Children's Development

In the early years, birth to age 8, children grow and learn rapidly.

Each experience with the environment offers opportunities to increase a child's understanding of the world. The important aspect of learning is how the experience fits into the child's life, how it connects.

This is true with technology also. The computer does not cause the learning. The connection the child has with adults and other children, and the connection of the technology to the curriculum, together provide a basis for learning.

Technology and Child Development

Children have important tasks to accomplish during their early years to build a solid base for future learning. Used appropriately, technology can be a positive factor in a child's learning process. But the use of computers and other technology must be thoughtfully planned to provide for their learning needs. Two important questions need to be considered when introducing young children to anything new, including technology:

• Is it developmentally appropriate—is it consistent with how a child develops and learns, and with the child's current developmental stage?
• Will the activity benefit the child, or will it replace some other, more meaningful learning activities?

The answers to these two questions will help guide the use of technology in a child's early years.

Five Areas of Children's Development

The National Education Goals Panel identified five essential dimensions (developmental domains) of early development and learning: physical well-being and motor development; social and emotional development; approaches toward learning; language development; and cognition and general knowledge.
More information on the five areas