Re: kids and technology
Not a parent but I have 4 younger brothers and in my experience boys develop reading skills or an interest in reading themselves later than girls. So I wouldn't worry if my son wasn't so 'into' reading at an early age.
Re: kids and technology
The Danger Of Screen-gazing
Full text of piece in Sunday Telegraph, 24/10/09, to accompany an article on Disney’s offer of a refund to all US parents who’d bought a Baby Einstein DVD in the last five years.
The current craze for ‘hot-housing’ babies and toddlers started in the 1980s, when researchers found that rats raised in ‘stimulating conditions’ grew up bright-eyed and curious, while those reared in boring environments grew steadily more apathetic and low-brow. Then neuroscientists told us that 75% of brain development happens in the first three years of life. Quick! Let’s stimulate baby’s brain!To many parents, screen-based ‘brain development’ looks like perfect preparation for children growing up in a screen-based world. What’s more, it’s extremely convenient and kids – especially little boys – can be transfixed by screens.
As one mum put it ‘He loves it, and it lets me take a shower’.So baby DVDs became big business, and the protests of developmental psychologists have gone unheard. But as one of the ‘smart rat’ researchers pointed out, dull sedentary rats didn’t get any smarter by watching other rats run about. ‘It’s important to interact with the objects,’ she said, ‘to investigate and explore both physically and mentally’. Other studies linked early TV watching to attention deficit and autism.A couple of years ago, American research showed that watching Baby Einstein DVDs actually depresses language development in children under 16 months. To learn to talk – the bedrock of all future learning – babies need real-life interaction with real-life human beings.Little children are closer to their Stone Age past than their technological future. Our culture may be evolving at electronic speed, but human evolution is a long slow process. If babies and toddlers are to grow up bright, balanced and ready to face the challenges of the 21st century, they still need what small human beings have always needed. Time, song, talk and stories from the loving adults in their lives and the chance to play and explore their own real world, in real space and real time. Sedentary screen-gazing doesn’t enhance their development – it hinders it.
http://www.suepalmer.co.uk/modern_childhood_articles_the_danger.php
Re: kids and technology
I haven't read all the above comments, but great thread SGC.
Technology is great. It is the need of the times. I will not be blind about what we have access to today. The key is to figure out how much and how to incorporate it into a growing child's educational/social program and needs. This is what I have learned:
1. Find out a couple of shows that make sense, that have something positive to offer.
2. When my child uses technology, I ask her to write an essay on her experiences.
3. She uses Internet resources for research, reading clubs and interactive math.
4. She has time limits.
TV has never been a problem in our home because we've provoded our kids with enough activities. They see us read, so they read. We play games with them on Wii, etc. so it's supervised and family time. We take them to Apple Store :D] so they feel connected with modern day advancements. Their school is teaching them to present on smartboards but they still use paper index cards for cues and notes. Essay writing is big in our home. They write a journal almost every day.
So bottomline is how much and how to do it right. Again, it's a learned behavior. I always remember this saying, "you are what you read and the company you keep."
Re: kids and technology
Niki, I LOVE the fact that you encourage your daughters to write journals. Whenever I have a parent say their child's reading book is too easy I ask them to write a book review, describe the characters, make up their own ending, 9 out of 10 children can't do it as they are merely reading the print, they aren't getting the comprehension element of reading, or the enjoyment for that matter as they (mainly their parents) just want to be on the next colour book!
Re: kids and technology
Milly, the girls have a reading program they're enrolled in from school where they have to read a certain number of minutes everyday and pick one book per week and write either a short summary or some specific questions asked by the teacher.
The journal writing habit is definitely great because I do review it every now and then and help with punctuation, etc. It also reveals a child's interests and capabilties other than the fact that you are able to look inside your kid's heart and mind.
Re: kids and technology
As long as you dont read their secret jounals it's all good! :D
I'd love to read any stories they have written, Ahmadjee posted one that his daughter had written a while back and it was AWESOME!
Re: kids and technology
I love the Hungry Caterpillar - great book! If you haven't you have to add THE VERY CRANKY BEAR to your list of books! One of the best new books out there and my nieces and nephew love it - it's a fun book to read to kids.
