An integrated curriculum in early childhood education is designed for the unification of two or more subject areas within an early childhood learning experience. This is where you can break down the barriers between the different subjects in an effort to make the young children’s learning journey more meaningful.
In a preschool integrated curriculum, young children are able to directly apply their skills and knowledge. This occurs through the reconstruction of their knowledge in a way that is meaningful to them either through block play, dramatic arts, science, storytelling, drawing, sculpture etc.
It also allows young children to make connections and to investigate across multiple areas of learning within an early childhood learning experience.
Integrating ICT in early childhood education is one example, and through our technology in early childhood education resources, you will learn how to thread technology in preschool activities imaginatively to deliver your integrated curriculum in early childhood today.
This article will help you to understand:
- The importance of technology in early childhood education.
- The role of Technology in early childhood education.
- What might be some disadvantages of ICT in early childhood education?
- Setting up a preschool classroom.
- And examples of technology in the preschool classroom.
However, it will also demonstrate how we will build your capacity to deliver an integrated curriculum by highlighting ICT pedagogy integration in language learning plans just as one example of integrating technology in the preschool classroom.
You will find more examples fused with preschool technology lesson plans in our ICT in Education Teacher Academy that will cost you only $5.99 per month to join today. There is over 70 + technology integration in early childhood education resources to choose from.
Planning your Integrated Curriculum
What is the Importance of Technology in Preschool?
Integrating technology in the preschool classroom lays the foundation for a child’s future engagement with the curriculum in the mainstream primary setting. The Australian Curriculum is a good example of this with a strong emphasis on its integration and the development of ICT capability or what is now recognised as digital literacy capabilities.
There are many other reasons and you can find them here, but two key points to remember is that when integrating ICT in preschool activities you should aim to equip young children with sufficient experience to enable them to use ICT without having to stop and think.
The other point is that ICT in preschool can have a powerful role in supporting teachers in enabling children to focus on ICT as a tool to achieve other early learning outcomes. This opens the door for further learning opportunities as the ‘transparent’ use of technology promotes the development of ICT capabilities.
As part of your learning journey throughout our Academy you will learn to develop an appreciation of what meaningful technology integration in early childhood education is by applying our technology in early childhood less plans infused in our online workshops for preschool teachers.
The Role of ICT
By integrating technology in preschool activities, you will be able to bear witness to the many ways that it can contribute to, or transform, your early childhood learning activities, roles, and relationships with young children and adults in your early childhood learning environment.
Other ways in which ICT may be a part of your learning environment include these as derived from literature:
- Children use ICT in play or learning (alone, with peers, or with adults).
- Children and practitioners use ICT together to scaffold children’s learning.
- Children and practitioners use ICT together to document and reflect on children’s learning or to share children’s learning with parents or other practitioners.
- Practitioners use ICT for planning, administration, and information management.
- Children and practitioners can also use ICT to communicate or exchange ideas or information.
(Bolstad, 2004)
Are there Safety concerns?
The benefits of using ICT are well-known but some literature also believes that there may be disadvantages of ICT in early childhood education. What are the perceived risks of integrating technology in the preschool classroom?
There is little clear evidence about the degree to which ICT assumes a real risk to children while using it as a tool for learning. Fears may include:
- Passive learning.
- Eliminating decision-making.
- Dulling the thinking process.
- Instant gratification.
- Shortcuts/laziness to do real work.
- Inability to get real satisfaction out of work done.
- Obesity in children due to lack of physical activity.
How to Set up a quality preschool classroom?
Early childhood learning environments are nurturing spaces for young children in early childhood education. They include classrooms, play spaces, areas for caregiving routines, and outdoor areas. They need to be safe to support the learning and development of young children.
This section, delves into the various elements that contribute to an optimal early childhood learning environment that maximises the use of ICT in preschool education. By employing these strategies, educators can foster a love for learning, stimulate curiosity, and promote holistic development in young learners.
Setting up technology in the preschool classroom helps to promote independence and autonomy with digital technology and ICT. The following information comes from case studies where I have sorted out the important information that you will need to use ICT to support independence. It will help you create a vision for a technology-enabled learning environment that is child-centred, playful, creative, and interactive.
