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Technology and young kids

What parents should know about pre-K kids and high-tech learning

Technology and young kids

What parents should know about pre-K kids and high-tech learning

Parenting in a digitally inundated environment presents dilemmas for many moms and dads. Should kids be able to use a tablet before their first day of kindergarten? How can parents teach their children to be responsible digital citizens? These are just a few of the questions that arise when it comes to exposing kids to technology.

According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children(opens in a new tab) (NAEYC), tech — when used “intentionally and appropriately,” of course — can provide “adaptive scaffolds to help children progress in skills development.” In other words, technology can be a useful aid to support kids’ learning, as it opens them up to new content, skills, ideas, and possibilities.

Thankfully, with smart speakers like Amazon’s Echo Dot Kids Edition(opens in a new tab) — and its FreeTime Unlimited subscription service, which offers educational apps, games, books, and Alexa skills — you can incorporate tech into your children’s lives as well as support their development.

In a series of articles, Amazon and Mashable are exploring how technology influences modern parenting; read the first article on how new parents can use technology here(opens in a new tab). In this article, we’re exploring how parents of kids on the cusp of formal education like pre-K and kindergarten can utilize technology as a developmental learning aid.

Pre-K, kindergarten, and technology

With apps or other forms of digital programming, parents should take care to ensure that their kids aren’t engaging in too much “passive” screen time — i.e. staring zombie-like at a screen for hours on end. Certain types of interactive technology, however, have shown promising results for helping kids develop real-world skills such as forging social connections and even building empathy.

In one instance(opens in a new tab), a four-year old Chinese boy was able to communicate with his English-speaking classmates via a “digital story” told using a tablet. With guidance from his teacher and parents, the boy took photos of his toys and home environment, developed a dual-language narrative using English and Chinese to explain each of the items in the photographs, and shared the story with other preschoolers. Ultimately, the experiment helped the child improve his English skills and build meaningful connections with his young peers.

This is an excellent example of technology that meets all the criteria of optimal usage of technology for young kids — the boy had an active/hands-on role in using technology to explain his home culture, engaged with adults to bring the story to life, and was empowered by his improved ability to communicate and connect with other children.

Tech to aid young kids’ learning

When it comes to pre-K and kindergarten-age children, below are a few ways parents may choose to introduce digital learning to their kids in a balanced way.

-Joint reading of interactive e-books: According to the NAEYC(opens in a new tab), studies have shown “real promise” for e-books to help young kids learn to read. Some studies(opens in a new tab) have found that e-books can improve phonemic and print-concept awareness among preschoolers, and e-readers may be especially effective as educational aids for children with learning disabilities.

When it comes to kids and e-books, the role of the adult reading companion is crucial. E-books that offer interactivity features — in-line definitions of new vocabulary words, bimodal content(opens in a new tab), or memory-game puzzles, for instance — have been found to be effective tools, particularly when they facilitate conversations between kids and adults. Parents may consider using e-books as a prompt to discuss new concepts with their kids, instead of simply shutting off the book post story-time.

-Using voice-activated smart speakers to support creativity: Kids and parents can use voice-activated assistants like the Echo Dot Kids Edition(opens in a new tab) to complement creative activities in the home. For example: Alexa provides a hands-free way to play music or kids-centric, educational podcasts during arts and crafts time when hands tend to be covered in glue or glitter. For parents of young kids, too, Alexa can serve as a helpful aid for developing schedules, managing calendars, and setting alerts for things like mealtime or when it’s your week to bring snacks to playgroup. Additionally, voice-activated speakers offer a great way to engage with technology without the use of a screen.

The Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition(opens in a new tab) and setting parental controls through Amazon Parent Dashboard, which you can access through your Amazon account — allows parents to keep a close eye on kids’ digital behavior. With the Parent Dashboard, you can set daily time limits, review activity, or pause Alexa on the Echo Dot Kids Edition(opens in a new tab) device and an Amazon Fire Kid Edition tablet.

-Educational apps and media: There’s a huge range of educational digital programming for modern parents to sift through, and the specific tools you’ll want to explore with your kids will likely vary on a family-by-family basis. Amazon’s FreeTime Unlimited subscription service, for example, gives your kids access to hours of educational entertainment through its apps and games.

The NAEYC offers a few key takeaways(opens in a new tab) for selecting the type of programming or apps to use with your pre-K and kindergarten-age kids, including: Focus on developmentally appropriate, interactive media that “enhances feelings of success”; celebrate kids’ accomplishments via digital outlets such as a classroom or family website; and establish constructive play by capturing videos or photos of kids’ art projects, and re-watching the content as a family. This enables kids to visualize the concept of progress and can provide an easy introduction to proper use of digital tools like smartphone cameras.

As digital technologies continue to shape our modern society, introducing pre-K and young kids to tech in a way that helps — not hinders — development is a balancing act many parents are learning to navigate. The above takeaways are just a few strategies for mastering the ever-evolving world of parenting in the modern era.


  • Student painting |

    Mashable composite; MUJAHID SAFODIEN/AFP/Getty Images

  • Students in class together |

    Mashable composite; BSIP/UIG via Getty Images

  • Echo Dot Kids Edition |

    Mashable composite; Amazon

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