Re: kids and technology
Her journal has a lock and key. Only mama is allowed to peek in because she says “mama borned me so she knows me and it’s OK.” 
Let’s see how long that lasts.
I’m doing a blog outside of GS…will definitely send you an invite. Meanwhile, I shall post a few things on my GS blog during the holidays.
Here a short snippet from November 30, 2011, and I do have her permission to post it:
" I feel tired after Epcot Center but no sleepy. Why can’t I just be normal like other people? Why do people have specific types of ways to do stuff? So I asked Papa if he could take me downstairs to this 24 hour restaurant called Picabu to get something to eat. Maybe it’s just that my brain is not working so I have to get some food in my mouth. I hope it’s not some sort of disease. If it is, then…uh oh spaghettio!"
November 29:
“Waaaaah, I lost a game! I would have won an iPod touch or a mini at the arcade. One time I got it then it just hit and bounced back. didn’t talk after we got back to teh hotel because I felt like crying. Then I heard my mom talking to dad on the phone and she said, ‘Marya lost a game and voh bohot udaas hai. She was very close to winning.’ That felt strange and I felt MORE sad, or should I say, udaas?”
Re: kids and technology
those are precious! mm im stealing your ideas, niksik.
Re: kids and technology
I LOVES IT! What a fab little writer she is! Very expressive. I likes. Please do post more, with her permission of course!
Are you going to do a holiday crafty blog? I read this one and OMG some of the things she makes with her daughters makes me want to hug my computer!
Re: kids and technology
Queer, she's been writing since she was 5. The choti who is 5 now is getting started. It's so much fun going through their stuff. Bari has a journal on the iPad as well. We've disabled the auto spell thingie as she needs to learn spellings.
Re: kids and technology
hehe Queer! We all learn from each other. Milly, that's an awesome blog. Mine is more articles and short stories.
Re: kids and technology
Check through some of the crafts she's made, SO easy. I sometimes wish I had kids of my own to make them with, trying them out on 30 is too much :(
Re: kids and technology
Will do! I like the door wreath. May do that with the girls. Wish you lived close by...:(
Re: kids and technology
No you don’t, the house would be a mess and i’d eat all the food and your daughters might pick up some very naughty punjabi words 
Ooo please please please make the butterfly thing too!
It's all about balancing technology into your child's life.
Mine have the upto date consoles and they do over take my ipad, but at the Same time i don't let them sit on them All day every day, the go out n play football and cricket Which the garden fence dreds lol, n both are joined in sports activity clubs,
We weekly go to the library and they get to read books of there choices and randomly if it's raining run out side when they are at home N play about both boys n girl.
I get them to do their mathematics using their heads rather than technology the easy way out, we use the ipad o laptop when I want them to do other worksheets which help them with there homework etc.
But then they know if all Is completed and they behaved they get to play their psp, psp go ds etc
Re: kids and technology
what do you guys think of the concept of smart classrooms? the teacher has a smart whiteboard that she uses to teach instead of a chalkboard so any slides/presentations etc are all computer-based and each student has a computer at their desk to learn on. i think there are a few test classrooms in middle schools in ontario but quite a few universities have them now.
Re: kids and technology
My kids school uses them. They have both the chalk type and the smart boards. They are absolutely wonderful. Kids get a chance to make presentations early in life. Like it.
Re: kids and technology
I use an interactive whiteboard and every school I have ever worked in since 2004 has interactive whiteboards in their classrooms. Whilst I love the fact that I can show my kids something instantly via the internet and already have slides using easiteach and notebook software ready and raring to go, and we plat interactive whiteboard games nearly every day, it still doenst take away the fact that children still need to learn how to hold a pencil and unfortunately there is nothing that 'technology' can do/produce that will give childrens fingers and hands the fine motor skills they need in order to hold a pencil correctly.
I think im just very old school, I think penmanship, real books and outdoor learning adds a lot of value to the needs of young children. It might not be what they want, but in the long run its definately what they need.