Technology can support early learning, but what a child gains from screen time depends on the adult sitting beside them.
Claudia Cattage
Mentor Teacher, Educare Chicago; Contributor, Start Early
Parents often feel caught between two extremes when it comes to technology. On one side is the belief that screens are harmful for young children. On the other is the idea that because technology is part of our future, children should spend more time engaging with it. The truth is less about choosing a side and more about asking a different question: What is happening while a child is using technology?
Quality matters more than quantity
The quality of the experience matters far more than the quantity of time.
Play remains the best learning opportunity for young children. Technology can support learning when it’s intentional, interactive, and connected to children’s everyday experiences, but it cannot replace the relationships that make learning possible.
That means tablets cannot replace parents, teachers, or caregivers. Adults help children make sense of what they see, hear, and experience in the world around them.
Imagine a child popping a blue bubble on a tablet. The learning doesn’t come from touching the screen. It happens when an adult says, “That’s a blue bubble. Can you find something else in the house that’s blue?” Or, when an airplane flies across the screen, and someone asks, “Remember when we saw an airplane outside? Where do you think it was going?” Those everyday conversations extend children’s understanding in ways technology cannot on its own.
Sit beside your child
That’s why healthy technology use isn’t simply about limiting screen time; it’s about creating shared experiences that spark curiosity, conversation, and exploration. Even 20 minutes of technology can be meaningful if an adult is present asking questions, listening, wondering aloud, and helping children make connections. The relationship doesn’t stop because a tablet is introduced; it becomes another opportunity for learning.
Perhaps the most important moments happen quietly. While watching a screen, a child may glance at an adult with a question they don’t yet have the words to ask. Even without speaking, they’re communicating: “Help me understand this.”
Those moments are easy to miss if no one is sitting beside them.
What to look for in an app
Technology should encourage children to solve problems, create, experiment, build, and tell stories. Choose activities that encourage children to think and engage, rather than simply watch or endlessly tap the screen. Sit beside your child, ask questions, and connect what they’re seeing to everyday experiences. These interactions build confidence and critical-thinking skills children will use throughout their lives. Endless tapping, passive videos, and constant rewards may keep children occupied, but they don’t offer the same opportunities to explore or discover.
When play stops coming naturally
One of the clearest signs that technology may be replacing, rather than supporting, learning is when play no longer comes naturally. Children are naturally curious. They want to build, pretend, investigate, and make things happen. When children begin waiting for entertainment instead of creating it themselves, it’s worth taking a closer look at how technology is being used.
Nothing replaces a present, caring adult. Technology can enrich learning, but it is relationships that help children make sense of the world, and that’s where the most meaningful learning begins.
