This is an
interesting post for me. On the one hand, I refuse screen time for my
young one. On the other hand, we are
researching kid's software and if the claims they make are backed by evidence.
It is tricky, because the claims of increasing IQ and expanding
vocabulary could be true, without these being healthy mediums of development
for children. The way this question is
framed leads to an important question of our times. When does our focus on specific qualities of
things make us blind to the wider of the world in which we live?
In the case of baby
signs, the learning outcome is simple, learning sign language. Early use of
sign language has been shown to positively affect children’s development. However, Barnes points out that these
correlations could have other causes. Children may develop increased self
esteem and overall capacities as a result of the signing itself or as a
side-effect of increased parent-child interaction. The question in this case, is not whether
learning sign language is beneficial. It
is the unspoken question, how is a child affected by working with a screen?
There is very little
research available which seeks to understand the more fundamental aspects of
human development and how they may be impacted by screen-based
technologies. We cannot rely on science
to provide us with the framework we need to understand these new
technologies. This understanding has to come
from within, through our own quest for knowledge, seeking insight into the
questions that move us.
References:
Barnes, S. (2010). Sign Language With Babies: What Difference Does
It Make? Dimensions of Early Childhood, Volume 38, Number 1. Retrieved
from: http://sprechende-haende.de/cms/upload/pdf/Sign_Language_With_Babies_What_Difference_Does_It_Make_Susan_Kubic_Barnes_Volume_38_Issue_1.pdf
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