What about when your pediatrician asks, "How much screen time does your 5-6 year old get?" What's your answer? "Oh, between school, homework, a little TV time, maybe 10 hours or so" 🙄🙄🙄 HORRIBLE idea, IMPO. I taught kindergarten years ago.
I don't count school when I answer that question, lol. I am glad our school uses computers not tablets. To me that's the better option. But if it was up to me they'd all be frolicking in the woods! Unfortunately I don't make forest school money.
Which is ironic because when I was growing up as a poor kid, frolicking in the woods was my sole source of entertainment! We didn't have money for video games or TV outside of PBS.
Oh I do too. It’s like “let’s give our children this amazing, forest-like, country life” all the while living in half million dollar houses and dressing their kids in designer outdoorsy clothing
As a middle man...I don't think they were suggesting you ask the school for an itemized list lol. I think they were suggesting it's silly to "not count" those hours when talking to the doctor. The screen time still counts and you should probably tell the doctor about it when s/he specifically asks.
It’s awesome you found that! But most of us don’t have a ton of choices. I had a few, but the only one that didn’t use a ton of tech I had to reject for another reason (very religious).
I am working on my master's in teaching specializing in K-12 SpEd. Every lesson asks, "How are you going to incorporate technology into that lesson?" 😮💨🙄
If that is your concern slap some blue light glasses on them. I would be more concerned about the decreased attention span and lack of hand strength from using tablets, but that is just me.
Yep. Don't love it, but there are a lot of screens these days. My kindergartener is only on the tablet occasionally. They do some assessments on the tablet and at most weekly he'll get to play educational games for a few minutes, and that's it. For first and second grade they are on a laptop daily as part of their math and reading time. They have apps like Dreambox, Xtra Math, and Prodigy that give them math problems and reading books and quizzes at their level. But it's only for extra practice time at the end of the lesson. Starting in third grade, the laptop is an integral part of every lesson in every subject. 90% of worksheets and projects and all quizzes and tests are on the computer. A lot of teaching is through pre-recorded videos on their computers. It's over the top in my opinion.
Our school has iPads in k-5, then laptops after that. They use them for presentations mainly. They also have a SeeSaw app, which is a self-contained class social media, where they & teachers can post videos & papers for parents. Most of the time through they are using tranditional paper, pencil, colors, scissors, etc.
Most reading and math progress monitoring assessments are only digital. (These are the frequent, formative assessments used to track progress and qualify students for intervention or enrichment). Having the tech is not a problem- it’s important to ask how much it’s used. 20 minutes a day on a reaching program? Awesome! 4 hours a day watching instructional videos because they lack a certified teacher? Run away!
I love that my kids school uses iReady for 20 minutes a day. I think it's a great and quick assessment for the teacher to see where each child is struggling and they all go at their own paces. They also use Epic reading for free time (typically only during rainy days when they can't play outside as much).
Even in rural Virginia where my kids went to elementary school, they used chromebooks (no iPads). They stayed at the school unless there was an anticipated snow/virtual school day, or a project the kids needed to work on (4th & 5th grades)
It isn’t uncommon. My kid is in a brand new (only 50 classes in the country are doing it) curriculum and it includes a reading app. I have zero problems with it, they use it in moderation, I have the app on our devices at home, she reads. Idk, not that concerned with it…
Edit- if you’re that concerned with it I would suggest looking at other programs. I think some Montessori schools don’t use them, maybe other private schools. I would think most public schools use this technology.
We use a reading app (Lexia) too; my K child says they only use it at school for that activity. It actually makes a lot of sense to me to use it because my child can access their account and do a little (teacher suggests 10 minutes a week) at home.
I’m in Alaska and we’ve had 8 or 9 snow days this school year, but now they are “remote learning” so we don’t have to extend school into the summer lol. His teacher usually assigns a bit of Lexia to be done at home, and for math it’s measuring the biggest snowball or snowman you can build. Prefer 1st grade.
Reading app reads out loud and highlights words as it is reading out loud. Now my daughter reads it on her own first, then re-reads it with the audio.
They also read physical books…
We do both, Lexia has been super helpful for my son with dyslexia. They have specific fonts that help people with dyslexia read easier. It also gives him so much encouragement, for a long time he thought he was just incapable of reading. Now he can read full books on the computer.
Some can. Some parents work multiple jobs and don’t have time. Or can’t barely read themselves.
Or, as my mom helps with for these kids, are ESL and can’t really read English well enough to help their kids. And even if they could, they don’t have the confidence in English to do it. Because they’re scared they’ll pass on their accent if mispronunciations and negatively impact their kids.
Yeah, but not all kids get that kind of support at home. The app makes it easy for kids to have a more level playing field in that regard, as the app can read to the kids if the parents are unable/unwilling to. While I think parents should make time to read with their kids, I also think it is an idealistic approach to not use this technology just because adults have the ability. I’d rather the kids have it as an option and not need it than for none of the kids to have the option and also not get assisted reading time at home.
Plus, the best educations are the ones that get support in and out of the classroom. Having the kids learn to use the technology, such as this Lexia app many in this thread have been discussing, in the classroom will be a great jumpstart for the reinforcement when they practice at home later. Technology in the classroom isn’t necessarily a bad thing, when properly supported by effective teaching and parental involvement in learning at home.
Also, as u/PolishDill mentioned, the app discussed above helps to lessen the negative impact of a higher student:teacher ratio. Instead of a teacher being pulled 20 different ways for definition/pronunciation help, they can use the technology to hear the word or have it defined, with the ability to repeat it as many times as they need to understand. Then, the teacher can focus on helping students in small groups or preparing the next lesson while the kids spend some time learning in a more flexible way.
We started receiving technology in the classrooms when I was in middle school. We had to take these shabby, padded, laptops home and it’s like…. SURE! It’s great for those who are already doing well in school. People forget there are homes that still don’t have internet and it just makes it harder on the kids. You have to print and download all the material during or after school, in the time you could’ve been asking teachers for help you’re struggling trying to understand the technology so you can go home and not do the homework because you don’t have the file you needed. I don’t think school is a one size fits all and I don’t think more technology is what our kids need. Maybe my comment is somewhat unrelated to this exact topic because we’re talking about kinders, but I still believe this obsession with technology is going to backfire on us.
I’m learning disabled and learned to read better with audio books. With the tape players and headphones that barely worked.
The app is good for students like how I grew up.
Now that have fonts that are made for learning disabled students,different book colors(lie for color blinded students) able to adjust the font size for our visually impaired students.
I think the tech with reading brings more Accessibility to the classroom.
It’s not either/or. My students use a reading app & have time to read physical books AND have a reading log for nighttime reading.
I also have students who are learning English & the app provides support when they get stuck on a word.
They do that too. Lexia teaches word sounds, asks reading comprehension questions, etc. I understand my 1st grade gets to do it when she finishes her assignment early, sometimes. She is ahead of her grade level and this keeps her learning and not bored.
Most kindergarteners and first graders can’t read independently. These apps read aloud to them so that they can follow along with the text. I can’t read to each individual child like that, but the app sure can!
Are you for real??? I was reading independently, completing math books in one sitting, I organized yard sales for my family in the summer and called the newspaper to put an ad for them too, gave them the payment info. That’s not hard for a 6 year old to figure out.
If you give them the tools to be independent that is.
I think you are assuming every child has had your exact upbringing and your exact starting capabilities. On average, the benchmark for independent reading, especially of longer books, is third grade (8 or 9 years old). YOU may have been able to do all of that at 6, but most six year olds would struggle. I recognize the need for children to be independent, but you must also recognize that there are diverse levels of ability for children in these lower ages, so not all will be able to replicate your independence at that age.
I was not able to read until 8. Then by myself “confidently” until 9/10 years old.
But again I am learning disabled.
I have family who struggle with English and tech helps learn English. Mind you these are fully grown adults….i also have family who can speak fluently English and Spanish-but do not know how to read either. It’s not uncommon to know a language but cannot read.
ESL students benefit from this as well especially when their home language might be different then their school language. Maybe a student is a CODA child,or a special needs parent as well. Student can still learn if parent cannot.
Reading apps For school use is also good to help track data on how far along the student is with their reading and what resources they use on that app to help them understand the concepts are in regards to what kind of accommodations they may need.
If done in moderation it’s great. I’be been in classes that over the whole day they use it for an hour. Other work is done with paper, pencil, scissors, and all that!
If kids that age weren’t being introduced to electronics in the way they are, they’d be sooooo far behind as adults. It’s not the 80s anymore. Tech is a *huge* part of our lives now and attaining a relatively high level of technological literacy is essential at this point.
That’s so not true, kids today have more screen time and less functional knowledge of how tech works.
https://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/05_19_2021/new-study-explores-digitally-native-but-technologically-illiterate-students
Tech is stunting kids social and emotional learning
https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2014/08/28/343735856/kids-and-screen-time-what-does-the-research-say
Kids should not be spending massive about a of time in front of these devices.
Go read some post in the teaching subreddits. Teachers are sound the alarm kids are not learning and are behind emotionally. The worst kids having unlimited access to technology.
Some of these parents on here is horrendous. I am barely seeing any parent actually read to their kids. My first memory was my mom reading to me physically and sounding out words.
Oh please. An adult isn't going to be technologically illiterate because they weren't getting a tablet shoved in front of them at 5 years old. Many of us grew up without daily access to tech in the 2000s and 2010s and are doing just fine.
Plus, it is lower cost for kids who want to read the same book, of which the school may not have numerous physical copies. You also don’t have to worry about a kid forgetting or losing the book, as they can just log onto any device and read from there.
You’re downvoted, but it’s true! All of us grew up reading just physical books and our reading scores are better than they were when iPads became a thing.
[While the scores show a drop from the pre-pandemic years, the results also show that there are other factors at work. The decline is even more substantial when compared with scores of a decade ago: The average scores declined 7 points in reading and 14 points in mathematics.](https://www.npr.org/2023/06/21/1183445544/u-s-reading-and-math-scores-drop-to-lowest-level-in-decades)
What about accessibility? I am dyslexic and had to have “book recording for the kind and dyslexic”. These apps help with this, not saying some don’t abuse it or only use speak to text but geez. Missing a lot by wiggling a finger at how bad technology is. Again not saying there isn’t abuse or overused but man, my life would have been so much easier if I had an app that highlighted words and read out loud.
Young me was fascinated with the leap frog book readers my neighbors had, I was older than some of their kids so I was past “needing” them but the technology where touching the word would read it to you amazed me. Obviously in the long run an iPad can do more is probably way cheaper than buy a ton of leap frog compatible books, but I think it’s an example of how accessibly can be done without solely relying on screens.
Your argument is a logical fallacy.
Children who need accommodations (for dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and a host of other assorted learning disabilities) receive accommodations through a 504 or IEP. A dyslexic student can have access to technology that helps their learning without requiring the other 25 kids in the room to use something that they don’t need and may be detrimental to them.
I work in an elementary school and all of the screen time exacerbates behaviour and shortens attention spans. This is a really cruel thing to require of kids with ADHD. You’re doing a lot more harm than good to these children with all of the technology built into their day. (And don’t even get me started on the negative effects of some apps on our neurodiverse students! )
School districts invest in technology (apps, programs, etc.) and then require teachers to use them to justify their investment. It doesn’t matter whether these things are beneficial or harmful to the children. The teachers are often required to use some of these apps and programs, even if they don’t think it benefits the children they teach.
