The use of digital technology in early years settings is controversial. While research suggests that excessive screen time is linked to attention problems and even depression, the Education Endowment Foundation finds careful employment of digital technology can be associated with an additional four months’ learning over the course of a year.
One of the early learning goals is that children should be able to select and use technology. A study of children in Sure Start Centres by Cambridge and The Open University academics found evidence of a ‘digital divide’: some children develop sophisticated skills by using technology at home, while others do not, potentially leading to social and economic disadvantage in later life. Plus, early years practitioners lack confidence and skills to help children overcome this divide, the study found.
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