Posts Tagged ‘media and learning’
What do you see when you walk down an aisle in the grocery store? Across the walkway, a 2-year-old girl sits in the cart exploring broccoli, a 4-year-old boy exclaims “circle!” as he points to a shape on a cereal box, and a 3-year-old sits in the cart, quietly, playing with the iPhone. Yes. the iPhone! There are now numerous apps aimed directly at preschoolers, with some directly marketed as having learning and educational value.
Developmental experts caution against the growing ‘iPhone toy’ trend in the recent New York Times article, iPhones for Toddlers. Children’s learning and brain development center on active experiences within the world. Through play and exploration, children link ideas to real-world-experiences, which becomes the basis for complex concepts and skills they learn later in life.
Evidence suggests young children have difficulty learning from screen media (e.g. television, video, computers)–particularly for the under 3 crowd. Although children are captivated by gadgets and technology, it does not necessarily mean that they are beneficial. Read more…
Interested in Learning More?
Resnick, M. (2004). Edutainment? No Thanks. I Prefer Playful Learning.
Linebarger, D. (2005). Infants’ and toddlers’ television viewing and language outcomes.
Schmidt, M.E. & Vandewater, E.W. (2008). Electronic media and learning and achievement. The Future of Children, 18, 63-86.
This blog was written by Dr. Kelly Fisher, Postdoctoral Fellow at Temple University.
