Modern parents have no qualms about using electronic babysitters to pacify their kids while they drive, go grocery shopping or simply make dinner. In recent years, the portable handheld device that is iPad has become the gadget of choice for parents who need help in keeping their progeny in check. The burgeoning selection of child-centric applications (apps) attests to that.
But more than serving as a means of entertainment, it is fast becoming a tool for education, even for very young children, from toddlers to preschoolers, some of whom are exposed to the tablet computer from as early as two years old!
Much of the gadget’s appeal lies in its audiovisual and interactive features – aspects likely to engage the inquisitive youngster. The simple touch-screen interface also makes the tiny machine easily accessible for children.
In fact, ask any iPad-owning parent and they will likely tell you how they are being incessantly pestered by their children who just can’t seem to keep their hands off the gadget manufactured by computer company Apple Inc. It is a runaway worldwide hit since its inception in 2010, with the third-generation model having just hit the market earlier this month.
The path of least resistance for the doting parent will be to just get their kids an iPad of their own or let them take over their existing units.
With that, children are increasingly learning to read, write and count on their iPads. The kid-friendly gizmo also allows them to watch cartoons, play games and splash around with virtual colouring books. And these days it’s not uncommon to find children being read or serenaded to nursery rhymes like Row, Row, Row Your Boat by the iPad.
In short, the iPad has transformed and diversified the way that children are learning. The best thing about children learning with the device? The manufacturer Apple has a strict policy of no iAds in kid-related content.
Parents and experts have their views on the impact of this latest technology on early childhood education, particularly for those aged three to six.
Patrick Lum, a father of three boys in Kuala Lumpur, acknowledges that his younger two, Sean, five, and Jack, four, have especially benefited from the use of the iPad. “They both learned their A to Zs before they turned two.”
The 34-year-old software programmer notes that video and voice-over features promote better learning in children. “They definitely learn faster from the iPad than from books. Given a choice, young children prefer to immerse themselves in moving images rather than static pictures in a book.”
Lum’s eldest, eight-year-old Luke, who had learned through the conventional way – books – showed noticeably slower progress.
“Of course, the iPad wasn’t around yet when he was a toddler. He only picked up the alphabet when he was four or five.”
Now, the siblings share two iPhones, an iPod touch and an iPad among themselves and their mother. The devices are laden with a variety of games and arithmetic apps. The boys are also starting to learn Chinese characters with an app that allows them to read and write in the language.
Perhaps more importantly to the Lums is the iPad’s ability to keep a child placated during meals. “It keeps them at the dining table,”
Lum says with a laugh. “Otherwise, they’d just be running around or watching television.”
It doubles as a “television” during long-distance journeys on the road. “We go back to my wife’s hometown in Johor Baru several times in a year. It keeps the kids entertained during our long drive there.”
However, Lum is careful not to let his children overindulge, limiting its usage to a maximum of two hours a day. Other times, Luke, Sean and Jack still enjoy playing with their toys and among themselves.
Lum is confident that in time electronic devices such as the iPad will replace traditional learning tools. “They have replaced computers. And we don’t even have books at home anymore.”
Despite his optimism, Lum is aware of the addictive nature of the gadget. Using it continuously over a prolonged period can also be potentially damaging to the eyes, he says.
As for content, he opines: “Most learning apps are based in the United States, so they may not apply to the Malaysian education system. Malaysian-based apps are hard to come by.”
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