Look Mom No Screens! Thoughts On Screen Time From Teaching Kids Coding

We recently piloted Tech For Pre-Readers in a few schools. This class aims to teach broader technology skills in addition to coding. It is important to cover topics like device care, online safety, digital citizenship, and even basic keyboarding and mouse skills. Teaching more than coding with topics such as digital literacy allows us to provide kids an opportunity to be offline and focus on writing or interacting with other students.

We have used teaching tools such as worksheets and videos successfully, yet the kids often ask when they can use devices. It requires vigilance and attention to keep kids both off screens and productive on screens. We recognize it's a challenge for families to manage screen time and we offer the following reminders and support that help our classes run smoother. Parents recognize the importance of keeping kids engaged in various activities but are exhausted at the effort required to get off screens, even on vacation! We seek to offer a space and community where children can learn something fun and hopefully useful in their future career, such as digital art, coding, or game development.

Provide offline activities and time away from screens.

Most kids get plenty of screen time at home if their parents have introduced it. Their default when they are bored is to sit in front of their screens. However, as parents and instructors, we have seen kids value the opportunity to be off screens. It is frequently a struggle to get them off screens as the devices are addictive and trigger a dopamine rush with adults and children. To make it easier to get off screens, we delay time online until the latter half of the class and start with offline activities.

Use screen time as a reward with limits.

When children hear coding, they usually get excited by the thought of having their hands on devices. We use this intrinsic motivation to get them focused on completing worksheets or listening to our instructors discuss history and other students talk about device care experiences. When we give them screens, even if it is to complete course material, we find that limiting the amount of time they get to use screens is more effective and keeps them more engaged with both what they are doing on the screen and off screen.

Allow children to work independently on screens and share work with others.

Our ratio of devices to kids is one to one. This keeps them all happy and engaged, but it is important to let them share their work with siblings, friends, or other students. Students will do this without guidance or prompting when they are excited about their work. One of the advantages of face-to-face learning and community is the ability for students to to show off their animations and games. In our camps, we have a parent showcase on the last day where kids present their work to parents. We have an outline for them to follow on the whiteboard as they present, and it is a joy to see their pride.

One of our goals is to help families make screen time productive. We love it when students are online doing something other than playing video games. Coding is not for everyone, but it is important that students know what coding is so they can decide if it is something they want to pursue more seriously in high school and beyond. We also teach digital art, game development and chess, a game that promotes critical thinking skills. Problem solving is an important skill whether the problem is visual or conceptual in nature. Problem solving with code or software is where the future is headed, and Generative AI is leading the way. Screen time is integral to success but we need to encourage students and families to use that time productively.