- Familiarise yourself with all regulations which concern any aspect of using ICT in the ECE centre;
- Remember that your children’s safety is the highest priority;
- Do not accept old hardware which somebody wants to donate to you;
- When selecting software ensure that you adhere to the DATEC criteria;
- Build your ICT space – remember your priorities are (a) safety; (b) functionality and practicality so that you will be able to integrate the ICT resources into different activities; (c) manageability – the successful integration of digital technology can begin with just one computer or iPad; (d) arrangement – you should be able to easily supervise everybody and everything going on in the corner; (e) flexibility – as your needs evolve, the space should allow for future modifications.
- Have the ICT corner connected to the Internet;
- Have new furniture made for that space if possible;
- Pay attention to proper lighting – this must be easily adjustable;
- In addition to the ICT requirements, the corner must meet all the requirements for a safe early childhood learning environment;
- If you have IWB you will need to pay attention to its height so that children could easily operate it independently;
- Establish the rules of usage – for your colleagues as well as for the children. Ensure that they are clear, visible and understandable to both children and staff and parents;
- All wires must be hidden.
For children to choose and play independently it is a good idea to have a provision of ICT tools to incorporate into the areas of learning. Examples of technology in early childhood education are as follows:
- Everyday technology or role-play toys;
- Computer/tablet computers and printer;
- Webcam and microphone;
- Carefully chosen software;
- Internet access;
- Interactive whiteboard;
- Digital camera;
- Digital moviemaker;
- Talking photo albums and cards;
- Metal detectors;
- Programmable toys.
In a digital society, the goals of a technology-rich learning environment should always be empowerment and independence. The value that ICT can add to an early childhood learning environment depends on the choices that you make as an early childhood practitioner about which tools to select, and when and how to use them; your understanding of how these ICT tools can support children’s learning, development, and play.
What is Technology Integration in Early Childhood Education?
Meaningful technology integration in early childhood education is about embedding creative, experimental and purposeful preschool technology activities supported by the best digital pedagogical practices.
The following will demonstrate purposeful activities within our technology in early childhood education resources accessed as an Academy member.
Technology and Language Development
Integrating technology in the preschool classroom is one of the best examples of an integrated curriculum in early childhood education. The reason is because the use of technology in the preschool classroom enables young children to view its use as a tool to support and enhance the learning of many key learning areas.
Language and communication learning and development in preschool education is a great example of this occurring. Throughout this particular online workshop for preschool teachers, we have embedded ICT pedagogy integration in language learning plans that will support your instructional decisions.
Integrated curriculums in early childhood education such as this are based on the breadth and depth of the Early Years Learning Framework and its early learning goals. The Framework forms the foundation for ensuring that all children experience quality teaching and learning. It recognises the importance of language and communication learning and development.
With the help of our preschool technology lesson plans for language development you will be able to make the connections with the EYLF so that the early learning goals can be achieved.
Language and communication development
EYLF Learning Outcome 5.1 - Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes.
| By the end of the EYLF, children should be able to: | Corresponding preschool technology lesson plans |
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Engage in interactions using verbal and non-verbal language |
LL17 |
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Convey and construct messages |
LL17 |
| Respond verbally and non-verbally to what they see, hear, touch, feel and taste | LL17 |
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Use language and representations from play, music and art to share and project meaning |
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Contribute their ideas and experiences in play, small and large group discussions |
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| Recount events in their life | |
| Listen to and act upon simple directions | LL17 |
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Attend and give cultural cues that they are listening to and understanding what is said to them |
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Are independent communicators who initiate Standard Australian English |
LL17 |
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Interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, clarify and challenge thinking, negotiate and share new understandings |
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Exchange ideas, feelings and understandings using language and representations in play |
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Demonstrate an increasing understanding of measurement and number using vocabulary to describe size, length, volume, capacity and names of numbers |
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Express ideas and feelings and understand and respect the perspectives of others |
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Use language to communicate thinking about quantities to describe attributes of objects and collections, and to explain mathematical ideas |
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Use language to communicate thinking about quantities to describe attributes of objects and collections, and to explain mathematical ideas
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Here is a free sample of one of its preschool technology lesson plans.
