In today's early years learning landscape, children have access to multiple devices and vast amounts of content. This can enable multi-sensory exploration through digital play, making learning experiences more engaging and meaningful. However, the content really matters. Digital play need not be passive. It can be active, creative and collaborative. When the content, device and interactivity are purposefully designed well for their age group, digital play can support development. Multi-sensory learning can support physical, cognitive and social-emotional development.
It's crucial that creators consider the developmental needs of their audience. This ensures their learning resources are effective, engaging and age-appropriate. Educational materials that are too advanced or too simplistic can be frustrating and disengaging for children. Technology that is not appropriate for a child's developmental stage can be overwhelming if too difficult. It can also be tedious and boring if it feels too easy.
Further, content that is made to suit algorithms first rather than children's development can be dangerous. Overly repetitive, fast-paced, overly stimulating content can trigger a stress-response in children 0-5.
Technology is all around and children and educators are using tech as tools all the time. When we talk about screen-based technology, what's important for digital play early years is that the content they are watching or interacting with has been developed for their age group." Dr Sophie Dauvois, co-founder and editor of Okido.
Quality, interactive content can have enriching educational benefits. As the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh summarises, some of the benefits in EYFS include:
Digital Play Supports Physical Development
Fine Motor Skills & Dexterity: Interacting with buttons, dragging items on tablets, and manipulating objects on light tables improves precision and finger dexterity.
Coordination & Reaction Time: Visually tracking and manipulating on-screen elements strengthens hand-eye coordination. The sensory richness of educational games also enhances peripheral vision, multitasking, and quick reaction times to different stimuli.
Cognitive & Language Development
Language Acquisition: Digital media and interactive tools provide highly engaging contexts that promote early language development. Cause-and-Effect Understanding: Cause-and-effect interactions in applications help children grasp the direct results of their actions, fostering problem-solving and critical thinking.
Digital Literacy: Technology is embedded in our rapidly changing world. Interactive media are therefore powerful and important tools to equip children with the functional skills and confidence to innovate and thrive in diverse learning environments.
Information Processing: Research has shown that children learn information more effectively from animated and narrated content instead of viewing images or reading text alone. Therefore, technology offers engaging pathways for children to process information, make new connections and find new ways to observe and interact with the world.
Social-Emotional Learning
Problem Solving & Growth Mindset: Technology presents young children with many opportunities to problem-solve and build self-efficacy. Troubleshooting allows children to experience frustration with mistakes and celebrate persistence and success and makes them more likely to take risks and set more ambitious goals as they grow.
Collaboration & Relationships: Activities that involve technology are wonderful ways to encourage communication and collaboration with others, such as parents, peers and teachers. Establishing an early foundation of collaborative problem solving promotes social skill development, self-regulation and positive relationship-building that will extend beyond the early childhood years.
Cultural Awareness: Digital media allows the entire world to be at a child’s fingertips, allowing them to explore faraway places and cultures that they might otherwise be unable to experience.
From Benefits of Technology for Early Childhood Learning , Children's Museum Pittsburgh.
Technology has revolutionised the learning landscape and will continue to do so with AR, VR, biometrics and AI. While there are many benefits to including digital play in early years learning, it must not replace face-to-face interactions. It should also not replace hands-on learning experiences. Children benefit most from a balanced learning framework using digital play and traditional learning methods.
"Early years children are very curious and on our digital platform, we are able to add sound, animated, and interactive visuals. Most of our digital games and stories encourage children to explore the world around them, turning the device into more of a window to the world than just a screen!" Dr Sophie Dauvois.
At Okido, the make/do, smell, touch, and see activities in our magazine are very important. We see digital content as part of that same discovery journey. By using Okido magazine, the World of OKIDO app and the Messy goes to OKIDO tv show* we enrich the Okido learning framework. Using physical and digital play designed specifically for 3-7-year-olds allows us to transform learning. It becomes a multisensorial and interactive experience for early years development.
*Messy goes to OKIDO is available on BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.
Try the World of OKIDO App for free for 7 days.
