Online preschools are growing in popularity and some Early Childhood experts and advocates have a big problem with that. So much so that they have launched a petition to shut them down warning that they “can lead to excess exposure to screens for that age group, resulting in behavior problems, sleep deprivation, delays in the social-emotional development of children and are poor substitutes for high-quality, in-person preschool programs that offer hands-on learning and the opportunity to build relationships.”
They are not referring to the apps and digital education resources used for supplementing education or reinforcing learning but full time online preschools like CHALK Preschool Online, UPSTART and K12 Inc.
Early Childhood is such a delicate time in development. Aside from where there is limited access to in-person learning environments, It is certainly concerning to think of a child spending their day in front of a computer especially when they are likely to spend play time on screens as well. Would you consider a fully digital learning experience for your preschooler?
