young child, what age before three years old would
be best to introduce young children to computer and media
applications according to DAP and brain research?
• When a child is introduced to technology at an age as young as
six months, is their development during the remaining years
more compared to a child who had no prior technology, but a
loving environment filled with non-technical materials.

13. Recommendations to Researchers
• Computer technology can enable young children with
disabilities. Considering this information, how often
do ISD’s utilize technology to aid the development of
a special needs learner? If not, what adaptations are
made?
• If computers help young children to foster friendships
in the presence of the computer, are the relationships
continued on the playground? Does the friendship
continue to develop beyond the computer screen?

14. Recommendations to Researchers
Impact of technology on curriculum
integration
True computer integration respects the
interrelationships of the disciplines –
language, mathematics, science – as natural
and necessary to achieving the goal of
becoming educated about a particular topic
(Davis, 1994)

15. Recommendations to Researchers
Questions to consider for future studies on
curriculum integration
• No Child Left Behind has had a profound impact on
cognitive development for young children. Does
technology implemented into the curriculum better
prepare students for rigorous high stakes testing?
• How much does the old stereotype that boys are
better at math and science affect how a young girl
perceives technology, specifically the computer?

16. Recommendations to Researchers
• Will teachers allow a computer
technologist to teach a lesson they
have written without the computer to be
taught using the computer and observe
the way the lesson unfolds? If so, will
this make a difference in how they view
computer technology and its uses?

17. Summary
The question remains whether we use
technology with young children, and if so,
when, where, and how? These questions
must be answered by parents and educators.
Alliance for Childhood issues this statement:
Computers are reshaping children’s lives at
home and at school, in profound and
unexpected ways. Common sense suggests
that we consider the potential harm, as well
as the promised benefits, of this change
(Alliance for Childhood, 2004).

18. References
Alliance for Childhood Position Statement (2000). Children and computers: A call for
action. Retrieved September 5, 2004 from
http://www.allianceforchildhood.net/projects/computers/computers_article
Anderson, R. & Evans M. K. (2001) Peril and Potential of Media for Infants and
Toddlers. Zero To Three. Retrieved September 5, 2004 from
http://www.zerotothree.org/ztt_professionals.html
Davis, B. & Shade, D. D. (1994). Integrate, don’t Isolate-computers in the early
childhood. Retrieved October 9, 2004 from
http://www.kidsource.com/kdsource/content2/integrate.computers.html
Healy, J. (1998). Failure to connect: how computers affect our children’s minds- and
what we can do about it. New York: Touchstone.
International Reading Association (2002). Integrating literacy and technology in the
curriculum. Retrieved September 1, 2004 from
http://www.reading.org/pdf/technology_pos.pdf

19. Technology is Here to Stay
(Sung to the tune of Santa Claus is Coming to Town)
Oh! You better watch out
Don’t turn your head and run
Working with computers
Can really be fun
Technology is here to stay
Remember to limit the time that is spent
With appropriate software within the
Learning environment
Technology is here to stay
You need to watch the kids
And you know what to forbid
No violence or bias with
Culture, gender or age
So, find open-ended work
And let the child construct
Learning will happen with many positive perks
Technology is here to stay