‘Screen Time’, or the time spent by a person in front of a screen, is growing by leaps and bounds every day.

Photo by Vidmir Raic from Pixabay

Guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend no digital exposure until children are 18 months of age, and exposure with adult engagement at least until they are 5 years old. We at Square Panda follow their instructions, endorsing the use of our literacy platform for children above 2 years of age. We are also great believers of learning via screen time, for the following reasons:

WE LIVE IN A DIGITAL WORLD

Digital media has invaded every part of our lives, in offices, homes, and even schools. In such a scenario, ensuring children are digitally literate is not just smart, it is also staying a step ahead of the times. Supervised screen time, can, if handled correctly, can increase children’s confidence and prepare them for their future.

PUTTING THE ‘SELF’ IN ‘SELF-CONTROL’

An overuse of anything, be it screens or even play time, is never a good thing. With that said, parents and teachers should try to encourage children to self-regulate the time they spend in front of a device. Teaching them moderation through methods like fear (you can scare them away from too much screen time by showing them its adverse effects), and positive motivation (entice them away from the device by introducing them to something they enjoy more), can have unexpected benefits. Because they are setting their own (moderate) time in front of a device, they become more independent, confident, and self-assured. They are gradually able to identify their own needs and wants, and figure out a way to meet them.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF SCREEN TIME

Research has proven that screen time can actually help, rather than hinder, development of young children. Screen time has also received a ‘thumbs-up’ from child media expert and Vice President of PBS KIDS Digital, Sara DeWitt, who believes screen time can be beneficial if used correctly.

• In light of fear that excess screen time can cause obesity, look to videos, apps, and activities that encourage children to move rather than stare passively at the screen. Square Panda’s games, like Jiggity Jamble and Monster Rhymes, motivate kids to use their bodies while learning English.
  Talking to kids about their pastimes, and more specifically, their favoured games, has a way of opening up the conversation to new avenues. Experts even suggest this can lead to enhanced social and emotional interactions.
  Parents and teachers can control the content, choosing only those programs/products that have a high quality of educational age-appropriate content. And there are a lot of high-quality educational products out there!

SCREEN TIME WITH A DIFFERENCE

For more such images, check out our Instagram and Facebook pages.

We ask parents and teachers across India to say a big, resounding ‘YES’ to screen time with us, because our early literacy system has 40% less screen time with our multisensory approach; kids constantly look away from the screen to search for and pick up Smart Letters while playing with games. Unlike other digital experiences, Square Panda’s phonics-based early education platform qualifies—and many parents would agree with us here—as ‘good Screen Time’. With a product that is research-based (we’ve got our own team of experts in the field of early education, working alongside educators) and has proven results in many schools and homes across America and China, Square Panda’s vast library of educational games makes a child’s time in front of a device more productive.

For more such images, visit our Instagram and Facebook pages.

We think an introduction to the digital world is essential in today’s day and age, but we highly recommend a balanced use of screen time, with children going outdoors as regularly as they learn and play indoors.

What Do You Think:

Take this poll and let us know your thoughts about ‘Screen Time’ in your homes and classrooms:

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– Sanjana Shukla, Content Writer, Square Panda India

Crack open a book and it can sweep you away to fascinating new places all over the globe (and some that exist only in the author’s mind).

Turn that page to figure out something you never knew until today.

Read the next sentence, and see a new word leaping out at you.

Whether it is a best-selling fiction novel, a popular self-help book, a cookbook full of delicious recipes, or even the latest issue of your favourite magazine, each page fills your head with knowledge and facts, both obscure and ordinary.

Numerous studies have been conducted on the importance of reading in everyday life. Special research highlights a crucial fact–reading instruction needs to start early on in a child’s education, to have the greatest impact.

Watch this article in blog format here.

Every educator out there knows this, which is why most schools across the globe and in India, start phonics teaching in preschool and kindergarten.

We’re certain that you, being an educator yourself, do the same, incorporating phonics education early, into your curriculum.

Did you ever stop to wonder how your instruction is taken by them? What exactly goes on in a young learner’s brain as you teach them reading skills?

To enlighten you and hopefully give you more insight into an early learner’s reading brain, we have compiled this list of facts and research from our own in-house team as well as experts in the field of early childhood literacy.

Let’s take a peek into the reading brain with this infographic:

Watch our Vice President of Curriculum and cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Vera Blau-McCandliss, talk about the research and science that goes into early childhood education.

Watch guest speaker and cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Nandini Chatterjee Singh speak about biliteracy and its effect on shaping an early learner’s brain at the Square Panda India Launch.

Stay tuned for our next post, which will focus on the neuroscience research conducted, both by our own researchers as well as those not affiliated with Square Panda, into early childhood education, literacy, and language acquisition.

What are your thoughts on reading and the early learner’s brain? Comment in the section below.

– Sanjana Shukla, Content Writer, Square Panda India