The issue of screen time is a central subject of conversation in the digital era of today, when parents and educators concerned with early childhood development look into the matter. In Kinder Ready Tutoring, the development of a technology is a proposition that is neither all nor nothing, but rather a component of a holistic developmental approach envisioned by Elizabeth Fraley and the founder of Kinder Ready Tutoring. Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready philosophy is to note that the ability to succeed in academics and social life is established by the various and hands-on experiences of a child that are abundant with sensory experiences. The article investigates the way to balance the use of electronic devices with developmentally appropriate activities so that technology can be used to support the main goals of the Kinder Ready methodology, but not to be counterproductive to them.
The main objective of Kinder Ready Tutoring is to develop cognitive, social and fine motor skills needed in classroom learning. Too much or passive screen time may hamper the learning of the same abilities, including long-term attention, physical manipulation, problem-solving, and complicated social interaction. Intentionality is promoted by the Kinder Ready Elizabeth Fraley approach. In case of introducing screen time, it needs to be high-quality, interactive, and watched with a parent or a teacher to make it an active learning time. This is a reflection of the engaged and dialogic approach to teaching in which, in our tutoring sessions, learning is a participatory process, not a piece of information pushed down the throat.
Operating Developmentally Appropriate Activities.
At the heart of the Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready philosophy is the focus on the activities that foster the work of the executive, creativeness, and interaction with the real world. Screens can never replace these, and they are the foundation of our tutoring program. To facilitate this model, parents can make sure that every day routines are enriched with:
Manipulative: Building blocks, sorting items, puzzles, practice spatial thinking, fine motor skills and logic.
Creative Play: Dress-up, drawing and imaginative storytelling promote language development/understanding of emotions and abstract thinking.
Physical Activity: Gross motor, coordination, and body awareness: Running, climbing, and playing with balls.
Social Interaction: Free play with other children learns negotiation, empathy and conflict resolution.
These activities directly develop the skills that Kinder Ready Tutoring aims to achieve: the skills to listen to instructions, work in multi-steps, and, more importantly, collaborate to find a solution.
Finally, Kinder Ready Tutoring has a mission, which is to prepare the entire child. This is a preparation that relies on a nutritious diet of experiences that stimulate all the parts of the brain and body. Practically combining constrained and high-quality screen time, with an excess of, developmentally vital hands-on tasks, parents explicitly combine with the philosophy of Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready. It is in this collaboration that young learners can form a space enabling them to build a strong pool of skills, including attention, resilience, creativity, and social acuity, needed not only to succeed in school but also to be curious and competent individuals. Electronics care is thus an important aspect of the current preparedness, by which technology boosts progress, without determining it.
For further details on Kinder Ready’s programs, visit their website: https://www.kinderready.com/.
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ElizabethFraleyKinderReady
