TITLE:
Preschool Teachers’ Practices of ICT-Supported Early Language and Mathematics
AUTHORS:
Kleopatra Nikolopoulou
KEYWORDS:
Early Childhood Education, ICT, Language, Mathematics, Classroom Practices, Preschool
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.11 No.10,
October
23,
2020
ABSTRACT: Young children interact with a wide range of digital technologies in their everyday lives and become competent users of computers, tablets, etc. The purpose of this study was to investigate preschool teachers’ practices regarding ICT-supported early language and mathematics learning. The participants were eight teachers and data were collected via semi-structured interviews, inGreece. The most commonly reported purposes for ICT usage in preschool classes were searching for information, as a supplementary-supportive tool and for displaying educational video/pictures. The learning activities carried out in early language learning via ICT included displaying of pictures/drawings, writing a word/name/date, practicing letters, connecting words to their sound/image and phonological awareness (for familiarization with the written word, oral language, enhancement of vocabulary etc). The learning activities carried out in early mathematics with the support of ICT included serialization-sorting of objects, learning of time and space concepts, familiarization with numbers, classification, matching, as well as activities withshapes, colors, and memory cards. Teachers’ practices have implications for teacher professional development.