The following post was contributed by a friend…
There is more than one way to learn, and there is more than one avenue to go down when it comes to how we learn about the world in school and at home. With technology becoming more and more advanced all the time, it’s time to ask what role such tools can play in your child’s education and whether they are a help or a hindrance in the long term. Studies suggest that smart technology can be beneficial to your child’s development provided access is carefully monitored and that you encourage a healthy relationship with this technology.
Children are naturally drawn to electronic items from the moment that they learn to grasp objects in their hands, so it makes sense that technology like smart phones and tablets are the latest tools to come under scrutiny due to high levels of engagement with toddlers and young children. Like engagement with any kind of media, it’s a case of how much and how often, but using smart technology can be a great way to spend time with your child and show them that learning can be fun.
Smart devices provide you with remote and instant access to the internet, which is full of free resources for education that encourage your child to really engage with their learning. Parents can download apps that provide their children with engaging and colourful games that delight and entertain whilst forming a strong foundation for their education and attitude to learning before they enter the school system.
Games like Zoo Train are fantastic for learning basic and essential skills like spelling and counting. The app offers five games for children that combine word games, shapes, basic building and music, stimulating their developing senses as well as stimulating their developing minds. Bright colours, appealing images and music are all sure fire ways to hold a child’s attention and engage their interest. Other titles are designed to stimulate creativity and encourage artistic expression, which is equally important in those key stages of development, have found popularity not just with children but with their parents, presenting a great bonding opportunity and another way to provide encouragement. Faces iMake, for example, is an incredibly entertaining, versatile app that is easy to use and very appealing to children.
Of course, parents need time to unwind too, and smart technology offers parents the chance to play more adult-orientated games through apps and websites. For example, Coral’s app offers classic casino games and traditional favourites like bingo, but with a twist that makes them ideal for parents looking to relax once the kids have settled down. Who knows, you might even win big, and if you did what would you shout?
In moderation, smart phones and tablets can be valuable teaching tools, and a machine loaded with educational and entertaining apps that can help your child start developing key life skills that will be invaluable to them as they grow up and enter the world for the first time.