Online programs could fill early learning gap, but screen time a concern

A small but growing number of nonprofits and for-profit companies are saying they can deliver at least some of the benefits of quality early childhood education via the internet, and thousands of parents are signing up (Source: “Online programs are filling a preschool gap,” PBS NewsHour, Nov. 3, 2017).

Advocates say online preschool has the potential to address two serious problems with the current state of preschool: access and cost. Nationally, less than a third of 4-year-olds are enrolled in state-funded pre-K programs. Advocates of online learning say these programs may increase access to educational opportunities, which can be critical to ensuring the youngest learners don’t start behind and stay behind.

But experts worry putting small children in front of the computer for hours each week is a bad idea. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one hour of screen time per day for children ages 2 to 5. And kids sitting quietly, clicking on a mouse is the opposite of what preschool should be about, say many experts.

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio recently released a brief on the link between early learning and health titled, “Connections Between Education and Health No. 3: The Importance of Early Learning.”