A look at the Sunday advertising flyers or a stroll down the aisles of the local toy store shows a tempting selection of brightly colored electronic toys and "first" computers, some aimed at children as young as six months. Manufacturers and news reports claim that early practice with computers and computerized toys can help young children get a leg up on reading and math - skills they'll need once they are school-aged - and will help prepare them for the increasingly technological world outside their homes.

Without a doubt, computers - from voice mail to the Internet - play a large and often important role in our adult lives. However, early childhood experts question how much time very young children should spend computing. At the least, many feel computer use eats up time when children could be active playing and exploring. At worst, some fear computers might negatively affect young children's growth and development. In this issue of Seeds of Learning, we'll explore the topic of computers with a goal of helping families make smart choices about the role they want computers to play in their children's lives.

Computers and young children -how young is too young?

To master crawling, walking, talking and making friends, babies and young children need to move, stretch, pull, push, taste and play with other children. All of this "active" activity helps stimulate children's brains for future learning. It is also vital to their healthy physical growth and development. As young children exercise their bodies, they build their muscles - those they will need to sit upright, pull up to stand and eventually run and play. As these gross motor skills develop over the course of early childhood, so do the fine motor skills (e.g., pinching, pointing and grasping) that allow children to hold crayons, cut with scissors and use their fingers to eat small foods like O-shaped cereal. Without plenty of active free play, young children will lag behind in developing these vital motor skills - skills they need now and once they reach school age. For this reason, many early childhood researchers and teachers believe that computers are not good for children under age three since they involve sitting still for lengths of time and engage only a couple of the senses (primarily sight). In fact, occupational therapists who work with young children say that up until age seven, children's bodies and brains grow best if children have lots of space and time to move, stretch and actively explore their worlds, experiences that computer activities simply don't provide.

Much of the computer software aimed at babies and toddlers includes games like peek-a-boo, simple songs and stories. Doing these types of activities along with your children teaches them much more than they'll learn from a machine. If you'd like to introduce your children to the family computer, consider waiting until the preschool years (ages three to five) when most children are more developmentally ready to explore them. Interactive computer books (e.g., those from Living Books and the Magic School Bus series) and creative software like Kid Pix can complement the imaginative play, building and hands-on crafting they already do.

Families should avoid using software with young children that is simply skill and drill (e.g., "Here are four apples. Here are two. Click on the number of apples there are all together."). Software that encourages children to click on various objects to see what comes next, to think creatively and to solve problems to the best of their ability is a better choice for the preschool set. See page 3 for more tips on choosing quality software for young children. In addition, parents should sit with children or be close by to help them through a program. Spending time with children as they play at the computer can make computer time a social activity, similar to reading a book or coloring with your children.

What if my young child doesn't like computers?

If your children aren't interested in computers, if your family doesn't have a home computer or if you just don't want to introduce your young children to computers, rest assured that they won't be at a loss later on. Though many parents, educators and computer/software manufacturers argue that computers are good for teaching young children skills like hand/eye coordination, reading and mathematics, they do so in limited ways. Occupational therapists and preschool teachers believe that hands-on activities like playing catch, winding through tunnels on the playground or stringing beads can be more beneficial when it comes to learning coordination. And, reading and talking with your children are still the best ways for children to learn important early literacy skills.

What about the argument that children need to learn from a young age about computers so that they'll know how to use them later on?

In all likelihood, the computers and games your children explore in your home or at the public library are probably not the machines or software they will be asked to use during their school years. When they need computers to perform a certain task in school (whether writing, doing research or creating presentations) your children will have plenty of time to learn how to make computers work for them.

How much is too much?

It has been recommended that preschoolers have no more than 15 to 30 minutes of computer use daily and that computers should be just one of many activities available. Ideally, young children's days - whether in daycare, at preschool or at home - should include a mixture of activities and materials, like art, blocks, sand, water, books, exploration with writing materials and free play.

Managing computer time

When allotting computer time, some parents use the same type of time limits they use with TV time (1/2 hour TV show = 1/2 hour computer time). Some even place a kitchen timer by the computer to signal when computer time is up. When children are working through a new computer game, you might relax your time limits, but this doesn't mean they should spend hours in front of the computer. Giving children notice five minutes before you plan to shut down the machine and having another activity to move on to can help make the transition a smooth one.

Choosing quality software for your children

Quality software can offer young children the opportunity to learn basic computer skills and provides new ways for them to be creative. Some software helps reinforce simple math and reading skills.

Following are some ideas and resources to help you choose the best software and games for your family:

More isn't necessarily better. Three or four carefully chosen CD-ROMs are really all you need to supply your young child with a variety of computer-based learning experiences.

When you introduce children to the computer, offer a varied software selection, including creative software (like Kid Pix), software on single subjects (reading, math, science), software on multiple subjects (such as the Jump Start series), interactive storybooks (like the Living Books series) and problem-solving adventures.

Before you buy, read software reviews and, if possible, preview the software. Many stores will allow you to try out software before you purchase. You can also borrow software that friends recommend or check out copies from the public library to preview. Parenting magazine, Family PC magazine and Web sites like The Children's Software Review (www.childrenssoftware.com) are good resources for software reviews and information.

Make sure that the software you choose for your children is challenging without being too difficult. Check for the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating on the box. ESRB has five ratings: EC (Early Childhood, ages three and up), E (Everyone, ages six and up), T (Teen, ages 13 and older), M (Mature, ages 17 and up) and AO (Adults Only, ages 18 and up). Also, check on the back of the box for the ESRB content descriptions. For more information on the ESRB software rating system, go to www.esrb.org.

Make sure software for young children uses pictures or spoken instructions, allows them to explore a number of topics on different levels, lets them control the level of difficulty and the pace and the direction of the program and provides quick, positive feedback so they stay interested.

Safe surfing with young children

The Internet can be a wonderful resource for all sorts of information specifically suited to young children. With a click of the mouse, you and your children can learn to tell the difference between a male and female Monarch butterfly, access free educational games and learn how to bake pretzels. But there is also a lot of inappropriate information that you'll want to avoid.

When it comes to young children and the Internet, the best advice is to take the time to preview any new Web site that you might want to use together. Bookmark the sites that you would like to visit frequently, and have a site up before you invite your children to the computer. These simple steps will ensure that you don't happen onto inappropriate information while your children watch and that they won't lose interest waiting for a page to load.

For a list of family-friendly sites, check out the American Library Association Web site at www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/.

Computers & children with special needs

Computers can help level the playing field for children with special challenges. With a click of a mouse, kids of different abilities can explore new worlds and direct what happens on the screen. Specially designed speech software can read Web pages to the blind, and special devices can assist children who can't use a standard mouse or keyboard. For more information about computer products for children with disabilities, call The Alliance for Technology Access at (415) 455-4575 or visit www.ataccess.org.

For permission to reprint this article, please contact the Capital Region BOCES Communications Service by e-mailing dbushsuf@gw.neric.org.

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