Why ict is important in early years

Where possible give the children the opportunity to use ICT resources for themselves, eg allowing them to make copies of their pictures on the office photocopier. ICT can support all areas of development with children. Children learning the balance between playing a computer toy and being sedentary, and spending time being physical outdoors.

This person would be responsible for ensuring that ICT was incorporated across all areas of the curriculum, developing an ICT strategy for the provision, writing and reviewing policies, delivering training and encouraging practitioners to experiment with the resources.

A sample job description and suggested person specification is available. There is now a huge selection of ICT toys available and early years providers need to consider using a wide range of resources within the provision. So, for example, a lot of the bright plastic baby toys that are toy mobile phones or car alarm keys, make a noise or light up when a button on them is pressed.

Even a squeaker, or crinkle material hidden in a play mat, that makes a noise when the baby rolls onto it or presses it, is an early ICT toy, supporting the child to develop a basic understanding of cause and effect. You can link it into a safety theme by adding in traffic lights and road junctions, etc.

For a creative aspect, attach pens to your programmable toys and see how it makes marks across a large sheet of flip chart paper laid out on the floor. Some of the programmable toys have additional cases that you can decorate to give them a new look or link to your theme.

These can help children further their understanding of directional language, forward, backwards, sideways, left and right. These can be played alone or as a group. Talking photo albums allow the children to record statements to go with the relevant page, and play it back as often as they wish.

These come in A3 and in A5 sizes. The A3 is good for sharing at circle time or when working with children in a group. Talking speech bubbles are great to have fixed up in corridors. The children record what they want and it can then be replayed when the button is pressed. Recordable Pegs work on the same principle: simply press the button and record a ten second message.

The pegs are great to clip onto talking number lines, time lines and dens. They can even be attached to an activity with instructions for the children to follow. They are designed to look like microphones, making them an ideal size for the children to manage. These should always be available for the children to use freely both indoors and outdoors.

They are guaranteed to work after being dropped and immersed in water. If you have a photo printer, compatible with the camera, this will enable the children to instantly print their photographs. IWBs are used for working with large groups of children and involving them in the activity, but require staff to have been trained in their use. Graphics, videos and games can all be used on a large wall-mounted white smartboard which is linked to a computer.

IWBs can be used for drawing, writing, singing, technology skills, games, etc and allow children to interact and collaborate during activities.

These are useful to have in reception areas or for displays. Large numbers of images can be stored on them and they change automatically. Children can learn to use a computer from an early age. By purchasing child-friendly keyboards large colour-coded keys, some are in lower case as well and large colour-coded mice, the children will find operating simple software much easier.

You can also buy touchscreen monitors and tablets. This is helpful when working with very young children who have not yet gained control of a mouse or if a child has special needs. These laptop-style computers normally offer a variety of levels, suitable for different ages and abilities.

They can be useful in helping children to learn using simple words and number games. They are the key to children understanding and living with the interconnectivity of our world. By developing both a thorough knowledge of computers and a healthy attitude towards them from an early age, children can be set up for a lifetime of positive computer usage. Effective ICT learning lifts the bonnet on computers and and helps demonstrate what they are — machines.

In an age where toddlers know their way around a tablet before the age of two and parents turn constantly to the internet to answer their questions, ICT is more important than ever to prevent children from growing up thinking computers know best. Computers are inextricably woven into the future that children will occupy, so positioning them at the heart of education is not only an obvious decision but a responsible one. However, a well-balanced early years education incorporates ICT without it supplanting more traditional learning methods — there is a clear value in children learning to read from books and write on paper.

This has very real implications for our interpretation of the Early Learning Goal for ICT as, like a number of other Early Learning Goals, its interpretation is subjective. It is all too easy to observe a three-year-old child using everyday technologies and tick the Early Learning Goal as achieved. Road Safety Week — November. Curious Fox knows what makes good treasure baskets and collections. Hatching kits from Incredible Eggs. View all Top Products. Contact Us Advertise With Us. Share this:.

You may also be interested in The many features that ICT brings with it in the learning environment will in the end improve the fine and motor gross skills of children. Mathematical development is also enhanced as a result of the visual images which computers can provide. One of the many benefits that will come with the use of ICT in early childhood education is that of collaboration.

This alone helps to build language with children in addition to developing their social skills. The above benefits of using technology in early childhood classrooms not only will enhance early childhood development but will prepare young children for the use of technology in the primary curriculum.

That is after all that preschool education is all about. However, it is through the use of certain technologies in the early childhood learning environment and the effective planning of its use that the true benefits emerge for both children and teachers.

In this online PD for early childhood educators, we will focus on ICT tools in early childhood that you as a teacher can successfully integrate into the early childhood development education. For example, Information and Communication Technology in childcare and education such as computers, laptops, digital cameras etc.