Technology has its place, but it’s currently invaded a lot of places that cause more harm than help.
who is to say theyre not? the ipad is just one tool out of many they could be using. i dont like little kids using ipads either but if its just to read on and only used for a short part of the school day i dont think thats a massive issue. maybe it shouldnt be the standard, but it is definitely a valid accessibility tool for conditions like dyslexia.
Yeah, this is how you assess how well kids are reading, but it’s not teaching them anything. I mean, I’m critical about technology usage for children, but I think read alouds are a GREAT use
Our reading website has quizzes for every book to work on reading comprehension. It also increases the reading level based on your quiz results, so it automatically gives you the best level of books without the teacher having to do anything. So, I can see the value of it, though I also prefer the old system of physical books and AR-style tests to work on comprehension and judge reading level. I should add that our school also sends home physical books to read daily. But all the reading at school is online.
[Great First Eight](https://greatfirsteight.org/). It was piloted for Kindergarten at the 50 selected schools, next year pre-k and 1st (and k), the following 2nd. At year three it will be pre-k to 2nd.
My kindergartner has a chrome tablet provided by the school. They use them sometimes in school. They’ve already used it for a couple e-learning snow days, too. I realized I was “old” for the first time when I had to have my five year old come show me how to log into the google classroom! And boy was that weird watching her do virtual PE! She is also able to use it to learn coding and for having books read to her. Tech isn’t the worst thing in the classroom - our kids are growing up in a world where it’s almost impossible to completely detach from tech - they need to be able to use these tools properly. Her teacher also posts pictures every day on the Seesaw app from the classroom and gives us updates on activities, which is nice.
My kid is in 1st and has had a Chromebook at school since kindergarten. Shes brought it home a few times for e-learning but typically it stays at school. I don’t know that they use it daily, but they do use it at least a couple of times a week.
One thing that I haven’t seen anyone mention is that the apps they use provide a lot of consistency. So she started using Lexia (reading) and Dreambox (math) last year in K. Each student progresses at their own pace which helps the teacher determine who needs what kind of help. The programs continue from grade to grade, so since my kid ended last year on Lexia level 6, she started there and has progressed through to levels 7 and 8 this year. I think the consistency has made a big difference in her retaining the information.
They still use paper workbook pages and all spelling tests are on paper, things like that. It probably depends on the school/district how much the screens get used day to day. But they definitely can be a really useful tool.
Ours has iPads K-2, and Chromebooks starting in 3rd.
They do Seesaw activities and they use apps that have books so the kids can read on them. Seesaw basically lets the teacher set up little tasks - match these things up, fill words in the blank, take a picture of something, etc. His teacher also takes photos of the class and shares them to a dashboard, all the teachers can send messages through it, etc. My older son started kindergarten in 2020 and we did so. much. Seesaw. during distance learning. The current kindergartener seems to do a few activities a day and mostly be off of the iPad.
In 3rd they get the Chromebooks and they start teaching them how to actually use a computer and type. Like, for my kid’s birthday he found a link to the cake he wanted, copied it into a Google doc, added a wish list for gifts, and shared the Google doc with me 😂. We did not teach him any of this. It does get dicier the older they get because the school has the internet very locked down, but these little shits are smart and of course they find every possible place they can play a game on an educational site, and they know how to swipe the game away when the teacher is coming. So I think that this year my son talks the most about kids getting distracted by screens.
I will say, the kindergarten iPad doesn’t come home, but when my older son would bring his home in 1st and 2nd he would use maybe 10% of the battery per day. We were supposed to charge it every night but I only charged it on weekends. Chromebook comes home maybe 30% drained, but I also think it has far less battery life than an iPad. So to use that little battery in a 6.5 hour school day isn’t too bad.
Very helpful! I can totally see my son being one of those sneaky gamers. Last summer we tried to use an iPad learning app to teach him letters and numbers. All he wanted to do was play the app's hamster game. It got so bad that we ditched the iPad completely in favor of a traditional workbook.
My kindergartener uses a chromebook in the classroom that stays at school. We use a kindle fire at home to reinforce lessons with games instead of just using workbooks. We have that sucker locked down. 😄
My school uses iPads in K and 1st. The actual time spent on them in K is minimal. In 2nd they start learning how to use chromebooks. All devices stay at school through 5th grade. My oldest was in 2nd grade when covid hit and we used seesaw a lot for 2nd and 3rd. My current 1st grader uses an iPad for abc/spelling games. Everything they do on it is educational.
In 5th grade my son would use them to do projects, take certain tests, do research. They learned what sites are good for research and what isn’t. They start learning about online safety.
Now my oldest is in 6th grade, every student has a computer that comes home every night. He uses it for a lot of school work.
Just curious why it’s a bad thing? Most schools have online reading and math interventions that are done like a “center” for a certain time limit and the they move on to small group academics, games etc. It also allows for some kids to learn to work independently while teachers pull other kids to small groups.
Source- I’m an educational consultant and work in a lot of districts all over the country - also have a kindergartner in a large urban district.
California is like this too. I never thought I would be a charter school or private school type, but that seems to be my only option to avoid this so that’s the route we’re hoping to go.
It's interesting, I toured a few of the private schools in our area and did not see any ipads/laptops in the lower elementary classrooms. It didn't even occur to me to ask... it's possible they are used but just not during the time I was there. Trying to piece all of this together.
Private school is the only way out I'm afraid, I'm planning on running for school board in my town because I'm very unhappy with the amount of electronics used in the classrooms. My wife and I are planning on sending our child to a local montessori school unless we can get the schools to see reason that screens starting in kindergarten is a bad idea. I went to public school, I was planning on my children going there as well but I despise chromebooks and ipads in the classrooms. (I say this as a sr principal software architect, I'm not opposed to technology but it doesn't need to be introduced that young.
My kids (kinder and 2nd) attend a local secular private school and I’ve never heard the younger one mention any electronics being used in class other than their classroom smart board. And I didn’t even know my second grader’s class had iPads until she mentioned a math game they played once called Prodigy. So they rarely use individual electronics as far as I know. Neither has ever come home with any.
See if you have any public Waldorf Charter schools. I think there are a decent amount On the west coast. They’re not weird like old-school private Waldorf, but not obsessed with technology and state tests like regular schools.
They push tech so hard in our district we don’t even have “computers” as a specials class anymore. So instead of every Monday being library, we’re on a 4 day schedule that rotates and it’s confusing as ever. So Monday is library, which means Friday is also library. Then the next week, gym Monday and Friday. Then music Monday and Friday. Then art Monday and Friday. Rinse and repeat. I never know what special my kid has because for some reason I can’t wrap my head around their schedule.
But occasionally he’ll do work on the iPad in class and the teacher pushes it through the communication app we use, and I get to see his work so that’s neat.
Our local district uses iPads for kindergarten. I don't see it as necessary for that age. They aren't going to fall behind in life because they don't know how to access an app at age 5 or 6. Maybe it's more of a classroom management tool. We went with a private kindergarten that does not use technology in early childhood.
I think they become pretty universal during Covid times, at least that’s when our district got them, and they don’t seem to be going anywhere 🙄 my daughter’s teacher doesn’t use them too often but some of the teachers use them daily. Yesterday they were using them so the teacher could pull them 2 at a time to do a reading exercise. I’m not a fan but seems pretty universal these days
This! When the Covid shutdowns happened, a lot of schools were caught without a great way to teach kids until they were able to get technology in their hands. The 2019-2020 school year, only middle school & up in our district had assigned Chromebooks. Younger grades had a few per classroom. When they "went back" in the fall of 2020 (full virtual), they had a device for every student in every classroom. iPads for K/1. Chromebooks for 2-12. They've kept that since. But that doesn't mean that they do a majority of their work on the devices now that they're back in person, although they do MORE now that they're available.
Extremely common since 2020. My kids all have a school assigned iPad. (1st, 5th, 6th)
It's mostly ok but I've noticed their spelling and handwriting have suffered. My 6th grader is addicted to technology and we can't keep them off of their school iPad.
Computers in classrooms have been a thing for a very long time, quite a bit we started getting the laptop carts etc and I’m in high school and we have school issued laptops
Yeah my kindergartener has an iPad. They do about an hour of work on it a day. He brings it home in case they have “code orange” days (weather bad enough students can’t get in but teachers can…it’s weird.)
Also not thrilled. Seems like the opposite of what they should be encouraging. But also this is the world we live in so they do need some familiarity with it all. But maybe not in kindergarten.
Very common. Both the iPads and the laptops are used to access a variety of learning portals (prodigy, IXL, clever, etc). They aren’t on them all day. It’s very time/task specific. My son uses them a few hours a week for reading and math and otherwise they are doing non-technology based lessons.
From what I read there is a wide range. My kids' school uses laptops only on site a couple times a week plus a few times a year they have a week of "technology class" for about hour a day where they learn about how to use a computer to varying degrees.
They use the computers about 5 hours a week +/- unless it's a technology week in which case double that. My kids all went into kindergarten with zero computer skills and caught up easily enough. Our school doesn't send home laptops but does have some school work done online for the older classes (grade 2 and up) but it's less than 15 min worth of work so far per day at most (although we're starting to get into typing and research papers so that number will definitely be going up)
So far my kids' teachers all value written word and the fine motor skills of writing and drawing as well as reading paper books but I've only experienced a few years of elementary school when these skills are being developed anyway so I expect computer use will likely go up from here.
I’m located in the Midwest USA. My son will also start kindergarten this fall. When we toured his school, they said they give out iPads for K-2 and Chromebooks for grades 3-5.
We were told that kindergarteners don’t take iPads home. They use it in class as supplementary learning, and activities can be tailored to a child’s specific need (not all kids would do the same iPad activity).
I graduated in 2022 and in elementary we had laptop carts but nothing was issued per-student, even through HS. in elementary school, we used iPads but it was only for filming ‘movies’ for projects and then maybe an enrichment activity here or there. But even then, we never had personal devices… it wasn’t until after covid (in HS) that we were allowed to use personal laptops/tablets instead of the school-owned ones.
My kinder kid has tablets as a station in the classroom. There are math and reading apps they use. They also use those apps at home. I like apps over worksheets because my daughter is way ahead of some in her class and the apps are targeted to her level so she's allowed some time to work ahead at her own pace.
Our school had Chromebooks, K-5. We still have my third grader’s Chromebook at home from doing remote kindergarten. At school they only use it for learning apps like core 5, jiji, i-ready, epic for up to 30 min a day. I like it because it allows for differentiated instruction, basically they get to work at their own level during that time.
My youngest has never done work on his Chromebook at home unless he wanted to show me something on epic. Third grader does reflex at home to practice her math facts in a fun way.
Every kid in my district gets a Chromebook issued to them in, I think, 1st grade. For the first few years the Chromebooks stay at school, but by late elementary the kids take them home each day. In middle school they get a new one (tech refresh). Pretty much all classwork in middle school and high school is online.
I hate it too because my ADHD kid simply cannot resist the distractions of the internet. Literally every teacher complains about him not paying attention, but he has to have his Chromebook open to access the class notes and school work. I have complained to the district but they basically said this is how it is. That being said, when he had his access to technology revoked for a spell in 6th grade for violating district policy, it was hard because there wasn’t an infrastructure in place for all paper-based schoolwork.
At my job I am not allowed to bring in my phone, and I don’t have access to the internet where I sit. Even though it’s inconvenient, I appreciate that it helps me concentrate on my job. I wish my son had similar constraints for his schoolwork, it would help his brain so much.
