Kids & Company Blog

​​3 Ways Digital Learning Tools Can Benefit Children & Families and Support Teachers

This blog is written by our partners in innovation, Marco Polo Learning. 

Most of us can think of a documentary that fascinated us.  A clip of an animal in nature, a new invention, or even the inner workings of our own body that is engraved in our memory because it was awe-inspiring.  Technology and media have become an integral part of our lives and have given us access to information in unimaginable ways.  For so long, we have seen digital resources as something completely separate from early childhood education. However, as more research has helped us understand its benefits and proper use,  we recognize technology has tremendous learning benefits in children ages three and up.  Before we make a blanket statement about “absolutely no screen time in the classroom,” it is essential to truly understand its benefits and capabilities. 

A Part of the Inquiry Process:  

Digital tools can play an important part in the inquiry process. Children are naturally curious, and studies have shown that they ask nearly 100 questions per hour. Of course, many of those questions can be explored through their senses and hands-on experimentation, but that has limitations. Access to high-quality digital resources also means access to knowledge that both the child and the educator can tap into to explore their questions and curiosities.  Marveling at a video on planets, watching as a cheetah runs, and learning about the five hearts of an earthworm not only answers questions children have but has the ability to spark new ones. 

Multiple Modalities for Multiple Learning Needs 

One of the consistent measures of a high-quality early learning environment looks at how we provide children with different access points to learning.  This means that children learn best and have more opportunities to understand when there are multiple ways of receiving and processing the learning. Technology can be a powerful tool for differentiated instruction as it can not only reinforce learning but provide visuals, games, translated content critical for language learners, and so much more.  High-quality technology can also offer scaffolds that make individual learning possible. For example, the child who taps on a word and hears it read to her or learns to count as she drags objects across the screen corresponding to a digital number line is having her learning supported by technology as she explores. 

Connecting Home and School 

Most families now have access to technology and leverage it to connect with their child’s educator.  Technology has a way of breaking down the limitations of classroom walls and extending learning beyond school times. Teachers can share and connect with families in ways that tell them what their child is doing in school and shows them what their child is learning.   Technology can provide children with a comprehensive education by holistically connecting learning from school to home. 

Technology has the potential to benefit children, families, and teachers greatly.  Of course, it needs to be regulated and carefully selected, but so should everything else we choose for children. When high-quality digital resources are selected and applied with purpose, the possibilities for learning are expanded - which is exactly the idea behind the partnership between Marco Polo Learning and Kids & Company.

About MarcoPolo Learning

MarcoPolo Learning is a champion for cultivating curiosity. From our award-winning early childhood content to our high-quality learning resources, we provide practical solutions to help support school readiness, enhance quality teaching practices, and increase family engagement through our educational video lessons and offline learning materials, created by early learning experts. Discover how MarcoPolo Learning is partnering with Kids & Company Preschool and Kindergarten classes to provide educators and families with the tools they need to maximize learning through developmentally appropriate and fun digital and offline resources for school and home. Learn More. Or contact KGrant@Kidsandcompany.com with any questions about this partnership.

Posted on: Wednesday April 12th, 2023

Posted by: Kids & Company