quick clicks

babies today articles

babies today q&a

toddlers today articles

toddlers today q&a

breastfeed.com articles

breastfeed.com q&a

message boards

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

Computers and Toddlers

Making the Right Connection

By Jacqueline Bodnar

There are several reasons why Dr. Burnham and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)recommend that children under the age of 2 not be exposed to screen media. Children learn best through interaction, sensory experiences, manipulating objects and engaging in conversation. Computers do not offer sensory experiences that include the kind of engaging experiences experts recommend for child development.

"If parents are thinking of introducing their preschool-aged children to computers, a good place to start would be to research good developmental software," Dr. Burnham says. "Then allow the child to explore the computer freely, using the appropriate software."

Shopping for appropriate software can seem like an overwhelming task in and of itself because of the vast array that's available. Dr. Burnham offers the following guidelines for deciding what type of software would be best:

• The software should offer realistic expectations and be age-appropriate. It should also allow the child to engage in problem-solving, exploration and the ability to correcthis own errors.
• The child should be active in deciding the flow and should need very little adult supervision to be able to participate in the software activity.
• The software should have graphic or verbal instructions that are simple and easy to undertand.
Pages:  1  2  3  




Want to see more?

• Check out our Article Library.
• Ready, Set, Click! Learning Computers the Preschool Way
• Toy Room Review
• iParenting Media Awards
• Talk about it!