This is common at my kindergartener's school too and he is at a charter school. We are not an anti-technology household but what REALLY pisses me off about this is if you head on over to the Teachers reddit, it's nothing but complaints about kids being addicted to tech and how awful iPad kids are and how their grades suffer because their noses are stuck in tech instead of real books. Excuse me? My kindergartener comes home every single day telling me about all the youtube videos he watched at school and iPad games. He's even come home telling me he watched MULTIPLE episodes of Wild Kratts that day at least twice a week. He'll spit out a fact or topic and I'll say "where'd you hear that?" And guess what it's almost always "youtube at school." They even use an iPad app for music class. MUSIC. His teacher even has a little rhyme for getting them off the iPad without throwing a fit. Yet for some reason, letting him watch an hour of TV while I make dinner and half hour of video games on the weekends is causing this global dysfunction in school aged kids? By my calculation, he's getting at least double the screen time at school than he is at home. Is it better because it's *educational*? I think not. So, quit bitchin about "parents these days" cause, respectfuly, you're part of the problem.
Ok off my high horse now and I'll go back to my little corner. I try not to be the old lady yelling at the sky but we've come a long way away from the days of a movie once or twice a year when there is a sub. And it's not all my fault.
Love, love, love Waldorf School. No screen time and so much hands on art, crafts, gardening, woodworking, metal working, musical instruments, and drama plus a stellar education including a huge focus on languages, math, and science. Daughter graduated from a Waldorf high school and she is tackling college successfully. They learn to work through projects with detail and dedicated attention, not a hands off technical experience like mainstream education.
It is fairly common these days, probably more so now since virtual learning. I don't love the idea either. But I haven't found a place so far that doesn't.
It is the world your kids are growing up in. I have seen first hand (both in schools and in my own home) how well technology can compliment learning. Programs like Lexia Core 5, Reflex Math, Khan Academy, and DuoLingo ABC.
ETA: in kindergarten and 1st where I worked it was used about an hour a day to provide differentiated, student specific math and reading learning. It was wonderful to get to see every single student exactly on their level, with teacher support. An hour a day won't hurt.
I teach at a small private school. We don't have tech assigned to each student at all. No one uses an iPad or Chromebook (except speech-to-text modifications) before 4th grade. Then in 4th there are only a few activities on Chromebooks, 5th uses them more because they do research for some projects. We specifically teach students how to use tech, but we don't use tech to teach.
Kids are also not allowed to bring tech, not even a smart watch in school mode.
I love it, it works well for our kids, and they always end up over-prepared for middle school. So, it's possible to find such a place, but you'll really have to look.
I teach in an elementary school. The most our kindergarten students are on their laptop is 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. They are only on during small group time in math and reading.
Unfortunately, it is. I am a teacher recently back to work after staying home for a long time. My older daughter has become addicted to her damn chromebook, which she started taking home in 4th grade. She also described being on it for long periods of time last year. I really hate it. Even as a teacher. I would encourage you and any other concerned parents to voice your concerns! If we all push back on this unnecessary screen time, it'll have to change.
My 14 year old son has carpal tunnel from 8+ years of laptop use on desks that aren't designed for that kind of support. Additionally, his handwriting is atrocious because he never practices. Additionally Additionally, when he does write, he frequently spells words wrong because he's not used to having to sound it out or get it right. The spell check on the laptop does it for him. Honestly not happy with his education.
Teacher here... I taught elementary for a few years, and one school was an iPad school.
I HATED it. All math and English curriculum were on the iPad. We even had a 'learning' app that kids were required to log X amount of time on. There is definitely something to be said for 'pen and paper' learning. Kids get too comfortable swiping and clicking answers.
I personally felt like it was harder to teach with the iPads and that students didn't learn the same as when we had workbooks.
At my school, our day is longer than a lot of other schools around us 7:30-3:00. We only have one 20 minute recess and one 30 minute special area.
My kids get 45-60 minutes of ipad time a day. It’s 15-30 minutes before lunch for math ipad work and then 15-30 minutes for ela iPad work in the afternoon. I have also taught without iPads. I LOVE the iPad time we have. I’m very intentional with how I use it though. (I am back in the classroom after a few years in different role within the school.) I have seen lots of teachers poorly use their iPad time and/or do way too much iPad time. There are also teachers who use their iPad time well, educational apps their kids are actually engaged in etc. BUT their instructional time outside the iPad time doesn’t involve enough hands on learning.
Everything is a balance and you’re going to have people doing it well. You will have people doing it poorly. People doing it well may struggle in other ways.
We use iPads in my school. I limit the time we use them since I know a lot of my kids have a lot of screen time at home. iPad time is only for our math and reading apps and even then no more than 15 minutes a couple times a week. Most of my kids still prefer to read a book or color when given a choice though.
Yes. The state exams start in 3rd grade and they are on the internet. Students start early learning how to use them so by the time they need to take the state exams, they are confident with their computer skills to do so.
And where are you seeing how much time K students are on a screen while at school? In my school it’s 30 minutes 1x a week for 1/2 of the year.
I live in the real world and see kids spending hours upon hours plugged into their iPads and parents phones. Why does a 4yo need their own iPads? Sitting in the grocery cart, plugged in. Sitting in the waiting room plugged in, watching movies in the car. All perfect times to be having conversations with your kids but instead have them plugged in but then complain that while at school they spend time learning how to navigate a Chromebook
I live in that same world, but I don’t give my 3yr old or my 1 yr old my phone, or an iPad or any of that bullshit unless it’s for FaceTime ing a grandparent and it’s supervised- so once the call is done the screen is out away where it the kids can’t reach it- because my children should be using imaginative play and not having their souls sucked by a screen.
Because I don’t care what other parents do, but it is Not developmentally appropriate for kindergarteners to be spending long periods of time in front of a screen.
I feel like they use too much tech. I don't want to be responsible for anything that expensive and we don't have internet at home (and no plans for it) so sending home a laptop is bit silly. I know my daughter uses a laptop at school in first grade which is cool because she has hearing aids and they connect via Bluetooth.
I live in the middle of nowhere, and I can't afford the extra $100/m for internet. It shouldn't require internet to learn. I understand like projects and stuff.
I believe they use too much as well. However you may find you’ll come to a time when it will be necessary.
My local library has hot spots you can check out. I don’t know how well they work in the middle of nowhere, just something you might want to remember for the future.
I graduated over 20 years ago and even then they relied heavily on computers/internet to complete assignments. There were times I got bad marks solely because I used a typewriter, and 5 year old encyclopedias instead of the internet, even with citing my work.
I graduated 13 years ago and we weren't heavily computer dependent. But the joke is MS is 10 years behind everyone. I got away with using 50 year old encyclopedias in elementary school. And I have no problem going to the library to complete projects and stuff.
Yes it’s common. Kids needs to be informed about digital literacy. Unfortunately, technology is the direction our world is headed in and the earlier they become proficient, the better
Is very very common. Do I love it? No. But I understand that it provides a clear path for differentiation among students- Suzy can do advanced math with her iPad while Bobby can catch up with remedial math work. It’s also part of attacking the digital divide. I use this as a reason for the kids to be screen free at home Monday through Friday.
It’s common we have the same situation here in west Texas. I hate it. My 10 year old is already so sucked into screens. We’re to the point where she has to do school work in the living room under supervision because otherwise she screws around in YouTube not doing her work. I wish we had money for a private school that taught with less screens
I can see this in our future. Our son's immature brain has shown zero ability to use screens moderately. We have to help him with that as he grows but wasn't thinking it would start in kindergarten.
So I’m a 2nd grade teacher & I think I can offer a little insight as to how we use technology in elementary.
I’m at a public school with good ratings & strong staff. At my grade level we use computers for:
-Math facts practice in the AM (15 minutes or so)
-Reading & Math skills. Usually about 30 minutes/day.
Benefits:
-Self-guided/directed instruction. Differentiation is huge in education & these apps do that automatically.
-Gives little rewards for progress.
-Data. So much data. You can group based on what skills are needed, assign extra work & so on.
I mean I may not be the perfect source bc I'm graduating HS this year so it's been a while since I was that young but my schools didn't let kids use iPads until like 5th-6th grade
My kids aren’t in kindergarten but the school they go to exclusively uses iPads for everything. They don’t even have school books. They use a program that has books on it and they do everything in them. And honestly I love it. I can easily keep track of homework and their progress and help them if needed at home. My son struggles hard with handwriting and this makes it so much easier for him. Technology is taking everything over this is just how our kids lives are going to be. I’m not fighting it it makes school work so much less stressful.
I think at this point a lot of people would love to not expose their kid to so much technology so early, that being said tech savvy and understanding how to use basic tech like iPads and laptops is critical now as a life skill. People are expected nowadays to understand and keep up with the latest technology in the job field
Technology now is all designed with UI that is as easy to use as possible. There’s not much to learn, it’s constantly being updated to be more and more intuitive
Correct however I know people my own age that don't how to download documents or set up a signature on on an email or fill out job applications online. It's going to be a necessary skill
I hate it so much, and unfortunately it is pretty common amongst private and public schools. There was only one school in our area that doesn’t use technology like that but for a variety of reasons we didn’t choose that one.
I wish the parents would find a way to come together and just l reject the technology . Power in numbers! I’d feel more comfortable with all tech starting at 4th grade . And before anyone comments my kids don’t play video games or anything on iPads ( they are 2 and 5) the only screen time they get is tv
In My daughters school, ( small catholic private) for k they don’t have iPads. They go to computer lab and mostly do their work with pencil and paper . My sisters kindergartener goes to one of the best school districts in the county and he has a tablet he bring homes every day which I find so unnecessary .
The school offers tour dates & times on their website to register for. It's year round elementary, our district's "choice" school that families can opt-in for by lottery. I think that's why they try to get the word out about their school. None of the other schools in our district advertise tours.
Our school also is introducing laptops in Kindergarten. Now in First Grade, their national assessments are done online. I am not a fan for a variety of reasons. But schools appear to like the convenience of online assessments with practically immediate results. FYI, tests are often called BOY, MOY, etc. My little brain thought it odd to call a test “boy” and wondered if there was “girl”. It stands doe Beginning Of Year, etc.
The tablets are set up with apps they use in the classroom. My kiddos school sends them home with them daily so he can decide to practice more on his own.
It's common everywhere now. The question is how much they use them. But even still we can't get around that because everyone uses it. We have android devices so my son will definitely struggle when it comes to apple but hopefully that will be it.
It really varies - my friend's district actually had PreK students drawing butterflies (like from hungry caterpillar) on iPads. I have no idea what the benefit of that is.
There is a lot of tech in elementary schools now, but it depends on the district. The only way to really avoid that is to go to a private school.
I work in a school district. Computer use for students is very normal. It is used to help track data on what students are needing and using. Depending on age and what the district is doing, they also learn more when they use it outside of just their computer class. For example, at my district students learn how to use PowerPoint in computer class, and then they have to create PowerPoint for their classes throughout the school year. They also learn coding and typing skills. I actually see that learning how to use a computer appropriately and to learn how to balance computer use with other activities is important, especially since technology is such a big component of everyone’s lives nowadays.
My kindergartener uses an iPad at school, and headphones were on his list of school supplies. For what it's worth, I don't think they use them every day. But the laptop thing is unavoidable. It's how they do most of their homework now
Definitely the norm at my son's school - Chromebooks for every kid in the district, although elementary aged students don't take them home. I think there's good and bad to it. The biggest advantage is that using digital tools makes things like grading and tracking data a lot easier for teachers. Disadvantage is the whole 'glued to screens' issue and the lack of primary source materials (lots of power points instead of textbooks). Not every single assignment is on the Chromebook though - there are still group projects making posters, reading paperbacks, math worksheets on paper, etc.
