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We gave 4yo an iPad and set it up to offer her three affordances: 1. Take pictures 2. Type in notes 3. Text with a handful of people (family, a couple of family friends) The last one is the big hit. And it is *amazing*. It is immensely developmentally valuable. Why? Well… https://t.co/96UdKpOS9Z
…they bring together two things: * A software keyboard, which is tool that makes writing short messages much easier for children, akin to a Montessori movable alphabet * A very real motivational context: communicating with someone she knows https://t.co/mjQilKD6v5
She will sit and figure out how to compose messages for an hour or two, and carefully parse incoming messages from the day. She will also compose words and short sentences as a sort of school exercise, if you set it up perfectly. But why not take advantage of the real thing? https://t.co/5ImdWqpfFU
What happens when you set up a 4yo, whose writing norms are informed by rudimentary phonics and an obsession with stickers... ...with the ability to text her friend, also a 4yo, whose writing norms are informed by obsessively copying out track listings from the backs of CDs? https://t.co/2tDeLD9B3y
Finally I will say: it is a positive introduction to the internet, to the digital age of communication. The digital world is an important and exciting part of her present and future world. Messages with family/friends allow her to experience what it is and what it affords her.
People hem and haw over “screen time”, and I understand why. But I think it’s a bad concept, partly because it blocks you from fully appreciating the value of the sort of thing I am describing here. This has nothing important in common with braindead cocomelon YouTube shorts.
“Let children text message a few people right at the beginning of their literacy journey” is, having seen it play out, such an obvious, unadulterated win. But almost no one does it. And when I share this story people usually have a mixed reaction: “cool” + “screens meh”
This is basic, 20+ year old functionality. It is so simple and obvious that it is virtually braindead. Offering this sort of simple affordance to small children is the kind of thing we should be eagerly looking to do. But I think we (including me) have a blind spot here. https://t.co/V6xnH8OtLn
Incidentally it’s extremely charming and a great deal of fun for us as parents https://t.co/6NC4jLufYl
I’m away from 4yo for two days and she wanted to show me her glow in the dark bandaid Also made me realize that she may think the word is pronounced “band-age” https://t.co/ycjPOTKHel
@mbateman yes. train your children to rule the coming age https://t.co/BttTWZF1m3
plebs are always one step behind I'mma train my daughters to be elite poasters from toddlerhood and they're gonna rule the memespace of the 2040s as the kids of all the overanxious millennials are dropped onto the internet with no built up immunity and are eaten alive on day one https://t.co/j2aDDaL94W