Screens in school: Don't 'gamify' kindergarten, say parents

Many parents are limiting their children's screen time at home, writes Hechinger's Jackie Mader in the New York Times. Then they go off to schools that give kindergarteners iPads so they can play games and watch videos.

“I’ve done everything I can to shepherd her through this world that’s already so technology-driven, to shield her childhood, to have her have a normal, analog childhood,” said Claire Benoist, who lives in the Croton-Harmon School District north of New York City. “And I just handed her off to a school district, and they destroyed that within three months.”

"There is mounting evidence that excessive screen time can harm young children — contributing to anxiety and depression, delaying social and emotional skills, increasing the likelihood of obesity, straining eyes and decreasing attention spans," writes Mader.

Yet 81 percent of elementary teachers surveyed by The New York Times said students receive devices in class by kindergarten. In California, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas and elsewhere, she writes,"parents are pushing school districts to set limits, with varying success.

Parents across the country have lodged complaints about children playing board games virtually or watching someone on YouTube read a book to a class, instead of their teacher doing it. In some classrooms, “brain breaks” are accompanied by loud, flashy dance or movement videos. Parents say their children are watching movies and television shows during indoor recess, lunch and snack time.

Given devices, children are interacting less with classmates and probably moving less. Some worry that "gamified" apps "could encourage early addictions to screens by getting students hooked on the dopamine rush that comes from mastering new levels and earning digital rewards," Mader writes.

Some schools are limiting screen time, and taking a closer look at the use of technology. But teachers have become very dependent on devices.

In Ossining, New York schools, students don't get a device to take home until fifth grade, writes Mader. "Unlike some districts that require students to complete a certain number of lessons on educational apps, Ossining does not mandate screen time."

Jill Anderson, a third-grade teacher, rolled back her use of technology when she saw students were having more trouble maintaining focus and attention, she told Mader. She relies more on hands-on activities and writing. "Instead of a digital whiteboard, Ms. Anderson works through math problems on paper on her easel while students follow along on individual dry-erase boards," Mader writes. "When she wants to reward the class, students play board games, get an extra outdoor recess or have a dance party instead of Chromebook time."