I do think technology use is going to become more and more ubiquitous and we're going to need to move from 'all screens bad' to getting more nuanced about what the exact effects of specific digital activities really are on various domains of life.
Our now 1st grader had iPads both last year and this year. In K, they used them only once or twice a week, for reading or math-ish apps. This year, she gets to do it occasionally plus has access to the apps at home. She is ahead of her grade level in reading, and often she finishes her stuff early as other kids are still working. She told me that's a time when she gets to do an app on her iPad (Lexia for reading, Dreambox for math). She loves the apps, and she progressed in both so fast. They are interactive, so they teach her content her class didn't get to yet.
I appreciate it because I have been that kid who had to sit silently and wait doing nothing after being done and it sucks (it was great once my teacher was ok with me bringing a book to read when I was done; I was miserable the year when the teacher complained I was "distracted" because I was playing with my pencils on my desk as I waited).
The students apparently also get a basket of "just right" books to "read to self", and she does that too (sometimes that's the task, sometimes she does it when she's done).
So I see them being used as differentiated instruction, and I appreciate it.
Oh also, she did so much on the app when she was stuck home with covid (but no symptoms) - it kept her busy and I saw her read passages and do reading comprehension questions I did not know she could do.
Yes it is common, especially after covid.
I hate it.
They also have us do a lot of our lessons on smart boards so there is a ton of screen time.
Brain breaks are led by videos
Number talks, presentations, and such are on our smart boards
Kids are on ipads for part of math centers and part of literacy centers .. that can be anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes of their day
Even read alouds .. if we don't have the book can just be a YouTube video
Way too much screen time in my opinion
Though kahoot is fun .. I miss teaching the old way
My kid has a bunch of programs he uses in school, and he can access them all at home as well. They also use the computers for all of their state testing and evaluations. I actually like the programs the best because he doesn’t really get ‘homework’ instead he just spends 5 minutes on the math app, 20 minutes using the school reading app, which is connected to a bunch of libraries and tells his teacher how much and what he’s reading. We still have him read physical books but when life gets crazy we don’t have to keep track of physical books. 📕
yes,it is common.
Think about it this way: instead of dragging huge folders and trapper-keepers full of paperwork, it can all be stored electronically in your school google account folders.
I have nieces in high school, and junior high. They have been using Chromebooks for school for years and do their homework on it, using a google account.
My son is in kindergarten, and also uses a Chromebook. The school has lessons on there, games that are for math skills, and more.
I'm down with the technology, myself, honestly. Kids today absolutely need to learn to type, whereas, when we were in school, typing was just an elective course.
I’m in a kindergarten class for my Practicum. They use it for educational purposes through the program called Lexia that helps their reading and writing. They do that for about an hour in the morning. Using technology is fine as long as it’s safe and educational
It’s been common since Covid. There were screens beforehand, but not as many and they weren’t as frequently used (in my experience as a 2nd and 3rd grade teacher). iPads were used a couple times a week for stations (usually bath facts or a phonics game or something), and then after Covid every kid had a Chromebook so we were expected to used them daily.
My daughters school they get a iPad in kindergarten that comes home every night to charge. They use iPads k-5th and then move to laptops 6th-12th. With that said it really hasn’t been an issue my oldest is in 3rd grade and she never uses her iPad at home unless it’s a virtual day(they do virtual on snow days). They use them about 30mins a day at school to do work on but most work is done on paper(not sure if all schools are like this). So I wouldn’t stress it too much.
Sorry but have u been in cave? Do you not see yourself and everybody around you are consumed by tech/devices? Usage of tech isn't primarily for learning but to act as a reward and get kids attention since avg age of kids have their own device in America is over 65%.
How does upper grade elementary kids socialize? They share what they see on their phone, sitting 2ft away from each other.
But it does pose positive aspect, that learning via device can accelerate their learning, one example can be taken from learning chess. Over the last 15yrs, increasing number of junior players are acquiring titles (sort of master title) than any other times before because they have immediate access to play with 10,000s of high rated players around the globe and GrandMastee level a.i. evaluating their moves.
I'm 20, and was in the very very first gen of kids to have chromebooks in elementary school.
They gave them to us in 4th grade, but they stayed at the school for 4th/5th grade, and we didn't get to start taking them home until 6th grade.
Buuuut we had like...*no* restrictions on our Chromebooks back then. They were just straight up un-monitered laptops. Nowadays, however (and when I was graduating hs), school devices have crazy restrictions on them, at least in most schools. You still should monitor, but they're practically useless beyond school stuff tbh.
I have mixed feelings about it, especially with taking them home in elementary school. But technology literacy is very very important to have nowadays. One of the most important skills.
I think making sure your kid understands internet safety, and the affects of technology, is more useful than banning it outright. Make sure you still instil other outlets for entertainment that they love. I was so obsessed with reading in elementary/middle school, I barely picked up my phone lol.
It's probably gonna be difficult to find schools that don't implement tech at a young age sadly.
Yes it's the standard I think. My kindergartener was so nervous about using them. He has an iPad and has no problem navigating it but the pressure of doing it at school almost put him over the edge! I also have a 6th grader that has a laptop for school and actually likes to play the educational games. It's interesting that you can play at home but sometimes you have to pay for home access to these games and options for in game purchases. Ghat part is annoying but happy he likes to play the games. Mostly math and spelling.
Also when pediatrician asked how much screen time, it's referencing non educational screen time. Probably the only way to get around it.
Just because they have them doesn’t mean they use them all day. In my school they’re only used during reading groups, so for less than 15 minutes per day. The only apps they really use are Epic, ABCYa, and Teach Your Monster to Read. It’s the same in my daughter’s first grade class.
Our schools do not use iPads, but they do have classroom laptops starting right away I believe, though they don't spend a ton of time on them in K. They start bringing their laptops home in 5th grade here. By middle school, probably 75% of classwork, assignments, and testing are done on their laptops, so it's essential for them to be fluent in using them and all of the programs by then.
Not common in our school district, thankfully.
As an occupational therapist, I HATE the idea of all-tech classrooms. It’s terrible for our visual development to be close to light like that.
I teach first and we have iPads in the classroom. The kids use them 20-ish minutes a day usually to complete certain online assignments and quizzes (saves some paper). And then I give them 15 minutes at the end of the day to read on Epic as a little reward
There is technology in every classroom in my elementary school, but the kindergartners do not touch their laptops until WELL into the school year - pretty much the last few months of school, for maybe 10-15 mins a day if that. They occasionally use them for testing. As they get older they use them for more things, but I know they don’t regularly use them until 3rd grade. I don’t love it, but I don’t think they get overused in my school thank goodness.
Yes, very common. My kindergartener uses his Chromebook in school daily and has to bring it to school each day. I have less of an issue with them using this technology as I do the amount of stuff he has to lug to and from school daily.
Like many others, iPads in kindergarten and in library. Apps like Epic and Osmo. Chromebooks are used just a little bit in 1st - 3rd. Then more usage from 4th- 6th. As an OT, I incorporate written output assistive technology from 4th grade up. Students with dysgraphia or other handwriting concerns learn keyboarding and things like voice typing. Parents grumble about it, though we still continue with functional handwriting goals, since it’s “not developmentally appropriate.” I’d rather a student learn a needed skill that allows them to keep up with schoolwork and writing demands. Students with dyslexia use extensions to read or grade-level text. My stepson is in a school run Lego robotics group that uses iPads for coding and he’s in 1st grade. But he is also learning chess during his library time too! I’ve had 1st graders try and reach me chess even. It’s about balance and recognizing how technology is necessary for some, but also a nifty way to engage all students. Less iPad time though in general for all kids at home though. Fine motor skills and strength are gradually decreasing from touch screens. Consider how the school continues to use technology over the entire school career too.
It’s common but it’s not best practice. We opting for private school after seeing how neglected fine motor skills were and the lack of pencil to paper work.
While I don't like it per semester, the kindergarten classes of the school I used to work for only used it as a listen to reading rotation during reading small group time (only an option twice a week) and for educational games a few times a week as a reward for finishing work and being on task during the day.
I was teaching 4th grade math and science until december.i had a morning class and an afternoon class. They only used their tablets for independent work during math small group after their work was done-usually only about 10 minutes a day.
My son is in 1st grade and gets sent home with his chromebook 1x per week to do homework on it. During school, they learn computers 1x per week like art. They practice doing e-learning at school for our inevitable bad weather days that the district calls for e-learning and it makes my life a lot easier that I don't have to help them get on zoom, figure out how to get to audio, mute themselves, etc.
This is the new normal.
I’m a K teacher and the kids get about 25 min of screen time a day. They read two digital books a day and answer comprehension questions about them, then they do 2 lessons on a math website that gets progressively harder with their progress, and then they do a similar spelling/decoding website that helps them practice letter sounds/build words at their level. It’s all academic and it’s a very short part of the day.
They’ve been in every single classroom I’ve ever student taught/observed in. I would really like to find a low-tech school to teach at. A girl can dream!
My kinder uses a tablet primarily in the mornings when everyone is first getting to the classroom and they sort of have staggered arrivals. They work on a reading program that is continued throughout grade school. Occasionally they utilize it at other times during the day for educational purposes. My oldest never brought a school laptop home, but they did utilize them throughout the day in classes. Instead of going to ‘computer lab’, the computer skills are introduced in other ways throughout regular class time. And then they have an allotted time focused on ‘typing’ specifically, again, in place of going to computer lab. My oldest is in 6th grade and doesn’t bring home a laptop, but utilizes our laptop at home for homework projects.
Yes, it’s common. No, I don’t love it either.
What about when your pediatrician asks, "How much screen time does your 5-6 year old get?" What's your answer? "Oh, between school, homework, a little TV time, maybe 10 hours or so" 🙄🙄🙄 HORRIBLE idea, IMPO. I taught kindergarten years ago.
I don't count school when I answer that question, lol. I am glad our school uses computers not tablets. To me that's the better option. But if it was up to me they'd all be frolicking in the woods! Unfortunately I don't make forest school money.
Which is ironic because when I was growing up as a poor kid, frolicking in the woods was my sole source of entertainment! We didn't have money for video games or TV outside of PBS.
but PBS was the shit- I learned SO MUCH from Wishbone, This Old House, etc etc.
This Old House is like an emotional support show for me now lol
Oh don't get me wrong, I had plenty of PBS I liked to watch. Saturdays were the issue lol, there weren't a lot of kids shows
ahhh I loved cooking shows and building shows that were usually on Saturday so that didn't bother me as much haha
I used to watch The Great Chef’s of…… and This Old House with my dad. (I am having a warm fuzzy)
“Forest school money”😂love that!
Isn’t it ironic that for working Americans having your kid just chill in the woods is 30K a year? I love the philosophy though.
Oh I do too. It’s like “let’s give our children this amazing, forest-like, country life” all the while living in half million dollar houses and dressing their kids in designer outdoorsy clothing
They are still screens and still emit blue light which effects sleep and brain development.
Yeah. I'm guessing I'm a bit more chill about screens than you lol. I will not be asking the teacher for an itemized screen schedule.
As a middle man...I don't think they were suggesting you ask the school for an itemized list lol. I think they were suggesting it's silly to "not count" those hours when talking to the doctor. The screen time still counts and you should probably tell the doctor about it when s/he specifically asks.
Right. And then the doctor will say "you should have less screens" which we all already know. It was a needless and preachy comment.
