How early should Children learn to use the computer?
• This is a topic that’s been studied for several decades now, without much clear consensus other than this; with proper oversight, moderation and balance with respect to the child’s family, activities, school and computer equipment, a computer can provide positive value from an entertainment, educational and overall growth perspective. Research has shown that 3- and 4-year-old children who use computers with supporting activities that reinforce the major objectives of the programs have significantly greater developmental gains when compared to children without computer experiences in similar classrooms-gains in intelligence, nonverbal skills, structural knowledge, long-term memory, manual dexterity, verbal skills, problem solving, abstraction, and conceptual skills (Haugland, 1992). What it boils down to is that it’s never too early, so long as you, the parent, can be intimately involved, provide consistent guidance, and make sure to protect your computer system. Our children (ages 2-
