Young children's digital play environments comprise an increasingly large part of early learning experiences, and are likely to have ongoing and enduring impacts throughout life. Research on early childhood educational (ECE) apps has been predominantly considered from researchers' perspectives, with little consideration of all stakeholders. At the…

This article reports on the findings of a one-year qualitative study in which a nursery school used information and communication technology (ICT) and a digital media consultant as a catalyst for cultural change leading to teachers' improved pedagogical framing and children's enhanced learning dispositions. The pedagogic framing included the…

With the current expansion of digital tools, the media used for narration is changing, challenging traditional literacies in educational settings. The present study explores what kind of activities emerge when six-year-old children in a preschool class write a digital story, using a word processor and speech-synthesised feedback computer software.…

Earlier observations suggested that young children's engagement with information and communication technologies (ICT) could be unproductive. Interplay: Play, Learning and ICT in Pre-school Settings set out to explore how practitioners can enhance three-year-olds' to four-year-olds' encounters with new technologies in the playroom. The study took…

Profiles articles in this special issue on computers and childhood education, and indicates areas for future research. (RH)

Discusses effects of introducing children to computers, including effects on children's sense of time and potential negative effects on children's play. Concludes that the trend toward computer technology in the classroom cannot be turned back and urges that teachers insure that the technology is not used repressively. (RH)

Shares insights concerning preparation needed for using Computer Management of Instruction (CMI), the general structure of a CMI system, and some system features a user might encounter. Describes the development of Arkansas' Computer-Assisted Instructional Management system for mathematics instruction. (RH)

Addresses two questions: (1) Can computers be used effectively to teach young children? (2) Should computers be used to teach young children? Directions for future research are suggested. (RH)

Describes a computerized system for collecting test scores and other data that are useful in gauging the performance of children as they progress through the South Carolina public schools. Draws implications for research best addressed with longitudinal data bases. (RH)

A 2-year study examined writing skills development of 11- and 12-year olds with unlimited access to word processors. Samples of the 22 subjects' narrative writing were compared with samples from a parallel class that used hand writing methods. Results indicated that the children using word processors produced better quality writing than the…

Used surveys to determine the level of computer use in 65 nursery schools and classes. Found that the majority of the nurseries had a computer, and that the child-to-computer ratio was high. Also found that although the staff were trained, their training was often not at a level they would have liked. (MOK)

In what ways can information and communications technologies (ICT) be integrated into classroom practice to create a 'community of learners'? This paper describes an action research project, over a six-month period, in which a class of seven-year-old and eight-year-old children in a metropolitan South Australian school created digital images to…

An Apple II computer was placed in a university laboratory school classroom so that children's natural interaction with a computer could be observed. Detailed observational logs were kept for 39 interactions. Results indicated that computer play is an initial step in computer literacy. (RH)

A computer program, DIAL-LOG, was developed to assist users of DIAL-R, a widely used screening test, in the scoring of young children's performance. The program generates screening reports, suggests appropriate learning objectives and activities, and builds a file of results for up to 200 children at four age levels. (RH)

Used a pretest-posttest control group design to study the effects of interactive storybook software on the verbal development of 60 kindergarteners from low income families. Found that, for the 25 children who interacted with the software a minimum of 300 minutes over 7 weeks, there was a significant increase in verbal ability. (Author/KB)