Learning and Teaching using ICT - Foundation Stage - Area of learning

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Using ICT is specifically mentioned in the Knowledge and understanding of the world section of the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. The early learning goal states that, by the end of the Foundation Stage, most children should be able to:

find out about and identify the uses of everyday technology
use information and communication technology and programmable toys to support their learning

Providing ICT in role-play and across areas of learning helps to bridge children's experiences of home, the setting and the world around them. This builds on their previous familiarity of technology in everyday life. The introduction to ICT in the Foundation Stage mentions the technologically rich environments that children are immersed in, both in their homes and in the world around them: there are remote controls for television, DVD players and sound systems, toys that have buttons and buzzers, mobile phones, washing machines, microwave ovens and other machines that require programming, computers, photocopiers, answering machines, security keypads for entry, automatic doors, ticket machines, cash machines, bar code scanners, digital tills and weighing machines, security cameras; the list can go on and on. Try taking an ICT walk with children identifying ICT and related uses in their environment, such as street lights, signals, automatic doors, and ticket machines. It can be quite an eye-opener and can lead to setting-up outdoor role-play areas, such as car parks, back at the setting.

Children are going to grow up with all of this technology, and more. Settings can provide for children's play with these experiences, deepening their understanding of the uses of ICT in everyday life. The setting will both support their understanding of technology and help them learn through technology.

Practical activities and first-hand experience will support children's understanding and skills with using ICT tools and software. There is a vast range of resources that will help reflect the real world children live in and give them opportunities to experiment, practise and build competence in using ICT tools for themselves. Not all of these need cost large amounts: for role-play, use old or defunct equipment or work with the children to make their own, for example cardboard bar code scanners and photocopiers. If a computer is too expensive look towards investing in a programmable toy, metal detector or tape recorder, all excellent tools for learning. Be sure to teach the children the skills they will need for understanding and using these resources. There are ideas for using these resources throughout the activities in this website and within the areas of learning. For further ideas see the list of websites.

Technology can also support other early learning goals within knowledge and understanding of the world. ICT resources can help children in 'developing crucial knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable them to make sense of their own, immediate environment as well as environments of others'. Digital photographs, tape recorders, camcorders and webcams can allow children to investigate living things, objects and materials, some of which might not be accessible otherwise, for example with a webcam placed in a wildlife area.

ICT equipment can help children to focus on specific features of objects and help them observe closely similarities, differences, patterns and change. A computer-attached microscope allows children to explore natural resources; they can find and see fine detail on the monitor. Digital cameras, tape recorders, camcorders and webcams can all be used to record living things, objects and materials and give children an opportunity to investigate and make sense of their environment and record their thoughts and ideas. These resources can be a way to focus on their local environment and talk about those features they like and dislike. TV, video, software and live webcams can bring in different worlds and different times, allowing children to find out about past and present events and others’ cultures and beliefs.

The growth in technology in our world is reflected in the abundance of ICT tools available for young children to use in their learning and to learn about. ICT sits within the knowledge and understanding area of learning but we now expect to be able to use these tools across all areas of learning to reflect real applications of ICT and to capitalize on the benefits mentioned throughout the documents on each area of learning in this website.

Introduction

Why use ICT in KUW?

KUW Examples

Other areas of learning