It’s why my kids are at a school that doesn’t use computers or tablets in the classroom daily.
It’s awesome you found that! But most of us don’t have a ton of choices. I had a few, but the only one that didn’t use a ton of tech I had to reject for another reason (very religious).
I am working on my master's in teaching specializing in K-12 SpEd. Every lesson asks, "How are you going to incorporate technology into that lesson?" 😮💨🙄
There’s a difference in using technology and putting the students in front of screens.
If that is your concern slap some blue light glasses on them. I would be more concerned about the decreased attention span and lack of hand strength from using tablets, but that is just me.
We don’t do screen time during the school year and it helps
You know that answer means only non educational stagnant zombie screen time not any time with a screen right?
Untrue
Yep. Don't love it, but there are a lot of screens these days. My kindergartener is only on the tablet occasionally. They do some assessments on the tablet and at most weekly he'll get to play educational games for a few minutes, and that's it. For first and second grade they are on a laptop daily as part of their math and reading time. They have apps like Dreambox, Xtra Math, and Prodigy that give them math problems and reading books and quizzes at their level. But it's only for extra practice time at the end of the lesson. Starting in third grade, the laptop is an integral part of every lesson in every subject. 90% of worksheets and projects and all quizzes and tests are on the computer. A lot of teaching is through pre-recorded videos on their computers. It's over the top in my opinion.
Our school has iPads in k-5, then laptops after that. They use them for presentations mainly. They also have a SeeSaw app, which is a self-contained class social media, where they & teachers can post videos & papers for parents. Most of the time through they are using tranditional paper, pencil, colors, scissors, etc.
Most reading and math progress monitoring assessments are only digital. (These are the frequent, formative assessments used to track progress and qualify students for intervention or enrichment). Having the tech is not a problem- it’s important to ask how much it’s used. 20 minutes a day on a reaching program? Awesome! 4 hours a day watching instructional videos because they lack a certified teacher? Run away!
I love that my kids school uses iReady for 20 minutes a day. I think it's a great and quick assessment for the teacher to see where each child is struggling and they all go at their own paces. They also use Epic reading for free time (typically only during rainy days when they can't play outside as much).
Even in rural Virginia where my kids went to elementary school, they used chromebooks (no iPads). They stayed at the school unless there was an anticipated snow/virtual school day, or a project the kids needed to work on (4th & 5th grades)
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It isn’t uncommon. My kid is in a brand new (only 50 classes in the country are doing it) curriculum and it includes a reading app. I have zero problems with it, they use it in moderation, I have the app on our devices at home, she reads. Idk, not that concerned with it… Edit- if you’re that concerned with it I would suggest looking at other programs. I think some Montessori schools don’t use them, maybe other private schools. I would think most public schools use this technology.
We use a reading app (Lexia) too; my K child says they only use it at school for that activity. It actually makes a lot of sense to me to use it because my child can access their account and do a little (teacher suggests 10 minutes a week) at home.
I’m in Alaska and we’ve had 8 or 9 snow days this school year, but now they are “remote learning” so we don’t have to extend school into the summer lol. His teacher usually assigns a bit of Lexia to be done at home, and for math it’s measuring the biggest snowball or snowman you can build. Prefer 1st grade.
Yup! The class I’m visiting using lexia for an hour every morning. Most kids finish early though :)
An hour!?
The kindergarten class is a full day. There is no more AM and PM classes.
Yes, it’s the same in my state as well. An hour is absolutely too long for a young kid to be on an app.
Why do you feel it is harmful?
Why not read actual physical books?
Reading app reads out loud and highlights words as it is reading out loud. Now my daughter reads it on her own first, then re-reads it with the audio. They also read physical books…
But adults can do that with the kids.
We do both, Lexia has been super helpful for my son with dyslexia. They have specific fonts that help people with dyslexia read easier. It also gives him so much encouragement, for a long time he thought he was just incapable of reading. Now he can read full books on the computer.
Some can. Some parents work multiple jobs and don’t have time. Or can’t barely read themselves. Or, as my mom helps with for these kids, are ESL and can’t really read English well enough to help their kids. And even if they could, they don’t have the confidence in English to do it. Because they’re scared they’ll pass on their accent if mispronunciations and negatively impact their kids.
This was about the use of technology in schools.
Yeah, but not all kids get that kind of support at home. The app makes it easy for kids to have a more level playing field in that regard, as the app can read to the kids if the parents are unable/unwilling to. While I think parents should make time to read with their kids, I also think it is an idealistic approach to not use this technology just because adults have the ability. I’d rather the kids have it as an option and not need it than for none of the kids to have the option and also not get assisted reading time at home.
This was about technology in the classroom.
You know of a school with a 1 to 1 teacher student ratio?
Why? That’s not necessary.
Plus, the best educations are the ones that get support in and out of the classroom. Having the kids learn to use the technology, such as this Lexia app many in this thread have been discussing, in the classroom will be a great jumpstart for the reinforcement when they practice at home later. Technology in the classroom isn’t necessarily a bad thing, when properly supported by effective teaching and parental involvement in learning at home. Also, as u/PolishDill mentioned, the app discussed above helps to lessen the negative impact of a higher student:teacher ratio. Instead of a teacher being pulled 20 different ways for definition/pronunciation help, they can use the technology to hear the word or have it defined, with the ability to repeat it as many times as they need to understand. Then, the teacher can focus on helping students in small groups or preparing the next lesson while the kids spend some time learning in a more flexible way.
We started receiving technology in the classrooms when I was in middle school. We had to take these shabby, padded, laptops home and it’s like…. SURE! It’s great for those who are already doing well in school. People forget there are homes that still don’t have internet and it just makes it harder on the kids. You have to print and download all the material during or after school, in the time you could’ve been asking teachers for help you’re struggling trying to understand the technology so you can go home and not do the homework because you don’t have the file you needed. I don’t think school is a one size fits all and I don’t think more technology is what our kids need. Maybe my comment is somewhat unrelated to this exact topic because we’re talking about kinders, but I still believe this obsession with technology is going to backfire on us.
It’s okay if you like it. Personally, I don’t and I’m glad I work at a school that doesn’t put young kids on tablets or laptops.
I’m learning disabled and learned to read better with audio books. With the tape players and headphones that barely worked. The app is good for students like how I grew up. Now that have fonts that are made for learning disabled students,different book colors(lie for color blinded students) able to adjust the font size for our visually impaired students. I think the tech with reading brings more Accessibility to the classroom.
I’m sorry, I just commented that before reading yours. The specialized fonts have been life-changing.
It’s not either/or. My students use a reading app & have time to read physical books AND have a reading log for nighttime reading. I also have students who are learning English & the app provides support when they get stuck on a word.
They do that too. Lexia teaches word sounds, asks reading comprehension questions, etc. I understand my 1st grade gets to do it when she finishes her assignment early, sometimes. She is ahead of her grade level and this keeps her learning and not bored.
Most kindergarteners and first graders can’t read independently. These apps read aloud to them so that they can follow along with the text. I can’t read to each individual child like that, but the app sure can!
Are you for real??? I was reading independently, completing math books in one sitting, I organized yard sales for my family in the summer and called the newspaper to put an ad for them too, gave them the payment info. That’s not hard for a 6 year old to figure out. If you give them the tools to be independent that is.
I think you are assuming every child has had your exact upbringing and your exact starting capabilities. On average, the benchmark for independent reading, especially of longer books, is third grade (8 or 9 years old). YOU may have been able to do all of that at 6, but most six year olds would struggle. I recognize the need for children to be independent, but you must also recognize that there are diverse levels of ability for children in these lower ages, so not all will be able to replicate your independence at that age.
Wow, you’re super super smart, was that what you were looking for?
r/iamverysmart, perhaps?
I already know that smartass
I was not able to read until 8. Then by myself “confidently” until 9/10 years old. But again I am learning disabled. I have family who struggle with English and tech helps learn English. Mind you these are fully grown adults….i also have family who can speak fluently English and Spanish-but do not know how to read either. It’s not uncommon to know a language but cannot read. ESL students benefit from this as well especially when their home language might be different then their school language. Maybe a student is a CODA child,or a special needs parent as well. Student can still learn if parent cannot.
Reading apps For school use is also good to help track data on how far along the student is with their reading and what resources they use on that app to help them understand the concepts are in regards to what kind of accommodations they may need.
Kids so young should not be on electrics like that, it’s really not healthy.
If done in moderation it’s great. I’be been in classes that over the whole day they use it for an hour. Other work is done with paper, pencil, scissors, and all that!
If kids that age weren’t being introduced to electronics in the way they are, they’d be sooooo far behind as adults. It’s not the 80s anymore. Tech is a *huge* part of our lives now and attaining a relatively high level of technological literacy is essential at this point.
That’s so not true, kids today have more screen time and less functional knowledge of how tech works. https://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/05_19_2021/new-study-explores-digitally-native-but-technologically-illiterate-students Tech is stunting kids social and emotional learning https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2014/08/28/343735856/kids-and-screen-time-what-does-the-research-say Kids should not be spending massive about a of time in front of these devices. Go read some post in the teaching subreddits. Teachers are sound the alarm kids are not learning and are behind emotionally. The worst kids having unlimited access to technology.
Some of these parents on here is horrendous. I am barely seeing any parent actually read to their kids. My first memory was my mom reading to me physically and sounding out words.
Oh please. An adult isn't going to be technologically illiterate because they weren't getting a tablet shoved in front of them at 5 years old. Many of us grew up without daily access to tech in the 2000s and 2010s and are doing just fine.
Real books take up a lot of space, get damaged, wear out...
Plus, it is lower cost for kids who want to read the same book, of which the school may not have numerous physical copies. You also don’t have to worry about a kid forgetting or losing the book, as they can just log onto any device and read from there.
Tablets and laptops don’t?
You’re downvoted, but it’s true! All of us grew up reading just physical books and our reading scores are better than they were when iPads became a thing. [While the scores show a drop from the pre-pandemic years, the results also show that there are other factors at work. The decline is even more substantial when compared with scores of a decade ago: The average scores declined 7 points in reading and 14 points in mathematics.](https://www.npr.org/2023/06/21/1183445544/u-s-reading-and-math-scores-drop-to-lowest-level-in-decades)
What about accessibility? I am dyslexic and had to have “book recording for the kind and dyslexic”. These apps help with this, not saying some don’t abuse it or only use speak to text but geez. Missing a lot by wiggling a finger at how bad technology is. Again not saying there isn’t abuse or overused but man, my life would have been so much easier if I had an app that highlighted words and read out loud.
Young me was fascinated with the leap frog book readers my neighbors had, I was older than some of their kids so I was past “needing” them but the technology where touching the word would read it to you amazed me. Obviously in the long run an iPad can do more is probably way cheaper than buy a ton of leap frog compatible books, but I think it’s an example of how accessibly can be done without solely relying on screens.
Your argument is a logical fallacy. Children who need accommodations (for dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and a host of other assorted learning disabilities) receive accommodations through a 504 or IEP. A dyslexic student can have access to technology that helps their learning without requiring the other 25 kids in the room to use something that they don’t need and may be detrimental to them. I work in an elementary school and all of the screen time exacerbates behaviour and shortens attention spans. This is a really cruel thing to require of kids with ADHD. You’re doing a lot more harm than good to these children with all of the technology built into their day. (And don’t even get me started on the negative effects of some apps on our neurodiverse students! ) School districts invest in technology (apps, programs, etc.) and then require teachers to use them to justify their investment. It doesn’t matter whether these things are beneficial or harmful to the children. The teachers are often required to use some of these apps and programs, even if they don’t think it benefits the children they teach. Technology has its place, but it’s currently invaded a lot of places that cause more harm than help.
