TODDLERS, TECH AND TALK – VERY YOUNG CHILDREN’S LANGUAGE AND LITERACY LEARNING AT HOME IN A POSTDIGITAL AGE

A Blog by Rosie Flewitt

The cross-disciplinary Toddlers, Tech and Talk project investigated how digital technologies intersect with the home lives of very young children and their families across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Led by Professor Rosie Flewitt at Manchester Metropolitan University, working with Co-Is and research teams at the Universities of Lancaster, Swansea, Strathclyde and QUB, its core objective was to develop a robust body of empirical evidence in the under-researched field of 0-36-month-old children’s digital technology use at home, how families mediate child tech use and how tech use at home may be shaping early talk and literacy. The study also contributes to posthuman theorisation of the contemporary, postdigital Home Literacy Environment.

The research design comprised three overlapping phases: an online survey parents of 0-3-year-olds (n=1444); in-depth online interviews with parents and early childhood professionals (n=60); and participatory case studies with 40 children at home, using an innovative ‘Research Methods Palette’ co-designed with families based on the principles of choice, inclusion and responsiveness.

The study found that virtually all children in the UK are born into highly technologized homes and communities, but there are disparities across families in terms of digital device ownership, use and attitudes. The increase in parents working remotely has led to many young children seeing adults use diverse media at home for professional, social, and cultural purposes, leading them to imitate these practices in their own play. Very young children use a wide range of digital devices, primarily Smart TVs, iPads and Smartphones, which provide authentic contexts for them to participate in their families’ technology-mediated language and literacy practices. Through these interactions, children enhance their communication in one or more languages whilst also developing digital literacy (Lemos et al 2016). Many parents use free and payable apps for under-3s’ numeracy, language and literacy learning, including sign language, as well as painting, drawing and story-telling apps. The most popular digital activities include watching films/TV programs available on demand, viewing and taking photographs and videos, playing games and taking part in family video calls.

Most parents view digital devices as beneficial for young children’s skill development in reading, numeracy, and creativity, but are also deeply concerned about the potential harms of tech overuse. Parents appreciate that technology provides easy access to engaging resources to pursue children’s interests and enhance children’s engagement in learning, offer information, encourage creativity, and promote physical activity through various apps and programs. Many children seamlessly integrate digital and non-digital activities in their play, such as singing along with Smart Speaker-played nursery rhymes while drawing on paper or enjoying print books while the TV plays in the background. In numerous households, technology is simply another element in 0-3-year-olds’ playful environments, alongside traditional toys and activities.

Many parents found formal guidelines on child tech use impracticable given their focus on screentime and passivity (e.g. American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016, reaffirmed 2022). The concept of ‘screentime’ over-simplifies more nuanced uses of digital tech at home, where it is difficult to ‘measure’ what might count as ‘screentime’. Child tech activities might include, for example, listening to an audio story on a screenless digital device, interacting with distant family on a video call, asking Smart Devices to play nursery rhymes or for information. Do these digital activities count as ‘passive’ or indeed as ‘screentime’? 

Our top Tips for parents are:

1. Think about how you and other adults use media at home, because your media use is setting an example for children.
2. Be playful and do fun things together with technology, such as dancing and singing along to nursery rhymes and songs.
3. Use technology to look things up with your child, such as checking the weather on an app as you plan your day’s activities. Understanding on-screen icons and symbols involves literacy skills and knowledge!
4. Follow your child’s interests with technology. For example, if you are out and about, and your child notices something in the environment, then try finding out more online, watch video clips of the natural phenomenon that has captured your child’s interest.
5. Make sure you use parental controls on all digital devices that you have at home, ALL the time. You never know where tiny hands will explore.
6. Stay up-to-date with your own knowledge about digital safety and security, and be prudent about sharing any data online about your child.

For more information, see the Toddlers, Tech and Talk Summary Report.
This work was supported by UKRI Economic and Social Research Council.

References

Flewitt, Rosie, El Gemayel, Sandra, Arnott, Lorna, Gillen, Julia, Goodall, Janet, Winter, Karen, Dalziell, Andrew, Liu, Minchen, Savadova, Sabina, Timmins, Sarah. (2024). Toddlers, Tech and Talk Summary Report. Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester. Available at  https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/636881

Lemos, Gina, Nascimbeni, Fabio, Balbinot, Valeria, Bird, Liz, Flewitt, Rosie , Mallows, David and Tamburlini, Giorgio (2016) ELINET Position Paper on Digital Literacy. Available at https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/624228/1/ELINET_Position_Paper_on_Digital_Literacy.pdf