My youngest son has a little game he calls his ‘tablet.’ It’s nothing like a computer (you push buttons to try and get hoops over the hooks), but he loves sitting there, tapping away as he makes believe that he’s got his own device.
Consequently, I was really excited when my youngest children’s nursery recently announced that they would be fundraising to buy tablets for the children to use. They described as ‘amazing’ the things the young children could do with them in other nurseries and certainly, I wouldn’t be surprised that a three year old could be highly competent very quickly. I remember when my oldest boy was that age. Allowed access to my PC, he was very proficient with the mouse and whenever his kindergarten uninstalled a game on their computer they didn’t want him to play, he simply kept reinstalling it.
As such, it seems perfectly sensible to allow nursery children to use tablets as part of their education to equip them with the skills they will need for the world they will grow up into. I’m the first to admit that I’m not particularly technology minded – I have a tablet but it’s taken me months to really grasp how to use it to its fullest. My children, on the other hand, quickly found their way around it and show me how their friends have it set up to help me make the most of it.
However, recent research suggests that toddlers who are allowed to use tablets may develop long term issues with their fingers and hands. Since touchscreens require the lightest of touches, when children use them, they’re not developing the muscle strength in their hands necessary for writing. Further, because they’re such a new innovation, nobody knows at the moment what the long term impact will be of letting small children play with them. As such, in America, guidelines issued by the American Academy of Paediatrics state that children shouldn’t be allowed any more than two hours’ ‘screen time’ a day – whether that be tablets, computers or television – and children under the age of two shouldn’t have any access to a screen at all. In addition, tablets, computers and televisions should be kept out of children’s rooms.
I can understand the argument in favour of limiting screen time. My children aren’t allowed unlimited access to television and the computer. However, I don’t see the harm in teaching children from a young age to be comfortable with modern technology. These innovations are a part of daily life for most of us and in a working environment, children will be expected to know their way around the latest gadgets.
Children can learn so much from tablets. I’d much rather than my children were playing with tablets or computers than watching TV; it’s a more interactive experience that can teach them all sorts of things without their even realising it. At nursery, they’re not going to buy a tablet for every child; numbers will be limited, which means that the children won’t be spending all morning hunched over a screen. They’ll be taking turns (which means learning social skills) and playing with the tablets will be just a small part of their morning fun.
As far as I’m concerned, the benefits of allowing children to use tablets far outweigh the potential negatives, as long as it’s within moderation. Just like anything else, as long as it’s one of only many activities my children get to enjoy, I see it as a positive addition to everything their nursery has to offer.
Sophie Childs is the mother of five children, the eldest of whom puts her to shame when it comes to understanding new technology. She considers herself very lucky to have her son to show her how to use the latest gadgets. You can follow Sophie on Twitter.
More from this contributor:
Why I let my kids play computer games
The benefits of Minecraft for children
Why I support my children's nursery using tablets
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