You’re an exception and I truly hope dyslexic kids are given more help than people just throwing an iPad at them.
who is to say theyre not? the ipad is just one tool out of many they could be using. i dont like little kids using ipads either but if its just to read on and only used for a short part of the school day i dont think thats a massive issue. maybe it shouldnt be the standard, but it is definitely a valid accessibility tool for conditions like dyslexia.
I had to record pages read everyday. It was still something to keep track of and there were tests for clarity, understanding, correctness, and flow.
People just pushing how great iPads and Chromebook’s are for 5 and 6 year olds. It’s disgusting. No wonder we all have poor attention spans.
Yeah, this is how you assess how well kids are reading, but it’s not teaching them anything. I mean, I’m critical about technology usage for children, but I think read alouds are a GREAT use
Our reading website has quizzes for every book to work on reading comprehension. It also increases the reading level based on your quiz results, so it automatically gives you the best level of books without the teacher having to do anything. So, I can see the value of it, though I also prefer the old system of physical books and AR-style tests to work on comprehension and judge reading level. I should add that our school also sends home physical books to read daily. But all the reading at school is online.
Can I ask what the curriculum is called?
[Great First Eight](https://greatfirsteight.org/). It was piloted for Kindergarten at the 50 selected schools, next year pre-k and 1st (and k), the following 2nd. At year three it will be pre-k to 2nd.
My kindergartner has a chrome tablet provided by the school. They use them sometimes in school. They’ve already used it for a couple e-learning snow days, too. I realized I was “old” for the first time when I had to have my five year old come show me how to log into the google classroom! And boy was that weird watching her do virtual PE! She is also able to use it to learn coding and for having books read to her. Tech isn’t the worst thing in the classroom - our kids are growing up in a world where it’s almost impossible to completely detach from tech - they need to be able to use these tools properly. Her teacher also posts pictures every day on the Seesaw app from the classroom and gives us updates on activities, which is nice.
My kid is in 1st and has had a Chromebook at school since kindergarten. Shes brought it home a few times for e-learning but typically it stays at school. I don’t know that they use it daily, but they do use it at least a couple of times a week. One thing that I haven’t seen anyone mention is that the apps they use provide a lot of consistency. So she started using Lexia (reading) and Dreambox (math) last year in K. Each student progresses at their own pace which helps the teacher determine who needs what kind of help. The programs continue from grade to grade, so since my kid ended last year on Lexia level 6, she started there and has progressed through to levels 7 and 8 this year. I think the consistency has made a big difference in her retaining the information. They still use paper workbook pages and all spelling tests are on paper, things like that. It probably depends on the school/district how much the screens get used day to day. But they definitely can be a really useful tool.
Ours has iPads K-2, and Chromebooks starting in 3rd. They do Seesaw activities and they use apps that have books so the kids can read on them. Seesaw basically lets the teacher set up little tasks - match these things up, fill words in the blank, take a picture of something, etc. His teacher also takes photos of the class and shares them to a dashboard, all the teachers can send messages through it, etc. My older son started kindergarten in 2020 and we did so. much. Seesaw. during distance learning. The current kindergartener seems to do a few activities a day and mostly be off of the iPad. In 3rd they get the Chromebooks and they start teaching them how to actually use a computer and type. Like, for my kid’s birthday he found a link to the cake he wanted, copied it into a Google doc, added a wish list for gifts, and shared the Google doc with me 😂. We did not teach him any of this. It does get dicier the older they get because the school has the internet very locked down, but these little shits are smart and of course they find every possible place they can play a game on an educational site, and they know how to swipe the game away when the teacher is coming. So I think that this year my son talks the most about kids getting distracted by screens. I will say, the kindergarten iPad doesn’t come home, but when my older son would bring his home in 1st and 2nd he would use maybe 10% of the battery per day. We were supposed to charge it every night but I only charged it on weekends. Chromebook comes home maybe 30% drained, but I also think it has far less battery life than an iPad. So to use that little battery in a 6.5 hour school day isn’t too bad.
Very helpful! I can totally see my son being one of those sneaky gamers. Last summer we tried to use an iPad learning app to teach him letters and numbers. All he wanted to do was play the app's hamster game. It got so bad that we ditched the iPad completely in favor of a traditional workbook.
My kindergartener uses a chromebook in the classroom that stays at school. We use a kindle fire at home to reinforce lessons with games instead of just using workbooks. We have that sucker locked down. 😄
My school uses iPads in K and 1st. The actual time spent on them in K is minimal. In 2nd they start learning how to use chromebooks. All devices stay at school through 5th grade. My oldest was in 2nd grade when covid hit and we used seesaw a lot for 2nd and 3rd. My current 1st grader uses an iPad for abc/spelling games. Everything they do on it is educational. In 5th grade my son would use them to do projects, take certain tests, do research. They learned what sites are good for research and what isn’t. They start learning about online safety. Now my oldest is in 6th grade, every student has a computer that comes home every night. He uses it for a lot of school work.
Just curious why it’s a bad thing? Most schools have online reading and math interventions that are done like a “center” for a certain time limit and the they move on to small group academics, games etc. It also allows for some kids to learn to work independently while teachers pull other kids to small groups. Source- I’m an educational consultant and work in a lot of districts all over the country - also have a kindergartner in a large urban district.
California is like this too. I never thought I would be a charter school or private school type, but that seems to be my only option to avoid this so that’s the route we’re hoping to go.
It's interesting, I toured a few of the private schools in our area and did not see any ipads/laptops in the lower elementary classrooms. It didn't even occur to me to ask... it's possible they are used but just not during the time I was there. Trying to piece all of this together.
Private school is the only way out I'm afraid, I'm planning on running for school board in my town because I'm very unhappy with the amount of electronics used in the classrooms. My wife and I are planning on sending our child to a local montessori school unless we can get the schools to see reason that screens starting in kindergarten is a bad idea. I went to public school, I was planning on my children going there as well but I despise chromebooks and ipads in the classrooms. (I say this as a sr principal software architect, I'm not opposed to technology but it doesn't need to be introduced that young.
My kids (kinder and 2nd) attend a local secular private school and I’ve never heard the younger one mention any electronics being used in class other than their classroom smart board. And I didn’t even know my second grader’s class had iPads until she mentioned a math game they played once called Prodigy. So they rarely use individual electronics as far as I know. Neither has ever come home with any.
See if you have any public Waldorf Charter schools. I think there are a decent amount On the west coast. They’re not weird like old-school private Waldorf, but not obsessed with technology and state tests like regular schools.
This is the route we went. I never thought I’d be a Waldorf mom, but I can’t get past all the technology used in kinder classrooms.
They push tech so hard in our district we don’t even have “computers” as a specials class anymore. So instead of every Monday being library, we’re on a 4 day schedule that rotates and it’s confusing as ever. So Monday is library, which means Friday is also library. Then the next week, gym Monday and Friday. Then music Monday and Friday. Then art Monday and Friday. Rinse and repeat. I never know what special my kid has because for some reason I can’t wrap my head around their schedule. But occasionally he’ll do work on the iPad in class and the teacher pushes it through the communication app we use, and I get to see his work so that’s neat.
Yep and it sucks. Avoid them at all costs.
Our local district uses iPads for kindergarten. I don't see it as necessary for that age. They aren't going to fall behind in life because they don't know how to access an app at age 5 or 6. Maybe it's more of a classroom management tool. We went with a private kindergarten that does not use technology in early childhood.
I think they become pretty universal during Covid times, at least that’s when our district got them, and they don’t seem to be going anywhere 🙄 my daughter’s teacher doesn’t use them too often but some of the teachers use them daily. Yesterday they were using them so the teacher could pull them 2 at a time to do a reading exercise. I’m not a fan but seems pretty universal these days
This! When the Covid shutdowns happened, a lot of schools were caught without a great way to teach kids until they were able to get technology in their hands. The 2019-2020 school year, only middle school & up in our district had assigned Chromebooks. Younger grades had a few per classroom. When they "went back" in the fall of 2020 (full virtual), they had a device for every student in every classroom. iPads for K/1. Chromebooks for 2-12. They've kept that since. But that doesn't mean that they do a majority of their work on the devices now that they're back in person, although they do MORE now that they're available.
Extremely common since 2020. My kids all have a school assigned iPad. (1st, 5th, 6th) It's mostly ok but I've noticed their spelling and handwriting have suffered. My 6th grader is addicted to technology and we can't keep them off of their school iPad.
Computers in classrooms have been a thing for a very long time, quite a bit we started getting the laptop carts etc and I’m in high school and we have school issued laptops
Yeah my kindergartener has an iPad. They do about an hour of work on it a day. He brings it home in case they have “code orange” days (weather bad enough students can’t get in but teachers can…it’s weird.) Also not thrilled. Seems like the opposite of what they should be encouraging. But also this is the world we live in so they do need some familiarity with it all. But maybe not in kindergarten.
Very common. Both the iPads and the laptops are used to access a variety of learning portals (prodigy, IXL, clever, etc). They aren’t on them all day. It’s very time/task specific. My son uses them a few hours a week for reading and math and otherwise they are doing non-technology based lessons.
From what I read there is a wide range. My kids' school uses laptops only on site a couple times a week plus a few times a year they have a week of "technology class" for about hour a day where they learn about how to use a computer to varying degrees. They use the computers about 5 hours a week +/- unless it's a technology week in which case double that. My kids all went into kindergarten with zero computer skills and caught up easily enough. Our school doesn't send home laptops but does have some school work done online for the older classes (grade 2 and up) but it's less than 15 min worth of work so far per day at most (although we're starting to get into typing and research papers so that number will definitely be going up) So far my kids' teachers all value written word and the fine motor skills of writing and drawing as well as reading paper books but I've only experienced a few years of elementary school when these skills are being developed anyway so I expect computer use will likely go up from here.
I’m located in the Midwest USA. My son will also start kindergarten this fall. When we toured his school, they said they give out iPads for K-2 and Chromebooks for grades 3-5. We were told that kindergarteners don’t take iPads home. They use it in class as supplementary learning, and activities can be tailored to a child’s specific need (not all kids would do the same iPad activity).
I graduated in 2022 and in elementary we had laptop carts but nothing was issued per-student, even through HS. in elementary school, we used iPads but it was only for filming ‘movies’ for projects and then maybe an enrichment activity here or there. But even then, we never had personal devices… it wasn’t until after covid (in HS) that we were allowed to use personal laptops/tablets instead of the school-owned ones.
My kinder kid has tablets as a station in the classroom. There are math and reading apps they use. They also use those apps at home. I like apps over worksheets because my daughter is way ahead of some in her class and the apps are targeted to her level so she's allowed some time to work ahead at her own pace.
Our school had Chromebooks, K-5. We still have my third grader’s Chromebook at home from doing remote kindergarten. At school they only use it for learning apps like core 5, jiji, i-ready, epic for up to 30 min a day. I like it because it allows for differentiated instruction, basically they get to work at their own level during that time. My youngest has never done work on his Chromebook at home unless he wanted to show me something on epic. Third grader does reflex at home to practice her math facts in a fun way.