ACCESS MORE PRESCHOOL TECHNOLOGY ACTIVITIES LIKE THIS AS A MEMBER FOR $5.99 PER MONTH.
Other ways of integrating technology in the preschool classroom include:
Preschool technology lesson plans with Creative Technologies
Preschool technology lesson plans about Problem-solving
11 Ways to Plan
In the 21st century, we can all agree that technology is having a profound effect on all of our lives. Young children are included in such people in society and technology continues to emerge and develop every new generation will learn to take technology for granted.
Thus is the importance of technology in early childhood education as it is an early childhood teacher’s role to transform early childhood learning activities in order to prepare young children for a technology-dominated life.
The importance of technology in early childhood education also offers new opportunities to strengthen many other aspects of early childhood such as learning, professional learning and especially relationships.
Young children, regardless of their own beliefs in the use of technology in early childhood education, already have been exposed to technology and thus come to your learning environment with a degree of capability. As an early childhood teacher, it should be your responsibility to value and support this by building on their strengths, knowledge, skills, and abilities in technology.
Integrating technology in the preschool classroom should never be about exposing young children to technology in early childhood education but harnessing the technology in early childhood education through effective curriculum planning.
So what is curriculum planning in early childhood education in relation to technology integration? There are 11 ways to plan an ICT integrated session plan in early childhood education and care that would result in young children being able to develop ICT capability and understand that technology is tool. These include:
- Plan for the progression of ICT capability;
- Plan for continuity in ICT capabilities;
- Plan for Outcomes;
- Plan for Personalised learning;
- Plan for ICT resources;
- Plan for the next session;
- Plan appropriate ICT activities;
- Plan the learning environment;
- Plan for the assessment of ICT capability;
- Plan to challenge children's capabilities in ICT;
- Plan for the short term - day-by-day
Such planning supports the use of technology in early childhood education through the roles it plays including:
- Young children using ICT in role playing either alone, with peers or with adults;
- Young children and early childhood educators using ICT to scaffold learning together;
- Young children and early childhood educators using ICT together to document and reflect on learning.
Some examples of preschool technology lesson plans may involve using simple drawing and painting programs such as MS Paint to draw a house or family member. It could also be using programmable robots for example.
Here are some helpful steps for integrating technology in the preschool classroom:
First Step
Before you even begin to plan an ICT integrated session you need to:
Have an appreciation of where they are at the beginning – why is this important? It is because you should determine their starting point and then give accurate directions that will enable him/her to plot a course.
Building and maintaining responsive relationships in early childhood education begins with this. You need to understand a child’s home experiences of technology. Start by inviting families to tell you about their child’s interests. You can also observe the children at play with a range of technology in preschool activities.
Listening to parents’ stories about their children’s experiences of technology at home is also important. Relationships underpin everything when you plan an ICT integrated session. This includes ICT pedagogical practices in early childhood.
If you want to plan an ICT integrated session it would require you to build on the interests, knowledge, and skills of young children. It is for this reason why we emphasise key methods in observation and assessment in this online workshop for preschool teachers.
Next Step
The 11 steps that we have outlined above will ensure that the quality of the learning process is increased. There are two approaches that you can take. You can either use a thematic approach or you can use an approach that is based on the breadth and depth of the Early Years Learning Framework.
One suggestion would be to put an ICT column in the weekly planning sheets to ensure that you and your colleagues will think creatively about how to teach a concept or plan an ICT integrated session.
Additionally, integrating technology in the preschool classroom will require long-term plans that identify technology in preschool activities. This approach ensures that from the outset ICT is given high priority in the whole process of planning teaching and learning for the child.
When you plan an ICT integrated session, you ensure the best chances for a young child to develop their ICT capability and technological literacy. It is one of the key principles in its development that when integrating technology in the preschool classroom that you ensure that it is integrated throughout the early learning goals of the EYLF.
Planning also ensures that you challenge young children intellectually. Increasing the level of challenge, however, does not mean giving young children technology in preschool activities that is more advanced. It could also relate to the subject content, the style or the mode of presentation.
For example, you could ask them about changing the size of the text, including another picture or modifying the content.
