Most music educators are unaware that one of the earliest known electronic music keyboards for children dates back to 1952. It was unsophisticated in appearance, but much like the inventions of today, the mid-century electronic musical toy piqued the interest of children, and they begged their parents to buy it for them. The invention was named…

Children naturally explore and learn about their environments through inquiry, and computer technologies offer an accessible vehicle for extending the domain and range of this inquiry. Over the past decade, a growing number of interactive games and educational software packages have been implemented in early childhood education and addressed a…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the critical attributes of mathematical software designed for children between the ages of four and seven. This study sought to offer guidelines that will assist software designers in the design of developmentally appropriate educational software. In addition, teachers and parents may benefit from this…

Videotaped four- to eight-year olds as they interacted with computer software at different levels of developmental appropriateness. Facial expressions and other affective behaviors were analyzed as a function of age, presence of a peer, and appropriateness of software. Found that responses were mediated more by age, gender, and social condition…

Points out that computer software which is to be used with young children in early childhood classes must be designed and selected to reflect a sound developmental approach to learning. Also presents 10 criteria for developmentally appropriate software and reviews several developmentally appropriate computer programs for young children. (BB)

This study explored children's preferences for 13 computer software programs and field-tested the relationship of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) ratings of early childhood computer software programs to actual child selection. Participants were 19 4-year-olds. The Haugland and Shade (1990) evaluation instrument was used to assign DAP…

Is computer usage appropriate for young children? The manner in which the computer is used can benefit the child, have no effect whatsoever, or actually be detrimental to the child's academic and personal growth. Specific conditions can be instituted to assure that young children benefit from their exposure to or interaction with technology. How…

A survey of 91 early childhood special education teachers found they placed a high priority on characteristics of developmentally appropriate software, primarily use of computer technology, to develop and reinforce academic skills, wanted more computer training, and asked that software reflect the developmental needs of young children with…

This chapter is part of a book that recounts the year's work at the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) at Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi. Rather than an "elitist" laboratory school for the children of university faculty, the dual-language ECDC is a collaboration between the Corpus Christi Independent School District and…