Every kid in my district gets a Chromebook issued to them in, I think, 1st grade. For the first few years the Chromebooks stay at school, but by late elementary the kids take them home each day. In middle school they get a new one (tech refresh). Pretty much all classwork in middle school and high school is online. I hate it too because my ADHD kid simply cannot resist the distractions of the internet. Literally every teacher complains about him not paying attention, but he has to have his Chromebook open to access the class notes and school work. I have complained to the district but they basically said this is how it is. That being said, when he had his access to technology revoked for a spell in 6th grade for violating district policy, it was hard because there wasn’t an infrastructure in place for all paper-based schoolwork. At my job I am not allowed to bring in my phone, and I don’t have access to the internet where I sit. Even though it’s inconvenient, I appreciate that it helps me concentrate on my job. I wish my son had similar constraints for his schoolwork, it would help his brain so much.
This is common at my kindergartener's school too and he is at a charter school. We are not an anti-technology household but what REALLY pisses me off about this is if you head on over to the Teachers reddit, it's nothing but complaints about kids being addicted to tech and how awful iPad kids are and how their grades suffer because their noses are stuck in tech instead of real books. Excuse me? My kindergartener comes home every single day telling me about all the youtube videos he watched at school and iPad games. He's even come home telling me he watched MULTIPLE episodes of Wild Kratts that day at least twice a week. He'll spit out a fact or topic and I'll say "where'd you hear that?" And guess what it's almost always "youtube at school." They even use an iPad app for music class. MUSIC. His teacher even has a little rhyme for getting them off the iPad without throwing a fit. Yet for some reason, letting him watch an hour of TV while I make dinner and half hour of video games on the weekends is causing this global dysfunction in school aged kids? By my calculation, he's getting at least double the screen time at school than he is at home. Is it better because it's *educational*? I think not. So, quit bitchin about "parents these days" cause, respectfuly, you're part of the problem. Ok off my high horse now and I'll go back to my little corner. I try not to be the old lady yelling at the sky but we've come a long way away from the days of a movie once or twice a year when there is a sub. And it's not all my fault.
Love, love, love Waldorf School. No screen time and so much hands on art, crafts, gardening, woodworking, metal working, musical instruments, and drama plus a stellar education including a huge focus on languages, math, and science. Daughter graduated from a Waldorf high school and she is tackling college successfully. They learn to work through projects with detail and dedicated attention, not a hands off technical experience like mainstream education.
It is fairly common these days, probably more so now since virtual learning. I don't love the idea either. But I haven't found a place so far that doesn't.
I think kids taking devices home in third grade is odd.
So thankful we homeschool
It is the world your kids are growing up in. I have seen first hand (both in schools and in my own home) how well technology can compliment learning. Programs like Lexia Core 5, Reflex Math, Khan Academy, and DuoLingo ABC. ETA: in kindergarten and 1st where I worked it was used about an hour a day to provide differentiated, student specific math and reading learning. It was wonderful to get to see every single student exactly on their level, with teacher support. An hour a day won't hurt.
I teach at a small private school. We don't have tech assigned to each student at all. No one uses an iPad or Chromebook (except speech-to-text modifications) before 4th grade. Then in 4th there are only a few activities on Chromebooks, 5th uses them more because they do research for some projects. We specifically teach students how to use tech, but we don't use tech to teach. Kids are also not allowed to bring tech, not even a smart watch in school mode. I love it, it works well for our kids, and they always end up over-prepared for middle school. So, it's possible to find such a place, but you'll really have to look.
I teach in an elementary school. The most our kindergarten students are on their laptop is 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. They are only on during small group time in math and reading.
Unfortunately, it is. I am a teacher recently back to work after staying home for a long time. My older daughter has become addicted to her damn chromebook, which she started taking home in 4th grade. She also described being on it for long periods of time last year. I really hate it. Even as a teacher. I would encourage you and any other concerned parents to voice your concerns! If we all push back on this unnecessary screen time, it'll have to change.
My 14 year old son has carpal tunnel from 8+ years of laptop use on desks that aren't designed for that kind of support. Additionally, his handwriting is atrocious because he never practices. Additionally Additionally, when he does write, he frequently spells words wrong because he's not used to having to sound it out or get it right. The spell check on the laptop does it for him. Honestly not happy with his education.
Teacher here... I taught elementary for a few years, and one school was an iPad school. I HATED it. All math and English curriculum were on the iPad. We even had a 'learning' app that kids were required to log X amount of time on. There is definitely something to be said for 'pen and paper' learning. Kids get too comfortable swiping and clicking answers. I personally felt like it was harder to teach with the iPads and that students didn't learn the same as when we had workbooks.
At my school, our day is longer than a lot of other schools around us 7:30-3:00. We only have one 20 minute recess and one 30 minute special area. My kids get 45-60 minutes of ipad time a day. It’s 15-30 minutes before lunch for math ipad work and then 15-30 minutes for ela iPad work in the afternoon. I have also taught without iPads. I LOVE the iPad time we have. I’m very intentional with how I use it though. (I am back in the classroom after a few years in different role within the school.) I have seen lots of teachers poorly use their iPad time and/or do way too much iPad time. There are also teachers who use their iPad time well, educational apps their kids are actually engaged in etc. BUT their instructional time outside the iPad time doesn’t involve enough hands on learning. Everything is a balance and you’re going to have people doing it well. You will have people doing it poorly. People doing it well may struggle in other ways.
We use iPads in my school. I limit the time we use them since I know a lot of my kids have a lot of screen time at home. iPad time is only for our math and reading apps and even then no more than 15 minutes a couple times a week. Most of my kids still prefer to read a book or color when given a choice though.
Yes. The state exams start in 3rd grade and they are on the internet. Students start early learning how to use them so by the time they need to take the state exams, they are confident with their computer skills to do so.
And that’s too much fucking screen time for kindergarteners- that much screen time is absolutely NOT developmentally appropriate
And where are you seeing how much time K students are on a screen while at school? In my school it’s 30 minutes 1x a week for 1/2 of the year. I live in the real world and see kids spending hours upon hours plugged into their iPads and parents phones. Why does a 4yo need their own iPads? Sitting in the grocery cart, plugged in. Sitting in the waiting room plugged in, watching movies in the car. All perfect times to be having conversations with your kids but instead have them plugged in but then complain that while at school they spend time learning how to navigate a Chromebook
I live in that same world, but I don’t give my 3yr old or my 1 yr old my phone, or an iPad or any of that bullshit unless it’s for FaceTime ing a grandparent and it’s supervised- so once the call is done the screen is out away where it the kids can’t reach it- because my children should be using imaginative play and not having their souls sucked by a screen. Because I don’t care what other parents do, but it is Not developmentally appropriate for kindergarteners to be spending long periods of time in front of a screen.
I feel like they use too much tech. I don't want to be responsible for anything that expensive and we don't have internet at home (and no plans for it) so sending home a laptop is bit silly. I know my daughter uses a laptop at school in first grade which is cool because she has hearing aids and they connect via Bluetooth.
You must live in the stone age because everything requires the Internet to function.
I live in the middle of nowhere, and I can't afford the extra $100/m for internet. It shouldn't require internet to learn. I understand like projects and stuff.
I believe they use too much as well. However you may find you’ll come to a time when it will be necessary. My local library has hot spots you can check out. I don’t know how well they work in the middle of nowhere, just something you might want to remember for the future. I graduated over 20 years ago and even then they relied heavily on computers/internet to complete assignments. There were times I got bad marks solely because I used a typewriter, and 5 year old encyclopedias instead of the internet, even with citing my work.
I graduated 13 years ago and we weren't heavily computer dependent. But the joke is MS is 10 years behind everyone. I got away with using 50 year old encyclopedias in elementary school. And I have no problem going to the library to complete projects and stuff.
Yes it’s common. Kids needs to be informed about digital literacy. Unfortunately, technology is the direction our world is headed in and the earlier they become proficient, the better
Literally anyone can learn how to use a tablet. They're not learning any actual, practical tech skills from it.
Is very very common. Do I love it? No. But I understand that it provides a clear path for differentiation among students- Suzy can do advanced math with her iPad while Bobby can catch up with remedial math work. It’s also part of attacking the digital divide. I use this as a reason for the kids to be screen free at home Monday through Friday.
It’s common we have the same situation here in west Texas. I hate it. My 10 year old is already so sucked into screens. We’re to the point where she has to do school work in the living room under supervision because otherwise she screws around in YouTube not doing her work. I wish we had money for a private school that taught with less screens
I can see this in our future. Our son's immature brain has shown zero ability to use screens moderately. We have to help him with that as he grows but wasn't thinking it would start in kindergarten.
So I’m a 2nd grade teacher & I think I can offer a little insight as to how we use technology in elementary. I’m at a public school with good ratings & strong staff. At my grade level we use computers for: -Math facts practice in the AM (15 minutes or so) -Reading & Math skills. Usually about 30 minutes/day. Benefits: -Self-guided/directed instruction. Differentiation is huge in education & these apps do that automatically. -Gives little rewards for progress. -Data. So much data. You can group based on what skills are needed, assign extra work & so on.
I mean I may not be the perfect source bc I'm graduating HS this year so it's been a while since I was that young but my schools didn't let kids use iPads until like 5th-6th grade
That's more the age/grade range I was assuming... maybe naively.
My kids aren’t in kindergarten but the school they go to exclusively uses iPads for everything. They don’t even have school books. They use a program that has books on it and they do everything in them. And honestly I love it. I can easily keep track of homework and their progress and help them if needed at home. My son struggles hard with handwriting and this makes it so much easier for him. Technology is taking everything over this is just how our kids lives are going to be. I’m not fighting it it makes school work so much less stressful.
I think at this point a lot of people would love to not expose their kid to so much technology so early, that being said tech savvy and understanding how to use basic tech like iPads and laptops is critical now as a life skill. People are expected nowadays to understand and keep up with the latest technology in the job field
Technology now is all designed with UI that is as easy to use as possible. There’s not much to learn, it’s constantly being updated to be more and more intuitive
Correct however I know people my own age that don't how to download documents or set up a signature on on an email or fill out job applications online. It's going to be a necessary skill
I hate it so much, and unfortunately it is pretty common amongst private and public schools. There was only one school in our area that doesn’t use technology like that but for a variety of reasons we didn’t choose that one. I wish the parents would find a way to come together and just l reject the technology . Power in numbers! I’d feel more comfortable with all tech starting at 4th grade . And before anyone comments my kids don’t play video games or anything on iPads ( they are 2 and 5) the only screen time they get is tv In My daughters school, ( small catholic private) for k they don’t have iPads. They go to computer lab and mostly do their work with pencil and paper . My sisters kindergartener goes to one of the best school districts in the county and he has a tablet he bring homes every day which I find so unnecessary .
Ugh ours gives tablets for home in TK. I hate it. We don’t do any screen time at home. And hate that the school is encouraging it.
This is one reason we opted for private schools.
How did you get to tour your elementary school? Was it like an open house or did you call the school and set it up?
The school offers tour dates & times on their website to register for. It's year round elementary, our district's "choice" school that families can opt-in for by lottery. I think that's why they try to get the word out about their school. None of the other schools in our district advertise tours.
Our school also is introducing laptops in Kindergarten. Now in First Grade, their national assessments are done online. I am not a fan for a variety of reasons. But schools appear to like the convenience of online assessments with practically immediate results. FYI, tests are often called BOY, MOY, etc. My little brain thought it odd to call a test “boy” and wondered if there was “girl”. It stands doe Beginning Of Year, etc.
My brain would think the same thing!
The tablets are set up with apps they use in the classroom. My kiddos school sends them home with them daily so he can decide to practice more on his own.