Final Step
Integrating technology in the preschool classroom requires evidence based and high impact teaching strategies such as what deliver in our online PD for early childhood educators. Examples of what you will learn include:
- Conducting a thorough analysis of the situation – an essential factor in effective planning.
- Embedding formative assessment strategies when using technology in preschool activities;
- Selecting developmentally appropriate technology in preschool;
- Employing sound instructional decisions;
- Encourage the creative use of ICT;
- Implementing a Universal framework for inclusion with technology and;
- Facilitating learning progression in early childhood learning activities and play.
Learn more about integrating technology in the preschool classroom and go beyond just getting ideas about exposing young children to technology in preschool. Become aware today of the need in preschool to help young children to learn more about and identifying the uses of technology in their everyday lives and encourage children to observe and talk about the use of ICT in the environment today.
5 Ways to Integrate Technology in Preschool
The use of technology in early childhood education is very important for several reasons today. The top of these includes helping young children view ICT as tools designed for specific purposes and to enhance learning. Attached such attributes are the benefits of many, however, for these to all be unlocked you must use evidence-based teaching strategies to ensure that children benefit from their digital experiences. Here are five ways on how to use technology in preschool classrooms today.
Integrating ICT in preschool can be achieved in the following ways:
Develop Technological Literacy and ICT Capability
I have listed this one first as I believe it is the most important. ICT capability can be developed in the most meaningful context-driven activities in the early year curriculum. Seek and plan to develop each component of it and ensure that the correct software is used such as those that are content-free and that challenge children intellectually.
Encourage Creativity
In early childhood education, creative development is in its own area of learning within the EYLF. Using technology in preschool education provides an opportunity for young children to be creative. So you need to encourage them to use drawing and painting programs and apps and model the use of software yourself.
Promote digital play
Good quality role play gives young children the opportunity to make sense of their digital world in which we live in. Allow them to help you set up the role-play area of your learning environment and place quality and appropriate ICT resources there for them to use such as real tech that works, the real tech that doesn’t work, the tech that they made themselves, and toy technology that simulate the working of real technologies.
Use ICT to search for things of interest
Preschool technology in early childhood education can be used by both teachers and children to search the World Wide Web for interesting things on the Internet. You can guide them through the right practices to use keywords to search for what they are looking for so to develop their technological literacy along the way.
Teach Literacy and Numeracy
Using technology appropriate in the preschool classroom also involves software such as word processors and spreadsheets to teach literacy and numeracy. This type of technology in preschool also develops a child’s ICT capability. Of course, you can use subject specific software, however, this will entirely depend on your own learning goals. You may just wish to teach literacy, but remember the value of ICT in enhancing literacy learning and the opportunities that can be missed in a digital world.
Learn to apply high impact teaching strategies to effectively integrate technology in preschool today.
7 Ideas for Integrating Technology in Preschool Appropriately
Integrating preschool technology activities is more than just exposing young children to the technology available. Technology activity for pre-schoolers should involve adult helpers and early childhood teachers facilitating the development of ICT capability and more broadly, technological literacy.
However, with so many technology activities for kids that it is hard at times to determine what is developmentally appropriate technology. You should consider:
- If the technology allows for the child to be in control – if the computer or technology is in control, then the children will be restricted to a restricted response. Minimal capability in ICT on the behalf of the child will be achieved. Only when the child has full control will they develop ICT capability.
- Integration and play through ICT – can you fully integrate the technology?
- Encourage collaboration – how is the technology provided?
These are just some of the things to consider when planning preschool technology activities.
Here are some fun ideas for preschool technology activities.
Making a stop motion – I have developed many stop motion animation project work for my students and there is ample room to enhance technological literacy and to develop a child’s ICT capability. Older kids will enjoy planning, taking photos and making a movie. They can either draw their characters or create them using models they bring in like toys or plasticine.
Taking photos – tablet computers such as iPads are awesome ICT tools for this type preschool technology activity. They can learn how to transfer it onto a computer into a folder which you have helped to create. More essential skills and knowledge gained!
