“I look at the computer for this age group to be exposure to different concepts. “You should not sit your child down with a program and say, ‘Here, you’re going to learn your ABCs,’ ” she said. She also likes programs that help children learn to write their names, but she stresses that only the building of small muscles through fine motor tasks such as cutting can prepare a child for actual writing.įollett said her favorite programs involve word processing, in which children work with a keyboard, print out and read what they write.Įvans also urges parents to steer away from skill and drill. Warren recommends software with familiar rhymes and songs that show the print along with the picture as the child listens to the song. “It’s really important that if the mother sets the table, she asks questions like, ‘Honey, if Grandma is coming for dinner, how many napkins do we need?’ The computer can enhance learning, but it’s no substitute for the basics.” “Software that has a 4-year-old child count objects on a screen and punch in the correct numerals may be a good game to reinforce knowledge, but does little to encourage thinking about number relationships,” she said. Jan Warren, an early-childhood mentor with the Ocean View School District in Huntington Beach, stresses that although computer technology can undoubtedly enhance a child’s learning, it should build on, and not substitute for “learning that begins with meaningful real-life experiences.” Still, computer programs aimed at kindergartners can undoubtedly help children meet some of these guidelines.Īs Follett says, “The more students are aware of computers, the easier it is when they arrive here.”īut if familiarity with the computer is good, it shouldn’t substitute for hands-on interactive learning, educators agree. 1 computer goal for kindergartners is simply “to acclimate the kids to what you can do with a computer.” Similarly, Catherine Follett, assistant superintendent of instruction at the Fountain Valley School District, said her No.
The computer should be a playground, an opportunity for them to explore different ideas.” “I tell them that all we want for kids is to become familiar enough to know the keyboard and manipulate the mouse. * retell stories, make predictions, and connect stories to background experiences in a teacher-guided group format.Īs for computer literacy, it’s not so important how much the children know about the computers, but how comfortable they are with them, Evans said.
* begin to demonstrate understanding of picture books and simple stories and
* demonstrate reading-like behaviors, such as pretending to read and write * know some letter names and shapes, including the letters in the child’s name
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