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Worries about new techonogies in early years education

Young girls with laptop
A new study suggests that many nursery staff and parents are spurning new technologies in early years development amid fears that the "new technologies might damage children's wellbeing, social interaction and learning".

OU lecturer Dr Rosie Flewitt, a research associate in the study, Multimodal Literacies in the Early Years, found that many early years practitioners lacked confdence in how to use technology, were uncertain about its value, "or feared the potential harm to' childhood'".

Concerns have previously been raised about how children from poorer families often miss out on the oportunity to use new technology but this time it is the nurserys and educated, middle-class families who are in the spotlight.

Dr Flewitt said in the report "Some children from highly educated, affluent families had very little exposure to new technologies whereas some children from less affluent families were given excellent support at home to develop their literacy skills through diverse uses of new technologies."

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Tweet A new study suggests that many nursery staff and parents are spurning new technologies in early years development amid fears that the "new technologies might damage children's wellbeing, social interaction and learning". OU lecturer Dr Rosie Flewitt, a research associate in the study, Multimodal Literacies in the Early Years, found that many early years ...

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