Manipulate images – continuing on from using digital images from those taken from iPads or even smartphone cameras, after they have been transferred into a folder you open up a new file in an image manipulation program. There are many of these to choose from and the best part is that they mostly generic and cost-effective. Take them through key ICT techniques that they need to learn by carefully planning your demonstrations and pointing out the conceptual understanding behind each one.
Practice mathematics – Have you ever thought of setting up a spreadsheet to help children understand calculations using simple formulas? Subject specific will not develop their capabilities in ICT so it is important that you understand the key ICT techniques they need to know in order for you to anticipate any issues or problems that may arise.
Creating technology – wipe your worries away about the lack of technology available. The best technology is sometimes the ones that the children make themselves. You can take them on a excursion to see different types of technology down the street and walk them back to discuss what they have seen, listing on the board and then setting them a task to create the one technology they liked the most. They will fun with it for a while.
Make a movie – technology experiences for children can be a fun way to learn how make a movie using programs such as MovieMaker. They can use webcams or the digital recorders from iPads or smartphones provided.
Programming toys – there is a lot to be said for using programmable toys as part of your technology in preschool activities. Beebots can be used to teach literacy, numeracy and most parts of the EYLF depending on your imagination.
All of these technology experiences for children enable you to develop ICT capability essentially building on what a child might already know from home experiences of Information and Communication Technology.
It is important that along with this technology in preschool activities you accompany them with high impact ICT teaching strategies to help young children understand the notion of ICT as a tool designed for a specific purpose.
Integrating technology activities for preschoolers should always be about building on a child’s technology experiences and facilitating the development of ICT capability and technological literacy..
5 Ways that ICT can help children in Preschool Today
In an ever changing world, where technology is the catalyst for many changes and when technology is rapidly changing itself, it is important that parents send their children to early learning centres where they can begin to reap the benefits of technology in early childhood education.
As an early childhood educator, it is important that you model creative, responsible and appropriate use of technology in preschool activities.
How Children can learn with Technology in Preschool Activities Today
Below are 5 ways young children can use technology in kindergarten and preschool today.
Connect with other children
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) when applied to early learning environments can provide the ability for young children to close great distances and communicate through chat, sharing videos or even sharing classes with other children around the world. What a great way to build relationships?!
It also helps them learn about their world including their technological one!
Information Literacy
Through researching and exploring young children gradually begin to understand the role of technology in their lives whether it may be tablet computers, mobile phones, laptops or desktop computers. In the process, they learn key information literacy skills to help them access, evaluate, and search for particular things of interest to them such as maybe animals or video clips about a topic.
One way that you can use iPads as a type of ICT in preschool is to take it outside with you when the young children are playing. If they are hanging upside down on the monkey bars you could say: “You look like a monkey….I wonder what other animals can swing? Shall we investigate on the iPad and see?”
However, iPads is just one example of ICT in preschool so you could also use laptops or your smartphone to model this sort of use of ICT in life.
Creative Apps
A key purpose to use ICT in preschool is to develop or build a child’s ICT capability and by encouraging the use of creative apps that are open-ended you can respond more to their learning needs. Nurturing creativity in early childhood education and in addition to the main drawing and painting apps, you can also use apps that duplicate the familiar Etch a Sketch activity.
There are also apps that enable you to work with a child to design and create objects, machines, and clothes. You need to focus on apps where children are prompted to solve problems, build, or create and that gives them full control of the software and allows you to achieve your goals of integrating Information and Communication Technology in preschool activities.
Robotics
Promoting robotics in early childhood education can be a great way to learn and play. Simple robotics such as bee-bots or ‘dot to dot’ programmable robots can be used with navigation maps and integrated well into your early years curriculum. The use of robotics also allows for the learning of early code and problem-solving.
Role playing
Role playing is about learning without failure and is it well-known that young children lest best when playing. So a great way for you to integrate ICT in preschool and to help them learn about the use and role of technology in early childhood education is to provide them with opportunities. These can include both working and non-working technologies. It can also be toy technologies that resemble the real, authentic technologies that people use today.
So let them tinkle with technology in preschool activities this way and help them understand their technological surroundings better.
Top Tips to Integrate Tech in the Preschool Classroom Today
The integration of technology in any classroom today is about the teacher imagining the potential for learning with the available technology – the here and now of the technology in the classroom.
