Views on electronic media devices and usage in this age group.

[dontknow]

Topic states my question. What is your view on using things like Kindles, Ipads, computers, Leap Pads, etc.. for kids in this age range?

 

I see so many parents who provide these kinds of devices claiming it's just one other way to helps the children to read, count, etc.....

 

We currently only own one computer and no mobile device and no "gaming system". Our daughter has spent time with the computer and can work a mouse as well as can find her letters and numbers on a keyboard. I did purchaseher a phenonemal "educational" software package the she has enjoyed and benefited from. The focus is on weather, patterns, letters, numbers, matching, etc..... That being said once the novelty wore off, she really shows little interest in any of it.

 

Me personally, I don't have much of a problem with the e-media stuff assuming it's done in tandem with more traditional stuff, serves a benefit and is used in moderation.

 

What's your take?

[morgan]

I also hear parents and grandparents brag that this game or that toy taught the kid in their life to read or learn colors, shapes, etc. Maybe there are some kids that learn this way, but honestly I can't see that it is more beneficial than traditional methods (like reading and talking to your kids).

 

I do think an education program or game/website used in moderation can help reinforce basic skills for the prek/k crowd. My youngest has enjoyed Starfall and Reading Eggs; but they didn't exactly teach her to read.

 

My oldest daughter received a lot of electronic toys like leap pads and such from relatives and I was never too impressed. They got played with for a while and then thrown aside. But people see "educational" on the box and assume it's a great gift. I think books or craft supplies would have been money better spent.

 

Also, I've seen my 2 yo niece throw toys aside when she realizes they aren't going to light up or make noise, I think this it is sad. She wants the toys to entertain her rather than play and entertain herself with the toys. And I am guessing she'll be onto "educational" tv and computer games soon :(

[TexasRachel]

I use it as enrichment. My DS loves the hamster on abcmouse.com so he'll play around and do activities to get stuff for his hamsters. But it's adding to what I've already taught him. We are a very techno family- 2 computers, 2 iPads, 3 iphones, and 2 tablets. I download a lot of educational apps, but I just consider them games. They're helps. I think children need books and paper to learn properly. Maybe I'm wrong, but we'll continue to use them as enrichment, not as curriculum.

[Mom2TheTeam]

I allow my kids to use them as a supplement and I limit it, not as a full curriculum. I'm not overly into electronics myself (although, I watch too much TV after my kids go to bed and I spend too much time on a couple forums.... :lol: )

 

Until recently, we had nothing at all. My kids didn't even get on my computer. It was all mine. LOL. Then, I started letting them use Starfall. Then, we moved to Reading Eggs. Both of those actually have taught my children things, like sight words from Reading Eggs and some math concepts on Starfall. My kids love it, but it definitely is not their primary learning. It's just fun, but happens to be educational. :D

 

My children do have Leapsters. However, they are only for special circumstances, such as long car rides or appts where they have to sit still for a very long time. (Unfortunately, the only pediatrician in town always has a VERY long wait. It's awful with 6 kids 7 and under.) I do sometimes let them play with them if they wake up before I do. But,, they are put away when I get up and not gotten out again the rest of the day. So, some days they play 15-30 minutes in the morning. We debated for a very long time before getting them Leapsters. Part of me regrets getting. We have also decided they will not get any more gaming systems when they grow out of these. But, they do come in very handy sometimes.

[MinivanMom]

Just Say No!

 

That pretty much sums up our approach to electronics for the PK-K age group. The only time dd5 or ds3 have screentime is when we watch a movie as a family on Friday nights. I feel very strongly that young children need instruction that is concrete and that involves interacting with other human beings. A computer game doesn't cut it here. We do math together with manipulatives or we curl up on the couch together to read. There is no substitute for that.

[dontknow]

Interesting perspectives so far, thanks for sharing them. As with many things, there's no one correct answer here. People are going to do what they feel is best. Perhaps it's just our childs view on it, but she neither asks for them or are amused by her other close relatives and many of her classmates that have and use things like Leappads, Ipads and Kindles in front of her almost on a daily basis. Perhaps it's because we're not a media filled house. I don't know but we're not going to push them on her.

 

Again, I see nothing wrong with them as long as it's balanced with other forms. Who am I to say though how other people should run their house.....

[AimeeM]

My husband is in the computer science field.

