Toddling Toward Technology Computer Use By Very Young Children

Dizon, Haidee 

Hinchliff, G. (2008). Toddling toward technology computer use by very young children. Children and Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, 6(3), 47-50.

The article provides an interesting perspective on the young children’s early use of computers and technology. Because of the changing technology landscape, technology will continue to be a major part of young children’s learning and developmental growth. While some parents may be hesitant to introduce computers to their young child, the article shares that libraries can be sources of community support on digital media use and education. This can stem from simple creation of products, coloring, or reading digital stories. In fact, there are educational programs that offer parents tips on how to guide website and educational computer use (i.e. Mediatech Foundation, PBIS, and ALSC). Lastly, recent students have also noted school readiness in Head Start programs that discovered that preschoolers, who used developmentally appropriate education sites for fifteen to twenty minutes, demonstrated positive results on school readiness and cognitive tests (Hinchliff, 2008). With these ideas in mind, introducing technology to young students demonstrates several benefits when they advance in their academic careers. Students learn to use technology for demonstrating their knowledge and skills, while reinforcing literacy skills in different formats and materials.   

Overall, the article serves as a supportive resource on introducing computers and digital resources for parents. It discusses how children will be able to learn and engage in reading through diverse formats. It is also an engaging article that poses questions for some skeptics about the  early use of technology and young children. During my preschool teaching years, I also experienced doubts because I noticed that more children had increased screen time, which limited social interactions. I did not entirely support iPads and other screens to infants and toddlers because these devices did not allow students to engage with others meaningfully. And because of the critical early childhood education years when young students need to develop language skills and interact with others, these devices pose challenges for families on how it should be used appropriately. In this way, I did not understand why we should have a lot of screen time and technology present for young children. However, after reviewing this article, I started to realize that it is acceptable to introduce technology early because young students will continue to experience changes in the technological landscape. More importantly, it is adapting to the technology and understanding the educational programs that are available for teachers and students. As future librarians, we are valuable resources for families and teachers on educational technology and how it could be incorporated within school curriculum and literacy. Ultimately, young students will benefit from the computer programs that practice content materials and showcase learning in diverse media.