When it comes to integrating technology in the preschool classroom, it is no different.
True technology integration in the preschool learning environment is planning to ensure that technology or Information and Communication Technology is viewed as a tool to support and enhance teaching and learning and not simply as a skill to be learned.
Here are some ideas as to how to integrate technology in the classroom today.
Digital Cameras
You can support children in developing their own use of a digital camera along with encouraging them to reflect on the photographs they have taken. They can the digital camera to look closely at natural objects and use digital photos as a stimulus for art and creative work.
Art Software
Begin by modelling the use of the software yourself. Examples of this include MS Paint or other drawing and painting programs. If you are short of ideas, you can take a photo with a digital camera and then open it in a paint program. Follow on from this by painting over the top of it.
What about clown faces? Find a photo on Google and then paint over the top of this.
Programmable toys
Have you thought about taping chalk to the back of a bee bot and programming it to draw on large sheets of black paper. You can also use bee bots to spell out words or count numbers on a path. Children can use it to play out stories they have heard or read themselves.
Webcams
The availability of this digital technology in early childhood education makes it a good option for children to record the process of an activity as they progress through it, documenting their own learning.
What kind of reaction do you think you will get from the children when they see themselves on camera as a result of leaving the webcam on during the day. This could lead to sharing a story, singing, and seeing themselves reading a story.
Make the most of the available technology in the preschool classroom as the opportunities are endless. If you can’t afford new ones, don’t be afraid to ask for donations from the community. You may be surprised how much-unused technology is out there. Remember, if a young child knows how to use real technology, don’t encourage use of toy technology.
5 Ways to Integrate Technology in Preschool
The use of technology in early childhood education is very important for several reasons today. The top of these includes helping young children view ICT as tools designed for specific purposes and to enhance learning. Attached such attributes are the benefits of many, however, for these to all be unlocked you must use evidence-based teaching strategies to ensure that children benefit from their digital experiences. Here are five ways on how to use technology in preschool classrooms today.
Integrating ICT in preschool can be achieved in the following ways:
Develop Technological Literacy and ICT Capability
I have listed this one first as I believe it is the most important. ICT capability can be developed in the most meaningful context-driven activities in the early year curriculum. Seek and plan to develop each component of it and ensure that the correct software is used such as those that are content-free and that challenge children intellectually.
Encourage Creativity
In early childhood education, creative development is in its own area of learning within the EYLF. Using technology in preschool education provides an opportunity for young children to be creative. So you need to encourage them to use drawing and painting programs and apps and model the use of software yourself.
Promote digital play
Good quality role play gives young children the opportunity to make sense of their digital world in which we live in. Allow them to help you set up the role-play area of your learning environment and place quality and appropriate ICT resources there for them to use such as real tech that works, the real tech that doesn’t work, the tech that they made themselves, and toy technology that simulate the working of real technologies.
Use ICT to search for things of interest
Preschool technology in early childhood education can be used by both teachers and children to search the World Wide Web for interesting things on the Internet. You can guide them through the right practices to use keywords to search for what they are looking for so to develop their technological literacy along the way.
Teach Literacy and Numeracy
Using technology appropriate in the preschool classroom also involves software such as word processors and spreadsheets to teach literacy and numeracy. This type of technology in preschool also develops a child’s ICT capability. Of course, you can use subject specific software, however, this will entirely depend on your own learning goals. You may just wish to teach literacy, but remember the value of ICT in enhancing literacy learning and the opportunities that can be missed in a digital world.
Learn to apply high impact teaching strategies to effectively integrate technology in preschool today.
7 Fantastic Ways to Easily Teach and Learning Coding in Preschool
These days, every generation of children are exposed to digital technology as they all grow up in a technology-dominated world. They all have such a profound influence on their lives which is one coding in early childhood education is just as important for them to learn maths and how to read. Coding activities for kids can set the foundation for helping them start to think like a computer programmer and to use computers in a creative way in their lives.
