Why does my dd, 3, have to "play" on a computer at her nursery? I hate this.

[Hinagiku]

My daughter has just started nursery school. There is a pc on a low bench for them.
It is my feeling that they are just far too young: it is so passive, their little faces go so blank and empty. We live in an inner city area where they apparently are running a programme called Every Child A Talker. There is no way that a computer playing fancy games can teach a child to interact socially. I feel it is so stupid and short-sighted. The staff talk of "times changing" and "getting ready for school". What about what is good for them right now? They have their entire lives to stare into brightly lit rectangles, as I am doing now. Not when you are just 3 and sensitive and can pick up so many other useful skills and nourish your soul and personality. I feel it shuts them down at this crucial stage and can't make them better at "ICT" in the long run anyway. I want to write a letter and would appreciate any thoughts.

We had a computer in the playgroup where I used to work, it was quite old but had some nice Noddy software, bright and colourful, teaching various number/colour/word/logic skills in the form of fun little games.

I was absolutely amazed at the way even 3-year olds learned to operate the keys (PC had no mouse). It brought out in nearly every child, whatever their ability otherwise, some pretty impressive skills - PC games are very motivating in the way they offer some 'reward' like a fanfare or a new picture or game when success is had, and the children would concentrate and really think in a way which I do believe was absolutely a useful skill. Passive? certainly not.

As for "not interacting socially", our LOs learned they must take turns at the PC and often some would gather behind the player, offering advice. Known 'experts' (at 3 years old!) were often summoned over by the current user asking for help. In some ways it was a very social activity, with lots of co-operation and general pleasure when when a player did well.

My mindees are introduced to computers from a very young age, its important that they learn about technology, and it often fits with our topics, google planet / earth is fantastic, they also learn letters and number recognition from the keyboard and develop fine motor skills using a mouse / keypad.

The ECAT programme op mentioned is very user friendly also with a computer, children can record themselves singing / talking which can show how well their speach is developing.

ICT is prt of the Early Years Circumlum - hence th computer . It should be mamanged by the setting so that children are not on for too long .

As soon as they get to school they will be useing computers , fat of life nowadays.

I didn't say the computer can cause harm - just that it's not necessary for a 3 year old to be using one, even if it is ofsted approved!

Also, didn't say that the tv did any harm - but most parents wouldn't want it on during the day for their 3 year olds to watch - but the computer is ok? I don't get that.

I know people are talking about passive/impassive interaction but my own children learnt lots from a bit of tv.

Yes, they are now all computer literate (it wasn't around when they were younger) but I do worry about their eyesight in the future.

MmeGoblindt - are your children home ed or in school? Or outside of England? I would be suprised of any UK based school going child who has not used a computer as it is part of the NC.

Hulababy
We are in Switzerland and before that were in Germany. There would be an outcry here if there were computers in preschools. We are much more lentil-weavery here. I could not believe it when I read on MN about some nurseries having TVs. You would never see that in a German kindergarten.

I suppose it is a bit of what you are used to and what is culturally acceptable.

My DC borrowed a Nintendo DC from a friend for a day or two and I coudl hardly get a word out of them. We have decided to hold off on computer games etc for a year or two and I would not be happy with them using a pc at school until they are a bit older.

I wonder if the reason why your DC were so taken by the DS, and you couldn't get anything out of them, though is partly to do with the novelty? D7y DD has a DS and I can honestly say that she has never been obsessed with it and we have never had to put in time restrictions, etc. I guess because it isn't a one off novelty factor, she knows she can dip in and out of it as she likes. Just a thought.

I agree about the novelty value of the DS being part of the reason you couldn't get your dc to interact. When our boys first got their ds, we didn't see them for about three days straight. Since then, the ds usually only gets used once or twice a week, unless we are in an airport or on a long car journey. I also don't agree that using computer means no interaction. At ds2's school, they have a very well-equipped ICT room with a computer per child. Even there, they are expected to do projects in small groups and work things out together. On the classroom PC, they work in pairs so I expect there is more arguing discussing the work than there is time spent actually doing it!

DS (3) really loves using the PC at nursery - they do drawing actvities on it and a couple of number/letter games. Theres always a staff member with them (partly for the safety of the PC), and I think he enjoys creating with something that requires less fine motor skills than using a pencil