When adults see children playing and learning with a tablet computer, they are observing the future, according to a recent Computerworld UK blog post.
Read more: iPad is suitable for all ages
At Sound Advice, we are excited by the possibilities tablet PCs and e-readers give young deaf children who are learning about their world, and about words.
These children have many steps in this language-learning process
- Firstly, to learn that items have names – and to remember these words
- Secondly, to build their vocabulary (new words) as early as possible
- Thirdly, to learn to string two to three words into short sentences
- Finally, to make longer sentences, with a join such as “and”, “or”
Portable smart-devices can be instrumental in this early-learning process, as the pictures are so often labelled and interactive, often with a sound option.
One example: you are at the zoo. Maybe your child is carrying a favourite toy animal. You can grab your device and show your child “their” toy animal (say the word), show them the same animal on the device screen (with word label) – and finally, show them the real zoo animal (saying the word).
This way, your child learns the same word applies to the toy animal in their hand, on the device-screen and in front of them – namely, the zoo animal.
For fun, you can try making the animal sound – the device might have it!
Further Reading
- Early Learning With Smart-Phones And Tablet PCs
- New Words-App For Children With Hearing Devices
- Deaf Preschoolers’ Literacy Benefits From E-Books
- Infant Literacy Skills – Newborn, to Three Years
- Literacy Skills In Children Aged Three To Five Years
- E-Books, E-Readers And Childrens’ Reading Skills
