[Christina]

I feel like this is a very touchy subject. I personally do about an hour a day not all at once for screen time. We watch you tube videos on how to mix colors when we are painting, I play educational videos on diversity when new children join our program. We also take turns as a class and one child a day get to pick something they want to learn facts on, Dinosaurs, animals, shapes etc. I do not see it as a bad thing at all. It creates group discussions, let’s them calm their bodies down and be engaged in watching.

[Durva Patil]

I have seen first hand that there are detrimental impacts of elongated screen time. Due to this, children should be given screens at no younger than the age of two and limit it to 30 minutes a day until they are at least 8.

[ruthi mathis]

I believe that we have to monitor the screen time we have in classrooms and know how much children or on screens at home. Having small chunks of screen time for education (15-20 minutes) with a purpose is ok as long it doesn’t add to the additional screen time that they already have. It should not replace engaging dialog or active play, creativity, or design.I would rather they creat a video or podcast they can share with others where they are the creators or producers of a script and show their learning.

[Kaylie]

I think having it a couple times a week as long as it’s for learning purposes is completely fine. But mindless entertainment I disagree with, they can get that at home if their parents are okay with it. Day Care is for learning.

[Maria Bernal]

I think classrooms can use screen time for 5 or 10 minutes maximum with programs with educational content.

[Isabella]

At the daycare I volunteer for, we have 30-45 minutes of tv time at the very end of the day while the children are getting ready to go home. We try to focus more on music and dancing if we do other screen time. The kids are able to get out a lot of energy this way and watching at the end of the day helps them calm down. Other than that, I think screen time should be done as little as possible.

[Chloe]

I prefer to keep screen time very light at preschool/daycare. We will occasionally watch a video on a small screen of something relevant to our curriculum like a video of a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. I find that screen time is so distracting that it prevents kids from doing things like cleaning up after themselves.

[Cynthia]

In my opinion it all depends on what the child is watching. For example, if it’s videos that will help you learn those are okay. Now if they’re just any other type of videos, it would be best to monitor them at all times in case something inappropriate pops up for their age.

[Corey]

I think at childcare we shouldn’t have any screens- if the parents want to show their kids screens, then that’s their choice, but it will have negative effects, and we can do our part to help by at least not showing the kids screens at childcare

[Kim Arman]

Most parents paying for childcare hope for an interactive learning environment for their children. While I don’t believe all screen time is terrible, passive watching should be avoided wherever possible, especially at childcare. If all play options have been exhausted or the child is “under the weather” and not up to playing, screen time should be permitted, as long as the caregiver is interacting with the child and asking questions about the show that is being watched. Exercise videos or physically interactive short shows are helpful for getting wiggles out in a fun way.

[Habiibo Saneey]

In my opinion, managing screen time for children in childcare is essential. While technology can offer educational benefits, it should be used in moderation and with a purpose. Screen time should align with age-appropriate content and be integrated into a well-rounded curriculum that includes hands-on, active, and interactive activities. Additionally, it’s crucial for childcare providers to maintain a balance between screen time and other developmentally appropriate experiences that promote physical, social, and cognitive development. Screen time should never replace essential interactions with caregivers and peers. Overall, it’s about using technology as a tool to enhance learning while prioritizing children’s holistic development and well-being.

[Winter Clark]

Supervised and limited screen time in childcare is okay under specific circumstances. First and foremost, content should be approved by the center and parents. Virtual education should be exclusive to children Preschool, K-Prep and up. Screen time should be kept to a minimum, similar to a short book or twenty minutes maximum. Especially at the 3-4 year old stage, their attention spans are only set for a limited time. Also, these exposures should be limited to special occasions such as virtual field trips.

[Mandy Hung]

I agree with no screen time for children at childcare centers. There are many activities that don’t require a screen. My school setting is 3-5 years old preschoolers. They don’t have strong academic needs to use screens to help with learning the alphabet or math. Save the screen time when parents want to for their children at home.

[Rubi Ruelas]

What are your thoughts on screen time for children in childcare?

In the childcare setting, I don’t believe it is conducive to learning, neither for educational purposes. As a professional early learning provider, I believe whatever it is you want children to learn in the classroom setting, it is best you learn what you are going to teach first on your own as much as you can, and then deliver/teach whatever that is to your class, and having an activity to go with your teachable lesson. This is what “lesson-planning” is for. By showing our class-children that they can trust us to know about butterflies, for example, whether teaching with verbal description of a butterfly, reading a book about butterflies, and then having the children color their own “butterfly”, is suffice to learn about butterflies; for example. I don’t believe we need an educational video about any sort of science, math, colors, etc., that we can’t teach through a lesson-plan ourselves. Also, big on the screen-time to be left at home where the parents can monitor and approve of.

[Jayhla tatro]

I don’t think we should have screen time for the kids because children shouldn’t be focused on electronics they should be focused on being a child