Digital literacy for the youngest children

28-03-2017

In a digital world, there is a need for adults to take part in the digital life of children. A series of new materials will inspire staff in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) facilities to work with the digital literacy of children and engage with parents concerning, for example, the use of digital tools.

When do digital tools contribute to the well-being, development and learning of children? How do we make sure that digital media are integrated into children’s lives in a sensible manner? For instance, is it appropriate to take photos of children in ECEC facilities and share them? And how do we make sure that the use of tablets in the learning environments of ECEC facilities is meaningful? Digital opportunities entail digital dilemmas, which calls for reflection and dialogue.
As part of the Danish common public sector digital strategy for the period 2016-2020, extensive materials targeting municipal administrations, staff, and parents of children in ECEC facilities have been developed. The materials will support the dialogue between staff and parents. The aim is to help children develop a reflected and critical approach to digital tools and media as part of their digital education.

The materials consist of:

  • A series of “dialogue cards” containing dilemmas concerning the digital life of children. The cards can help initiate dialogue between staff and parents.
  • Two inspirational videos targeting both parents and staff.
  • Twelve tips on how to work with digital literacy.
  • A background article on digital literacy for the youngest children targeting municipal administrations and staff.
  • A poster on digital literacy that ECEC facilities can hang on the wall.

The material is a result of initiative 9.1 in the Danish common public sector digital strategy and has been produced by The Danish Evaluation Institute (EVA) on behalf of the National Agency for IT and Learning, Ministry for Children and Social Affairs, Local Government Denmark and the Danish Agency for Digitisation.