RESEARCH Parents and educators want to provide the best possible tools for youngsters to learn and grow. But which tools are best, and at what age are they appropriate? To ensure you are introducing the best opportunities to the child you care about, it’s important to identify products that are rooted in child development and early childhood education research. Shelly’s My First Computer Game—Goldilocks and the Three Bears is produced based on our longstanding commitment to research-based development, with the child’s developmental needs and educational goals as the first priorities.

Below are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that research helps provide answers for;

Q: When is it best to introduce a child to using the computer?

A: Research shows that by the age of 3, children’s minds and bodies are ready for computer-based learning. (It is not recommended for children younger than 3—toddlers learn through their bodies: their eyes, ears, mouths, hands, and legs.)


Q: What does “computer literacy” mean?

A: In the past, computer literacy was defined as mastering operations, computer terminology and knowledge of how a computer works. Today, a child's computer literacy is measured by their awareness of what the computer can do to help them learn, find and create. 
 

Q: How important is early computer literacy? 

A: Three and four year-old children who use computers with supporting activities that reinforce the major objectives of the programs have significantly greater developmental gains when compared to children without computer experiences in similar classrooms. 

 

Q: What type of software should I choose?

A: Experiences with computers need to be developmentally appropriate, providing a forum where children are eager to manipulate, experiment with, and discover. Look for software that meets not only the child’s age range, but skill level.
   

Q: What is the difference between developmental and non-developmental software?

A: When children use developmentally appropriate software, research has shown the learning outcomes are significantly different than when children use non-developmental software. Dr. Susan Haugland, a professor in the Department of Human Environmental Studies at Southern Missouri State University, assessed the effect of developmental and nondevelopmental software on children's cognition, creativity, and self-esteem.

ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW: Three classrooms of four-year-old children were exposed to computers for one hour, three days weekly, during self-selected activity time. In a fourth classroom, children received no computer exposure. Of the three classrooms exposed to computers, one classroom was exposed to non-developmental software (drill and practice), another to developmental software, and the third to developmental software reinforced with supplemental activities. Children were assessed using the Behavioral Academic Self-Esteem, the Detroit Test of Learning Aptitude, Pre-Primary, and the Multidimensional Stimulus Frequency Measure. All the classes with computer exposure had significantly greater gains in self-esteem. Children using non-developmental software showed significant losses in creativity; their scores dropped 50 percent. This was not true of children with no computer exposure or of those using developmental software. Clearly, non-developmental software has a detrimental effect on children's creative abilities. This should be of concern to anyone using drill and practice software with young children. Those children exposed to developmental software had significant gains in intelligence, non-verbal skills, structural knowledge, long-term memory, and complex manual dexterity. Clearly, in these classrooms the type of software young children used had a dramatic effect on their development.

Q: How can the Haugland Developmental Scale help me choose software?

A: The Haugland Developmental Scale identifies developmental software based on ten criteria:

• age-appropriateness • the ability of a child to remain in control • the clarity of the instructions • increasing difficulty levels • the ability for the child to work independently • non-violent content • the process orientation for the program • whether the program models the real world • technical features • transformations

Q: How does Shelly the Snail software fare on the Haugland Developmental Scale?

A: Shelly the Snail was designed with to meet and exceed all critical developmental factors:

• Age-appropriateness – approved for 3-6 year olds • the ability of a child to remain in control – child decides what areas of the program    they wish to use. • the clarity of the instructions – Shelly’s instructions are given in clear, concise    sentences delivered in age-appropriate vocabulary. • increasing difficulty levels – three (3) levels in each activity • the ability for the child to work independently – after the lesson, the child can use    the program independently. • non-violent content – rated EC -Early Childhood by the ESRB. • the process orientation for the program –clear overview and sequence. • whether the program models the real world – lesson and activities reinforce real    world skills and play.  • technical features – Flash technology provide interactivity that helps the child    engage with the program. • transformations – The program provides intuitive navigation and seamless    transitions between areas.

Sources:
Haugland, S.W., and Wright, J.L. (1997). Young children and technology: A world of discovery. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.