Technology for the littluns: Top ten alternative ways of introducing children to ICT

Welcome to the digital age!  

Nurseries in the Uk spend thousands of pounds in computers and other electronic devises, such as iPads/touch-screens. 

But Is there clear evidence that computers make a difference to educational achievement in Early Years?  Is really life about computers?

Is a desktop computer suitable for a toddler? These devises where originally designed for adults in the work place, not ergonomically suitable, usually inhibiting  language communication (because of lack of eye contact and too much stimulation - repetitive music).  A good quality resource for the under 5s should allow children to work collaboratively and enable the natural propensity of a toddler towards physically based activity.

Why are nurseries presenting screens to young children? Perhaps because this is a good advert for prospective parents and a good resource to keep them still and quiet at times, ie settling-in.

After reading some forums and websites, such as kindersite.org and nurseryworld, with discussions on the subject, I have compiled 4 main points on the general view of cons of exposing children to screens at preschool:

1) not enough people time.
2) too much sedentary time. Obesity.
3) lack of hands-on activities; children learn by touching objects of the world around them. Some teachers feared computer learning is superficial and never to be compared with the gut feelings and instincts of hands-on learning and manipulating objects.
4) too much stimulation can create addiction and stress. Children tend to feel frustrated and cranky after being in front of a screen. As a result of long exposure they may later have trouble focusing in learning, ie reading or drawing.

It seems clear that nurseries and preschools should broaden their focus from screens to other forms of ICT.

There is an excellent book written by Nicola Call and Sally Featherstone called ‘The Thinking Child. Brain based learning for the Early Years’. In the Resource Book you can find practical activities. In Step 5 the authors talk about the place for technology in preschool.


From the list of Twenty-four ways to introduce children to ICT I chosen my top 5 and 5 more that I have devised:

1.Teach children to help you set clocks and alarms for timed activities. ie cooking, racing, tiding up, etc.

2.Create a balance in cookery sessions between making things by hand and using modern appliances.


3. Point out the use of technology in everyday situations such as weighing scales or scanning equipment at the supermarket.

4. Allow children to help taking digital photos or help with a video camera during special occasions.


5. Involve children in real-life situations where you use devises that display numbers, and talk through and explain what you are doing. Also encourage Role play with toy devices, ie kettle, coffee maker, toaster, microwave, etc.



6. Encourage role play with talking/singing devises such as old mobile phones, wireless telephones, walkie talkies and wireless microphones.



7. Go on a technology walk to see what you can find, such as street lights, cameras, automatic doors, checkout tills, parking meters, cash machines, telephones, satellite dishes and petrol pumps.

8. Encourage children to explore and manipulate musical instruments (ie string such as ukelele, and electronic devices such as keyboards and clavinovas.

9. Use apps such as Pic collage and Lo-Mob and make a collage with sequences of pictures of recent experiences and present to children printed. 

Talk about the process with the children involved ie talk through the process of making cookies (in Spanish as it happens to be: the language aim would be to practice Presente continuo: estar+gerundio and vocabulary for Shapes ¿Qué está haciendo Lily? Lily está amasando. formas: círculo, estrella, corazón).

10. Encourage children to control the music volume with a CD player and to find tracks by numbers.