Zero to Three - Volume 33, No. 4 - March 2013 - (Page 32)

Toddlers and Touch Screens Potential for Early Learning? heather L. KirKorian University of Wisconsin-Madison tiFFany a. peMpeK hollins University Y oung children spend increasing amounts of time with interactive screen media such as tablet computers and smartphones (Common Sense Media, 2011), and purportedly educational products for toddlers are becoming pervasive (Shuler, levine, & Ree, 2012). yet researchers know almost nothing about the potential impact of these newer technologies on children. Research demonstrates that traditional videos are not educationally valuable for children less than 3 years old (Anderson & Hanson, 2010; Barr, 2008, 2010; Deloache et al., 2010; Troseth, 2010), but some studies have suggested that toddlers can learn from screens when the experience is interactive (lauricella, Pempek, Barr, & Calvert, 2010). It is possible that touch screen devices have the potential to succeed at benefiting very young children where traditional videos have failed. If interactive games are educationally valuable for toddlers, they may have the same potential to reduce education gaps for at-risk children that educational television programs such as Sesame Street have had for older preschoolers by fostering early learning and school readiness (Anderson, Huston, Schmitt, linebarger, & Wright, 2001; Wright, Huston, Scantlin, & Kotler, 2001). The purpose of this article is to summarize existing research on educational screen media for toddlers, to generate hypotheses about the potential of interactive screens, and to outline immediate needs for future research. exposure to interactive screen Media T oday a considerable proportion of young children’s leisure time is spent with screen media, including television, computers, handheld and console video game players, and interactive mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. One recent national survey commissioned 3 2 Z e ro to th ree M arch 2 0 1 3 by Common Sense Media (2011) reported that three out of four children birth-8 years old use some form of screen media in a typical day. Those who reportedly use these media do so for more than 3 hours per day on average. Even the youngest children are regular media consumers, with infants less than 1 year old consuming media for nearly 2 hours daily. Although television remains the most com- monly used medium for young children, the Common Sense Media survey found that half of children birth-8 years old have access to at least one interactive screen device (e.g., videogame console, tablet computer, smartphone with touchscreen), more than one out of every four parents have downloaded mobile apps for their children, and one quarter of all child screen time is spent with interactive media. Abstract As interactive screens (e.g., tablet computers, smartphones) continue to enter the homes of young children, it becomes increasingly important to understand the impact of these technologies on development. Some studies suggest that while traditional television and videos hold little educational value for toddlers, young children may be able to learn from interactive screens. Thus it is possible that touch screen devices have the potential to succeed at benefiting toddlers where traditional videos have failed. This article summarizes existing research on educational screen media for toddlers, generates hypotheses about the potential of interactive screens, and outlines immediate needs for future research.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Zero to Three - Volume 33, No. 4 - March 2013

Zero to Three - March 2013
This Issue and Why It Matters
What Researchers Have Learned About Toddlers and Television
Toddlers, Electronic Media, and Language Development: What Researchers Know So Far
The Media Environments and Television-Viewing Diets of Infants and Toddlers: Findings From a National Survey of Parents
Trusting the Tube: Current Information About an Established Technology
Toddlers and Touch Screens: Potential for Early Learning?
Does Culture Matter in Early Childhood Media Use?
Investigating the Family Bed
PERSPECTIVES —Reflections of a ZERO TO THREE National Training Institute Neophyte
Jargon Buster—A Glossary of Selected Terms
Upcoming Issues

Zero to Three - Volume 33, No. 4 - March 2013