Frankly, I'm not even sure how many computers we have floating around this house. Off the top of my head, my husband and I each have laptops, there's a PC in the office, a PC in dd11's bedroom, a PC in the basement... and a couple more random laptops and PCs floating around the house. Add to that several tablets... and dd11 has an ipad... there's a Wii and a PS3 gaming system in the living room...

 

I'd say we have no problems with our children being exposed to technology and we do not really restrict time on those devices - even for our almost 4 year old son :D

 

Now I'll say this - academic work is NOT completed using EMDs (with the exception of DS' reading eggs). We're paper, pencil, bound book geeks too ("book snobs" for lack of a better phrase; one device you'll never find in this house is an electronic READER, used for that purpose).

[Seeking Squirrels]

DH is in computer programming, so keeping the kids away from electronics isn't even considered an option here. He considers learning to navigate electronics as important as reading lol. We have I think 3 laptops, a couple pcs, 2 iPads, another tablet, iPhones, and iPods. DD has a leap pad, an iPod, and a click start gaming system. DH is trying to talk me into a Mac mini for DD with our tax return. (Not happening!)

 

But with all that, she doesn't get a ton of screen time. It's not timed or anything, but we keep tabs on it and tell her no if we think she's had enough. We almost always let her when she asks, though, so the result is she has fun when she uses them but does not generally beg for them or throw fits over it.

 

She uses the laptop for reading eggs maybe twice a week, 30 min or so each time. Click start maybe once a week. iPad on weekend mornings. Leap pad doesn't see much use. iPod on the occasional long drive. We don't have cable so there's almost no tv time. Every once in a while we put in a signing time or leap frog. We have a movie night about once a month.

[Eagle]

We gave ds my old iPhone for his 4th birthday. Phone and Internet are blocked on it. He uses it to take pictures, play music, and play games. He has a few games that reinforce math concepts, some physics games, matching games, critical thinking games. The games are supplementary to his curriculum and are simply to show a fun side of these subjects. He isn't really limited from using the iPhone, although if I think he's been on it enough for a day I will suggest an alternative activity and he usually switches tasks without complaint.

 

He's had it over a year now and it is interesting to see how proficient he is at using it. All his apps are in folders, he changes his home screen photo regularly, he zooms in and out of documents and photos to the magnification level he wants. He is very proud of having his device and has been very responsible in owning it (careful handling, not losing it, remembering to keep it charged, not flaunting it to others).

 

[Mom2TheTeam]

We gave ds my old iPhone for his 4th birthday. Phone and Internet are blocked on it. He uses it to take pictures, play music, and play games. He has a few games that reinforce math concepts, some physics games, matching games, critical thinking games. The games are supplementary to his curriculum and are simply to show a fun side of these subjects. He isn't really limited from using the iPhone, although if I think he's been on it enough for a day I will suggest an alternative activity and he usually switches tasks without complaint.

 

He's had it over a year now and it is interesting to see how proficient he is at using it. All his apps are in folders, he changes his home screen photo regularly, he zooms in and out of documents and photos to the magnification level he wants. He is very proud of having his device and has been very responsible in owning it (careful handling, not losing it, remembering to keep it charged, not flaunting it to others).

 

This cracks me up because my mom and step-dad are WAY high tech beyond me. I have a regular non-smart phone. The last 2 times my mom has upgraded her iphone, she has given me hers. It doesn't have phone. It is connected to my house wifi network, but doesn't have it beyond that. I use it for notes and I read my Bible on it. I am trying to start using the Kindle app. I also play lots of games on it while I'm nursing my baby. I love it! It is basically an ipod touch. But, I always laugh at myself because it feels so silly to have an iphone and refuse to pay for the service. I feel like a kid. :lol:

[kiwik]

I went to a meet the teacher thing at my son's school a few weeks ago. They were warning us that it wouldn't be long before even kids in the junior school 5 to 7) would be having to take their own electronic devices to school. He can't manage to keep track of his lunchbox and shoes for heavens sake.

[mohop]

We limit "screens" very much. We don't have a TV, and my 4-year old only watches cooking/baking videos and certain children's song videos online. She does sometimes play on the word processor and paint software on the computer and so is pretty familiar with using the computer. We don't have smart phones or i-pads or i-pods, as of yet. It's not that I think it's all so awful, it's just that I find it to be a slippery slope, and once you start allowing certain things, you find that it becomes more and more a part of your life. I already spend too much time on the computer, so I don't want to introduce anymore "smart" devices into my home for a while yet.