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This month Cheshire East Chatters have released its latest key message to parents, focussing on the benefits of reducing screen time in the home.
We know that technology plays a role in our daily lives but we must be aware of the impact it can have on our children’s communication skills.
Research from the American Academy of Paediatrics (2016) advises that for childre
n aged below 18 months screen time is not beneficial, with the exception of interacting with family members on FaceTime etc. For children aged between 18-24 months, parents should be watching programmes with their child and talking about the content. For children over the age of two years old, 1 hour a day of screen time is advised. Parents of children over the age of 6 years old should set limits on the amount of screen time their child accesses.
We don’t need research to tell us that more time on a screen reduces opportunities to engage in shared experiences with the world around us, however research does tell us that reduced opportunities for hands on play reduces opportunities for communication to develop.
(ICAN) Some points to consider:
• Screens including whiteboards can be a source of background noise- this will interrupt the concentration of children during other play activities in the classroom.
• Similarly in the home, it is important to have some quiet time during the day when screens including phones, TVs and gadgets are turned off.
• We know that children do not learn
functional language from a screen- they will only learn concrete words such as colours, numbers and letters. These types of words are not useful for a child trying to communicate a message.
• Language is learned through exploration with the real world and hands on experiences build brains!
There is information, tips and activities on reducing screen time on the Cheshire East Chatters Facebook page throughout May so please do follow them!
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