The benefits of learning technology at a young age.

Hey everyone so this is my article for week 13.

I read an article about a recent study that was published by the National Writing Project (2007). It found that Americans believe that computers have a positive effect on their children’s writing skills. The importance of learning to use technology ranked just below learning to read and write, and 74 percent of the people who took the survey think that children should begin to learn about computers at a young age. The purpose of this was to explain the ways that parents, caregivers, and teachers of young children are able to introduce technology to young children while at the same time, building their early literacy skills. It was clear that many of the educators and parents wondered when to introduce computers to young children, and what software is most appropriate for young children. The article writes “Researchers have long advised educators and parents that children under the age of 3 do not need to use computers” (Cantor, 2001; Elkind, 1998; Haugland, 1999; Healey, 1998; Hohmann, 1998). The toddler years are a time for young children to learn how to crawl, walk, and develop social skills. Children at this age do not have a long enough attention span to learn how to use a computer, and they benefit most from learning through movement and exploring with their senses. Software companies attempt to entice parents with attractive cartoon characters and with research asserting that the window of opportunity to introduce children to computers can open as young as nine months of age (www.superkids.com/aweb/ pages/reviews/multisub/baby/). Parents then believe that they need to introduce their children to technology at the earliest age possible. The author believes that caregivers and teachers of young children must educate parents about the importance of waiting until children are developmentally ready.

According to this article, children can be introduced to technology beginning at age 3 or 4 (Haugland, 1999). Research has shown that an interesting benefit of doing this encourage children's development of positive attitudes toward learning, and that they help children advance their social communication skills.

I wanted to include the following websites so that everyone has a few resources of good websites for young children to use.

* KidSpace@the Internet (www.ipl. org/div/kidspace/browse/rzn2000) offers numerous interactive picture book stories for children to read online-and links to additional, interesting websites with interactive K-3 appropriate stories, such as those involving such familiar characters as Clifford and Elmo.

* The International Children's Digital Library (www.icdlbooks. org) provides a wealth of colorfully illustrated books that include interesting plots. The website does not charge a fee, and books from around the world are featured in multiple languages.

* StoryLine Online (www.storylineonline.net) is the best read-aloud book list available on the Web, and my personal favorite. This website offers books read aloud by popular actors from the Screen Actors Guild, such as Camryn Manheim, Haylie Duff, Amber Tamblyn, and Jason Alexander. Additional activities are included with each book that asks children to draw inferences and retell the story. The website also has a phone line service that allows children to call in and listen to an actor read a book.

* TumbleBooks (www.tumblebooks.com) offers one of the best websites for interactive read-along stories. Although the website charges a fee, they offer a trial issue. The books are engaging, interesting, and beautifully illustrated (Lacina, 2008).

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