Preschool children’s learning with technology at home

We produced case studies of fourteen families based on nine rounds of data collection during the period from June 2008 to October 2009. We focused on fourteen children who were three years old when our visits started and used an ecocultural approach to examine their experiences of learning and playing with technologies at home. The study describes i) which technologies children encounter at home, ii) how family practices influence children’s encounters with technology, and iii) what children are learning through their interactions with technology. We present a framework of four areas of learning that could be supported by technology: acquiring operational skills, extending knowledge and understanding of the world, developing dispositions to learn, and understanding the role of technology in everyday life.

► We made multiple visits to preschool children in 14 families over an 18-month period.
► We describe the technologies children encounter at home.
► We identified four main forms of learning with technology.
► Understanding the role of technology in everyday life is often overlooked.
► Learning is shaped by family practices and parental values and attitudes.