at what age can toddlers start using computers?

iwanttosave_2

I have to fight my 18 month old for the computer, and I am at the momtent teaching my 6 year old to make animations and graphics. I dont think there is really any age.

I used to sit bubba on my knee so he could watch, and he has his own mouse so he can put it along side mine and play with it.

My kids are gonna be techie geeks

suzysue_2

I teach ICT in a primary school, Nursery through to Year 6.
Just some of the software we use for the younger children are, semerc software (all about series) various paint /art packages, Millies Maths is also very popular with the young ones. There are also some fantastic websites for pre school children, you'll have to google for these, terrible memory.
My lads both used computers/pc's from a very young age, now 19 & 15, both have an excellent knowledge and ability in the subject.
Start as soon as interest is shown, younger the better.
We now use laptops in our school, it can be quite difficult for some 3year olds to work out how to use a touchpad, but the majority manage after a few turns. They really are amazing!!

[Deleted User]

I thought you can train a chimp and dolphin to use a mouse/pointer.

Personally, i'm gonna wait till they can read. There's lots of fun outdoors things to do in order to raise hand eye coordination.

suzysue_2

ringo_24601 wrote:

I thought you can train a chimp and dolphin to use a mouse/pointer.

Personally, i'm gonna wait till they can read. There's lots of fun outdoors things to do in order to raise hand eye coordination.

Yes it's obviously very important to develop are lovely children through the amazing outdoors.

Mousepads for some 3year olds is a very difficult thing to get to grips with...I wouldn't say they were less intelligent than a monkey though. :rolleyes:

victory

6 my son is and works the games just fine, he also does it now in class once a week so is getting better but some kids age 2/3/4 can easily handle a mouse and the pc xx

Rachie_B

my youngest is 4.5 years and has been a whizz on the PC for about 2 years !!!

he loves to play games on the cbeebies / nick jr sites but also has educational games that we have bought

Danni

DD has her own pc now- she's been using them since she was about 12 months (old enough to move the mouse and click). Her favourites are TuxTyping, Tux Paint, the animated Tux (Amor) and Koffice for typing. We use Linux here, and she already knows how to enter her password (the space bar), click on the programs and use them. She'll be 3 on Boxing Day, and wants Tux as a present

jellyhead

mine was using it for cbeebies and similar stuff at age 2.

i've seen stuff for babies, vsmile is it? that says from age 9 months, so maybe they can learn at that age that moving the mouse makes something happen on screen. my 15 month old prefers to learn from books and has toys for hand-eye co-ordination but i suppose at 2 he'll be on the PC if he wants to be.

vippymini

With the way schols are going the soner they get the hang of computers the better, my 8 year old and 6 year old have a great understanding of using the computer, in fact know more than me in some cases. they both use the computer for games and to reaserch stuff they dont know about. My 8 year old comes home with spelling they have to learn and have to put into sentaces and the computer has been a god send as if she dont know what the item is she looks it up so she can put it in the right context. Also finding out about the romans and other subjects she has the info at a touch of a key.

my six year old been learning how to build web pages and the schools been teaching them about emails....

my 4 year is now following and love the ceebies web site and again she is quickly learning about what you can do on a pc.

10 years from now i think pcs will be common place in a class room and the more they know when young and learning at home the better they will be at school :-)

conradmum

My ds3 is 3 and a bit and uses Winnie the Pooh, Tweenies, Pingu and Reader Rabbit software. The first three were bought off eBay for a snip, so don't waste your money on buying new!