New technology, play and early literacy
New technology, play and early literacy
While relatively little research has been undertaken with young children under 8 years of age using new technology in general, there is a growing recognition of the impact of ICT on children’s lives, particularly from the USA (Labbo et al. 2000), Australia (Luke 1999; Yelland 1999) and the UK (Facer et al. 2003; Marsh 2004), for example. They put forward the view that electronic media has a significant influence on childhood and suggest that children’s early literacy and play experiences are shaped increasingly by electronic media.
O’Hara (2004) discusses the role of ICT in supporting play in a number of early years settings in England. In terms of imaginative role-play opportunities, fully functional ICT was used and controlled by the children to support emergent literacy in ‘offices’, ‘travel agents’ and ‘cafes’, etc. Here the ICT can enable a ‘print-rich’ environment. Van Scoter and Boss (2002) also suggest using computers and printers to help children make signs, banners and other props for pretend play.
The potential of computer games to support learning has been a conten- tious issue in the media but has been recently recognised within the litera- ture (Yelland 2002). Verenikina et al. (2003) argue that for many children
LITERACY AND ICT IN THE EARLY YEARS
computer games are a significant part of their daily experiences and that early years practitioners need to understand how the games impact on the children’s lives. Bolstad (2004) has developed a useful table for assessing the contribution of computer games to children’s play.
As ICT becomes established in the classroom it is also important that teachers learn about the effect of its influence on children’s learning. Yelland (1999) has raised the significant issue of the need to consider the nature of impact of digital technology on childhood and takes account of the child’s perspective of electronic media. Yelland (1999) points out that developments in technology have moved with extreme speed over the past few years and argues that there is a need to consider new definitions of what it means to play with both physical objects and digital ones. She contends that traditional activities can now be complemented with differ- ent experiences that have been made possible with the new information and communications technologies. For Yelland, these technologies, and the activities that children may engage in with them, have the potential to extend learning in new and exciting ways: ‘As early childhood educators, we need to be aware of the potential of such environments as contexts for play. In this way, we can facilitate the learning process and help children to make sense of their world in ways that were not possible up to this time’ (Yelland 1999: 220). She considers the impact of the new information technologies on play and as play. She suggests that ICT has the potential not only to enhance learning, but also to promote engagement with ideas in new and dynamic ways. For example, the availability of digital toys which enable the child to engage in fantasy contexts as well as to create interactions which have personal significance.
Luke (1999) and Yelland (1999) etc., therefore, present an argument that the use of digital play opportunities can strengthen everyday literacy teaching and learning in early childhood classrooms. However, as Dombey (1998, 1999) and Roskos and Hanbali (2000) point out, there is a concern among early childhood educators that the important role of play in the process of learning to read and write might be misunderstood, if not overlooked altogether. They argue that the current reality of early literacy practice is that it involves intensely instructive activities that are seen as best led by adults who impart essential literacy knowledge and skills that children must learn: ‘After all, children need to develop phonemic aware- ness, learn letter names, practice recognizing words, and participate actively in storybook reading to acquire basic literacy concepts. Certainly this is serious business, and the time and energy it demands can over- whelm thoughts of play’ (Roskos and Hanbali 2000: 1).
Long-established play and literacy activities in early years classrooms can now be complemented with different experiences that have been made possible with the new information technologies. These technol- ogies, and the activities that children may engage in with them, have the potential to extend learning in new and exciting ways and strengthen