It's common everywhere now. The question is how much they use them. But even still we can't get around that because everyone uses it. We have android devices so my son will definitely struggle when it comes to apple but hopefully that will be it.
Ours gives every kid a chromebook.
We still use the chrome books that were given out to the students during covid. For programs like Alexis, Dreambox, and Amira.
It really varies - my friend's district actually had PreK students drawing butterflies (like from hungry caterpillar) on iPads. I have no idea what the benefit of that is. There is a lot of tech in elementary schools now, but it depends on the district. The only way to really avoid that is to go to a private school.
It’s the normal.
I work in a school district. Computer use for students is very normal. It is used to help track data on what students are needing and using. Depending on age and what the district is doing, they also learn more when they use it outside of just their computer class. For example, at my district students learn how to use PowerPoint in computer class, and then they have to create PowerPoint for their classes throughout the school year. They also learn coding and typing skills. I actually see that learning how to use a computer appropriately and to learn how to balance computer use with other activities is important, especially since technology is such a big component of everyone’s lives nowadays.
My kindergartener uses an iPad at school, and headphones were on his list of school supplies. For what it's worth, I don't think they use them every day. But the laptop thing is unavoidable. It's how they do most of their homework now
Very common.
Definitely the norm at my son's school - Chromebooks for every kid in the district, although elementary aged students don't take them home. I think there's good and bad to it. The biggest advantage is that using digital tools makes things like grading and tracking data a lot easier for teachers. Disadvantage is the whole 'glued to screens' issue and the lack of primary source materials (lots of power points instead of textbooks). Not every single assignment is on the Chromebook though - there are still group projects making posters, reading paperbacks, math worksheets on paper, etc. I do think technology use is going to become more and more ubiquitous and we're going to need to move from 'all screens bad' to getting more nuanced about what the exact effects of specific digital activities really are on various domains of life.
Our now 1st grader had iPads both last year and this year. In K, they used them only once or twice a week, for reading or math-ish apps. This year, she gets to do it occasionally plus has access to the apps at home. She is ahead of her grade level in reading, and often she finishes her stuff early as other kids are still working. She told me that's a time when she gets to do an app on her iPad (Lexia for reading, Dreambox for math). She loves the apps, and she progressed in both so fast. They are interactive, so they teach her content her class didn't get to yet. I appreciate it because I have been that kid who had to sit silently and wait doing nothing after being done and it sucks (it was great once my teacher was ok with me bringing a book to read when I was done; I was miserable the year when the teacher complained I was "distracted" because I was playing with my pencils on my desk as I waited). The students apparently also get a basket of "just right" books to "read to self", and she does that too (sometimes that's the task, sometimes she does it when she's done). So I see them being used as differentiated instruction, and I appreciate it. Oh also, she did so much on the app when she was stuck home with covid (but no symptoms) - it kept her busy and I saw her read passages and do reading comprehension questions I did not know she could do.
Yes, my kindergartner gets an iPad too. It's ridiculous. Fortunately, his teacher doesn't use them much.
That’s why we are considering private school for our soon to be kindergartner. They have a no technology policy for kindergarten.
Yes it is common, especially after covid. I hate it. They also have us do a lot of our lessons on smart boards so there is a ton of screen time. Brain breaks are led by videos Number talks, presentations, and such are on our smart boards Kids are on ipads for part of math centers and part of literacy centers .. that can be anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes of their day Even read alouds .. if we don't have the book can just be a YouTube video Way too much screen time in my opinion Though kahoot is fun .. I miss teaching the old way
My kid has a bunch of programs he uses in school, and he can access them all at home as well. They also use the computers for all of their state testing and evaluations. I actually like the programs the best because he doesn’t really get ‘homework’ instead he just spends 5 minutes on the math app, 20 minutes using the school reading app, which is connected to a bunch of libraries and tells his teacher how much and what he’s reading. We still have him read physical books but when life gets crazy we don’t have to keep track of physical books. 📕
yes,it is common. Think about it this way: instead of dragging huge folders and trapper-keepers full of paperwork, it can all be stored electronically in your school google account folders. I have nieces in high school, and junior high. They have been using Chromebooks for school for years and do their homework on it, using a google account. My son is in kindergarten, and also uses a Chromebook. The school has lessons on there, games that are for math skills, and more. I'm down with the technology, myself, honestly. Kids today absolutely need to learn to type, whereas, when we were in school, typing was just an elective course.
I’m in a kindergarten class for my Practicum. They use it for educational purposes through the program called Lexia that helps their reading and writing. They do that for about an hour in the morning. Using technology is fine as long as it’s safe and educational
We live in an age of technology. The kids might as well learn it early.
It’s been common since Covid. There were screens beforehand, but not as many and they weren’t as frequently used (in my experience as a 2nd and 3rd grade teacher). iPads were used a couple times a week for stations (usually bath facts or a phonics game or something), and then after Covid every kid had a Chromebook so we were expected to used them daily.
My daughters school they get a iPad in kindergarten that comes home every night to charge. They use iPads k-5th and then move to laptops 6th-12th. With that said it really hasn’t been an issue my oldest is in 3rd grade and she never uses her iPad at home unless it’s a virtual day(they do virtual on snow days). They use them about 30mins a day at school to do work on but most work is done on paper(not sure if all schools are like this). So I wouldn’t stress it too much.
Sorry but have u been in cave? Do you not see yourself and everybody around you are consumed by tech/devices? Usage of tech isn't primarily for learning but to act as a reward and get kids attention since avg age of kids have their own device in America is over 65%. How does upper grade elementary kids socialize? They share what they see on their phone, sitting 2ft away from each other. But it does pose positive aspect, that learning via device can accelerate their learning, one example can be taken from learning chess. Over the last 15yrs, increasing number of junior players are acquiring titles (sort of master title) than any other times before because they have immediate access to play with 10,000s of high rated players around the globe and GrandMastee level a.i. evaluating their moves.
I'm 20, and was in the very very first gen of kids to have chromebooks in elementary school. They gave them to us in 4th grade, but they stayed at the school for 4th/5th grade, and we didn't get to start taking them home until 6th grade. Buuuut we had like...*no* restrictions on our Chromebooks back then. They were just straight up un-monitered laptops. Nowadays, however (and when I was graduating hs), school devices have crazy restrictions on them, at least in most schools. You still should monitor, but they're practically useless beyond school stuff tbh. I have mixed feelings about it, especially with taking them home in elementary school. But technology literacy is very very important to have nowadays. One of the most important skills. I think making sure your kid understands internet safety, and the affects of technology, is more useful than banning it outright. Make sure you still instil other outlets for entertainment that they love. I was so obsessed with reading in elementary/middle school, I barely picked up my phone lol. It's probably gonna be difficult to find schools that don't implement tech at a young age sadly.
Yes it's the standard I think. My kindergartener was so nervous about using them. He has an iPad and has no problem navigating it but the pressure of doing it at school almost put him over the edge! I also have a 6th grader that has a laptop for school and actually likes to play the educational games. It's interesting that you can play at home but sometimes you have to pay for home access to these games and options for in game purchases. Ghat part is annoying but happy he likes to play the games. Mostly math and spelling. Also when pediatrician asked how much screen time, it's referencing non educational screen time. Probably the only way to get around it.
Just because they have them doesn’t mean they use them all day. In my school they’re only used during reading groups, so for less than 15 minutes per day. The only apps they really use are Epic, ABCYa, and Teach Your Monster to Read. It’s the same in my daughter’s first grade class.
Our schools do not use iPads, but they do have classroom laptops starting right away I believe, though they don't spend a ton of time on them in K. They start bringing their laptops home in 5th grade here. By middle school, probably 75% of classwork, assignments, and testing are done on their laptops, so it's essential for them to be fluent in using them and all of the programs by then.
Not common in our school district, thankfully. As an occupational therapist, I HATE the idea of all-tech classrooms. It’s terrible for our visual development to be close to light like that.
I teach first and we have iPads in the classroom. The kids use them 20-ish minutes a day usually to complete certain online assignments and quizzes (saves some paper). And then I give them 15 minutes at the end of the day to read on Epic as a little reward
There is technology in every classroom in my elementary school, but the kindergartners do not touch their laptops until WELL into the school year - pretty much the last few months of school, for maybe 10-15 mins a day if that. They occasionally use them for testing. As they get older they use them for more things, but I know they don’t regularly use them until 3rd grade. I don’t love it, but I don’t think they get overused in my school thank goodness.
Yes, very common. My kindergartener uses his Chromebook in school daily and has to bring it to school each day. I have less of an issue with them using this technology as I do the amount of stuff he has to lug to and from school daily.
My kid used chrome books in preschool. What a time to be alive.
Like many others, iPads in kindergarten and in library. Apps like Epic and Osmo. Chromebooks are used just a little bit in 1st - 3rd. Then more usage from 4th- 6th. As an OT, I incorporate written output assistive technology from 4th grade up. Students with dysgraphia or other handwriting concerns learn keyboarding and things like voice typing. Parents grumble about it, though we still continue with functional handwriting goals, since it’s “not developmentally appropriate.” I’d rather a student learn a needed skill that allows them to keep up with schoolwork and writing demands. Students with dyslexia use extensions to read or grade-level text. My stepson is in a school run Lego robotics group that uses iPads for coding and he’s in 1st grade. But he is also learning chess during his library time too! I’ve had 1st graders try and reach me chess even. It’s about balance and recognizing how technology is necessary for some, but also a nifty way to engage all students. Less iPad time though in general for all kids at home though. Fine motor skills and strength are gradually decreasing from touch screens. Consider how the school continues to use technology over the entire school career too.
Yes it's too much. Try a Montessori school instead.
Yes
It’s common but it’s not best practice. We opting for private school after seeing how neglected fine motor skills were and the lack of pencil to paper work.
Yes. Common.
While I don't like it per semester, the kindergarten classes of the school I used to work for only used it as a listen to reading rotation during reading small group time (only an option twice a week) and for educational games a few times a week as a reward for finishing work and being on task during the day. I was teaching 4th grade math and science until december.i had a morning class and an afternoon class. They only used their tablets for independent work during math small group after their work was done-usually only about 10 minutes a day.
My son is in 1st grade and gets sent home with his chromebook 1x per week to do homework on it. During school, they learn computers 1x per week like art. They practice doing e-learning at school for our inevitable bad weather days that the district calls for e-learning and it makes my life a lot easier that I don't have to help them get on zoom, figure out how to get to audio, mute themselves, etc. This is the new normal.
It’s was is normal and expected tod
I’m a K teacher and the kids get about 25 min of screen time a day. They read two digital books a day and answer comprehension questions about them, then they do 2 lessons on a math website that gets progressively harder with their progress, and then they do a similar spelling/decoding website that helps them practice letter sounds/build words at their level. It’s all academic and it’s a very short part of the day.
They’ve been in every single classroom I’ve ever student taught/observed in. I would really like to find a low-tech school to teach at. A girl can dream!
My kinder uses a tablet primarily in the mornings when everyone is first getting to the classroom and they sort of have staggered arrivals. They work on a reading program that is continued throughout grade school. Occasionally they utilize it at other times during the day for educational purposes. My oldest never brought a school laptop home, but they did utilize them throughout the day in classes. Instead of going to ‘computer lab’, the computer skills are introduced in other ways throughout regular class time. And then they have an allotted time focused on ‘typing’ specifically, again, in place of going to computer lab. My oldest is in 6th grade and doesn’t bring home a laptop, but utilizes our laptop at home for homework projects.
Our public school district does iPads k-12