Learning how to code gives young children the ability to understand their digital world. According to Douglas Rushkoff, a digital literacy advocate from Codeacademy.com:
“As I see it, code literacy is a requirement for participation in a digital world. When we acquired language, we didn’t just learn how to listen, but also how to speak. When we acquired text, we didn’t just learn how to read, but also how to write. Now that we have computers, we are learning to use them but not how to program them. When we are not code literate, we must accept the devices and software we use with whatever limitations and agendas their creators have built into them.”
5 other reasons why Preschoolers need coding
Programming helps children learn to problem-solve
One of the advantages of integrating digital technology in early childhood education is that it helps young children understand computers and the basics of coding which in turn enables an appreciation of how things work.
Going further than this it teaches them how software engineers use maths to solve problems in a logical and creative way. The ability to problem solves while young enables children to use these skills throughout their life.
Computer programming challenges children intellectually
As a result, they develop resilience as they learn to ‘debug’ codes in a fun way. Learning to bounce back after failure helps to serve as another learning opportunity and this is another important reason to code.
Additionally, being challenged intellectually develops ICT capability and sets them up 21st century skills.
Coding teaches children how to think
Being challenged intellectually also promotes higher order thinking skills. Coding teaches young children how to think differently. To think logically. It is important for them to see a large problem and to break it down into smaller pieces to solve it in an effective manner.
Coding promotes creativity in early childhood education
Creativity has its own place in the early childhood learning environment and when young children learn how to code it helps them experiment and to be confident in their creative tasks.
Throughout this process, young children have the chance to create something completely authentic and is entirely their own.
Computer programming is the future
Technological development is growing rapidly every year and so coding is an extremely useful skill to have. More businesses and companies today rely on computer code than ever before. This makes those children who learn how to code the advantage over those who don’t in the future as there will be more opportunities for employment.
How to Introduce Coding to Preschoolers
This is one of the most frequent questions that I am asked and as a result, I have included it in my free online pd for early childhood teachers. You can see a preview of it below. However, to add to this when it comes to coding in early childhood education you need to first lay the foundations for children to think like a computer programmer. This can even be done without a computer.
Coding for preschoolers is best introduced through fun hands-on games and activities that make young children think like computer programmers.
Hint!
The ones that promote logical thinking and have a problem to solve.
Learning while playing in early childhood education is a well-known strategy and it too can be applied here.
7 fantastic ways to easily teach and learn coding today
Here are some ways you can teach coding in early childhood education (Teachyourkidscode.com).
Go on a treasure hunt
This requires skills that computer programmers use when coding. The children can follow instructions and directions to find their treasure. As a result, this will teach children about algorithms which is a set of instruction to help a computer perform a specific task.
No prep required just simply place the treasures around the room or garden then write up a set of instructions.
If mistakes are made, then they must go back and start again (debug the code!) until they find where the treasure is hidden.
Solve a maze
A child can develop resilience when they follow a maze. When mistakes are made and go the wrong direction then they need to go back and try again until they another path to follow.
You even make it a little trickier by adding a blindfold maze.
Story sequence
Another great idea is to tell stories to help preschoolers develop coding skills. You could break it up into pieces perhaps by picture, mix it up, and then get the young children to put it back in the right order.
Puzzles
These add a great way for young children to learn problem-solving skills as they essentially are giving them a problem to solve.
Building blocks
These are also great for encouraging skills in problem-solving as well as nurturing creativity in early childhood education.
In addition, logical thinking is also promoted in this type of activity as the children need to think about how and if the blocks can balance and where to put them to do so.
Lego playing
We all know how fun Lego can be playing with it. My daughter loves it and continues to get new sets for her presents. They are a great way of learning coding skills as they need to follow instructions and once again, if mistakes are made then they have to go back and start again.
I tell my daughter this all the time when she comes to me for help. Go back over the instructions and find out what you left out or did wrong. Building instructions is a foundational coding concept.
Games that use maths
All throughout this article, I have spoken about problem-solving activities and there are none better than those games that use mathematical skills. They are great for coding for preschoolers.
Get your Preschool Technology Lesson Plans
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I personally like the second way that is best as it then enables you to demonstrate evidence of teacher practice and if you teach within the EYLF, this can help you further progress in your proficiency levels.
The preschool technology lesson plans on this web page and in the Academy are aligned with early learning outcomes in the EYLF and EYFS.
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