Technology plays a significant role in the learning and development of children in how they grasp information. It’s one of the most effective ways to enhance literacy skills in children, especially at the early childhood stage as it cements their foundation of curiosity as they learn different skills such as computer skills, how to express themselves through technology platforms and also have fun, and later on, help them to achieve success in various areas of academics. Technology makes learning more interesting as it improves children’s engagement in class. Similarly, it has helped the teachers organize and plan themselves and enhance personalized learning for students who have difficulties absorbing information quickly (Mantilla & Edwards, 2019). Additionally, it provides students with diverse learning materials that are current and coincide with 21st-century skills. This paper discusses how technology can be used to enhance literacy skills in emergent readers and writers.

Technology and emergent readers and writers

Emergent reading and writing refer to the early stages of a child in pursuit of literacy knowledge. Therefore, emergent readers and writers refer to young children who are introduced to the world of writing and reading. They imitate other writings by making drawings and scribbles as a way of passing information. Emergent readers and writers are young children under the age of six who are already familiar with alphabetical letters, languages, sounds, and words. They are swift in grasping concepts. Similarly, they are characterized by the ability to communicate through playful drawings, recognition of letters, and are print conscious. The more they are exposed to various learning materials, the more they improve their reading and writing abilities and understand that the act can be purposeful. In addition, it is at this stage that the children learn how to express themselves by oral means and writing. This stage can be supported by the provision of more reading and writing materials where they can practice their creativity and imaginations (Barratt-Pugh et al., 2020).

The use of technology in the early childhood setting has become increasingly common. It has been used to develop educational programs that focus on the children’s development and learning process. In this digital era, access to digital technologies has been made available to children both at home and at school. Educational systems have integrated technology to enhance language, early child communication, and literacy skills. There are different ways teachers can integrate technology in today’s learning activities to ensure a positive trajectory in the child’s development (Jack & Higgins, 2018). These various ways of technology can be used to enhance the literacy and social skills of a child. This can be supported by how children explore different internet sites for information, express their experiences, and write down their imaginations and creativity. The tools can be used to enhance their creativity, teach them how to read letters and numbers, learn about different types of animals, be familiar with digital technology and engage in fun activities (Masoumi, 2015). Teachers can use these tools to engage the student in their daily learning activities, which include the use of whiteboards to write and share different ideas such as drawings, alphabets, numbers, and experiences of the child. This encourages active participation as most of the students will want their ideas to be displayed on the whiteboard. Digital projectors can be to display information from various subjects to the children. This information can be written words or short videos on different types of animals, numbers, letters, and fun activities that help break the monotony of the child being glued to the whiteboard all the time.

Additionally, teachers can use computer software tools to record the students’ progress that will help in knowing which students need special attention and evaluate how effective they are in utilizing these tools to teach (Mantilla & Edwards, 2019). Children can also be introduced to devices such as digital cameras where they can be taught how to capture moments as they happen and exchange ideas with other peers on the different moments captured and let them explain the photos. Children can use art software to create and recreate different art designs and patterns that can be printed out and shared with peers. Besides, tablets are useful electronic gadgets where they can watch different games and educational programs from the internet (Zomer & Kay, 2016). These programs incorporate both sound, animations, and images and can help the child to learn different concepts that are essential in their learning environment. Furthermore, computers can teach a child how to use the mouse and navigate through various search engines as they seek information. This helps to broaden their minds on the amount of information that can be accessed from the internet. Smartboards are another tool where children can scribble and draw images. This improves their writing skills and creativity as they learn to create different marks on the boards. When all these tools are integrated, they can motivate a child zeal to learn more as they build on their confidence and familiarize themselves with technology to make learning enjoyable (Jack & Higgins, 2018).

Technology has become an essential part of today’s life. Children are exposed to various technological devices that introduce them to the expectations of the 21st century through the experiences and knowledge of the real world. Today’s technological tools such as tablets, e-books, and computers that children can access the internet easily are being used to help the children learn and grow. These effects include; the students develop socially that is, they have become more responsible for themselves and those around them. They harmoniously co-exist and share their devices with others, and this promotes social interactions (Jack & Higgins, 2018). Children spend most of their time on these devices with their peers as they try to learn and solve new concepts, and this collaboration promotes interactions among the children. It also supports physical development through motor development, whereby as the children swap, tap, and drag the touchscreens, for instance, a tablet, they become more efficient (Zomer & Kay, 2016). Technology also promotes emergent literacy skills such as writing, naming letters and sounds, being familiar with prints and pronunciations of languages (Nikolopoulou et al., 2019).

Additionally, Children also engaged in storytelling activities through storytelling devices that incorporate the use of sounds, music, and drawings in telling a story and are able to share their work with others. Through this, they improve their communication skills by telling and retelling the stories in a sequential manner (Rahiem, 2021). Children also develop by enhancing their concentration, the way they think and reason, memory retention, and the way they search for information. All these factors affect their cognitive development. Similarly, the use of technology has been proven to strengthen the mental growth of children who are suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Many children regard mathematics as a complex subject to understand. Still, the use of technology, such as the use of digital games in math, makes the subject interactive. It has proven to be effective in eliminating the notion of negative attitudes towards the subject. The games make it easy for the students to comprehend the mathematical terms and formulas by making them fun and exciting to learn (Kermani & Aldemir, 2015).

Although technology plays a significant role in the development of a child’s literacy skills, it is faced with some challenges in its implementation process. These challenges are that the teachers need to be experienced in using the different types of technology. A teacher who is not experienced enough may lack the confidence to integrate technology into the learning practice; hence, training should be administered to all teachers to familiarize them with the available technological tools and platforms in a school (Magen-Nagar & Firstater, 2019). Parents also need to be trained on how they can effectively use the devices such as a tablet while the child is at home. Children may be exposed to inappropriate content from the internet as they try to look for information because different kinds of data keep on popping up on the internet, and this may affect their behavioral development. As such, both teachers and parents need to be aware and attentive to the information that these children are consuming. Another challenge is that a child may be interested in watching animation, for instance, about animals, and therefore becomes resistant to change when he or she is introduced to other concepts such as numbers or letters as they may seem boring hence, it’s the responsibility of the teacher to ensure the child has a smooth transition (Dong, 2018).

Conclusion

In summary, technology is a significant element of learning in the 21st century. Children are introduced to technology at a tender age as they learn to read and write different concepts. It has created curiosity in children, which has improved their creativity and imagination. Emergent Reading and writing refer to the early stages of a child in pursuit of literal knowledge, where they learn that writing is a form of conveying information. They learn to scribble and make marks on paper as they share their ideas and thinking. Technology can be integrated into the education system through various ways that contribute positively to the child’s development. These tools include computers and software such as art software that make the learning activity fun and interesting. The incorporation of technology in early childhood education helps the child develop socially, physically, mentally, literacy skills and think critically, molding them for future success.

References

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