Be Tech Wise With Young Children

May is Speech Language Hearing Month. The Marion Downs Center cannot emphasize enough the importance of direct connections with young children to facilitate language development.

The brains of babies to toddlers grow very quickly. Intentional communication helps grow bonds, boost vocabulary and language, prepare them for social situations, and build the foundation for literacy.

Today’s generation of children are exposed to screens more than ever. Human beings can respond to intentional communication from young children whereas tech devices cannot respond appropriately.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has tech guidelines for how much screen time babies to toddlers should receive.

• Under 18 months: No screen time (Video calls w/ loved ones is ok)
• 18-24 months: A small amount, at most, of high quality programming
• 2-5 Years : 1 hour per day MAX PER DAY “co-view” (watch together)

To learn more about how to help your young child thrive, visit www.IdentifyTheSigns.org .

For Babies - https://identifythesigns.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Be-Tech-Wise-With-Baby.pdf

For Toddlers - https://identifythesigns.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Be-Tech-Wise-With-Toddler.pdf

For Preschoolers - https://identifythesigns.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Be-Tech-Wise-With-Preschoolers.pdf