Practical ways of embedding ICT into Early Years Settings
Embedding ICT into every day practice can underpin each area of the EYFS, for some practitioners they see this as a challenge. Its about looking at the children’s level of development and providing them with the necessary resources for them to explore and extend their learning further. Firstly children need to be interested, ask yourself the questions is the piece of technology age appropriate are adults role modelling it correctly and is it being used in the correct context? Children will explore the resources to see how they work, they will ask questions and this is an ideal opportunity for practitioners to provide quality learning.
Once children have become confident in exploring the technology ensure you allow the children to re visit it, have it accessible for children, for example are the cameras accessible for children to take outdoors and take pictures or are the walkie talkies available in the home corner.
With regards to embedding ICT equipment, it’s about looking at what resources are available for the early years and looking at what would benefit the children’s learning. A lot of ICT equipment can be expensive, but don’t forget things like calculators, electronic weighing scales. old telephones, musical floor mats are all good sources of ICT equipment.
ICT in the early years provides children with some fundamental skills, it allows them to embrace the use of technology and as we all know technology is all around us. The skills that children learn early on will hopefully help them later on in life.
A short presentation on ICT in the Early Years
