Technology and educational toys

 

 

Being the webmaster of a site like "Buy Educational Toys and Games", one has the responsibility of not pushing the "hard sell" in order to make a quick buck. Sure, I enjoy earning money (at least!) as much as anybody does, but presenting educational material for children is not only a matter of commerce, but also of decency and common sense. So here's a warning not to overestimate the educational value of high-tech toys for very young children.

 

In 2006 the British government funded a study examining the role of technology in the lives of three- and four-year-old children and their families. The main conclusion was (not really to my surprise) that hi-tech toys for young children are no more effective than traditional ways of introducing basic literacy and numbers skills, like via simple and oldfashioned educational games and toys. Simply put: parents who buy toy computers and other electronic games for their babies (!) and pre-schoolers, would do better by saving their money and helping their children to develop their own wqays of learning.

 

That's not to say that toy laptops and mobile phones aren't of any use at all. They definitely have value for young children as an aid to imaginative play such as pretending to make phone calls and play "computering" - but they do almost zilch, nada, when it comes to teaching the kids specific skills, researchers at the University of Stirling concluded after tracking families for 15 months. As far as the social role of technology is concerned: kids learn that much better from simply by watching their parents use computers, digital cameras and mobile phones for work and leisure, than from using computers for unrealistic exercises and games while at nursery.

 

The study examined 24 families of varying social backgrounds in detail and analysed written responses from 346 families in total. It was clear that parents are universally keen to prepare their children not only for school but also for the world of work, but tend to feel unsure whether to buy them those electronic toys that are promoted as supporting both play and learning. Toy retailers heavily promote the educational benefits of toys for small children, happily noticing how the electronic learning market shows one of the biggest growth rates in the toy market.

 

Parents are being wooed by electronic toy manufacturer Vtech with the VSmile Baby Infant Development System, an activity board which connects to the television and is intended to teach numbers, shapes, colours and baby sign language. This device, which features on the UK Retailers' Association "dream toy list for Christmas", is aimed at youngsters from nine months to three years.

A spokeswoman for Vtech said parents were very positive about the VSmile range, which was designed to "give parents and children a magical learning experience together". She added: "Vtech appreciates that learning with a parent is an important component of infant development."

 

Lydia Plowman, professor of education at Stirling University, said parents often experience a lot of anxiety about the role of new technology, feeling pressured by manufacturers to buy educational electronic toys such as Leappads and games consoles. Professor Plowman has a much more neutral opinion, stating that such toys are neither harmful nor particularly beneficial. Plowman: "I don't think there is any problem about children having these toys at home, but in terms of basic literacy and number skills I don't think they are any more efficient than the more traditional approaches." Once bought, the high-tech toys tend to have short lives: parents often fail to replace the battery when it runs out after children loose interest, she added. Our Educational Toys and Games blog keeps you up to date with these and other developments.