There are countless benefits to using technology in the classroom. Digital devices are enhancing the learning experience, making it more interactive and inspiring modern ways of working. Teachers are utilising tech to automate tedious, time-consuming tasks, while children are developing digital skills that will become essential by the time they enter employment.
However, technology is not without its downfalls. A group of specialists have recently claimed that kids are struggling to hold pencils due to the excessive use of touchscreen devices like iPads and smartphones.
As the Telegraph reports, a number of paediatric doctors, orthopaedic therapists and handwriting experts have warned that although first-year school children can swipe a screen, they don’t possess the strength or agility to write properly.
The article outlines how digital screens are being used in place of traditional skills – such as cutting out, drawing and painting – which can improve fine motor skills and coordination.
Head paediatric occupational therapist for the Heart of England foundation NHS Trust, Sally Payne, told the Guardian: “Children coming into school are being given a pencil but are increasingly not [able] to hold it because they don’t have the fundamental movement skills.
“To be able to grip a pencil and move it, you need strong control of the fine muscles in your fingers. Children need lots of opportunity to develop those skills.”
In a recent survey, 58% of children under two years’ old were discovered to have used a phone or tablet. Many nurseries have now installed interactive ‘smartboards,’ digital cameras and computers with touchscreen monitors to introduce children to tech from an early age.
A key goal in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is to ensure ‘children recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools.’ Yet, the National Handwriting Association (NHA) asserts that the overuse of technology is damaging to children’s writing skills.
When children don’t get involved in activities such as playing with playdough, scribbling with crayons or holding and using scissors, the muscles needed for writing – including those in the shoulder, wrist and elbow – don’t develop..
Some teachers have claimed that children don’t understand how to receive a paintbrush or pencil, as they don’t have the dexterity to grasp the items. This problem has worsened significantly in the past ten years.
“The risk is that we make too many assumptions about why a child isn’t able to write at the expected age and don’t intervene when there is a technology-related cause,” paediatric occupational therapist and NHA vice chair, Mellissa Prunty, said.
This warning comes at a time when children are leading increasingly sedentary lifestyles. There’s no doubt that technology can be beneficial to children and their learning, but teachers and parents must set guidelines and strike that all-important balance – how do you think that can be achieved?