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ERIC Number: EJ786417
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Apr
Pages: 25
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0272-930X
EISSN: N/A
Effects of Home and School Computer Use on School Readiness and Cognitive Development among Head Start Children: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial
Li, Xiaoming; Atkins, Melissa S.; Stanton, Bonita
Merrill-Palmer Quarterly: Journal of Developmental Psychology, v52 n2 p239-263 Apr 2006
Data from 122 Head Start children were analyzed to examine the impact of computer use on school readiness and psychomotor skills. Children in the experimental group were given the opportunity to work on a computer for 15-20 minutes per day with their choice of developmentally appropriate educational software, while the control group received a standard Head Start curriculum. Four standardized tests were administered at baseline and 6 months later to assess their school readiness, visual motor skills, gross motor skills, and cognitive development. The experimental group performed significantly better than the control group on the school readiness test. The effect of computer use at school was strongly enhanced by the children's home computer experience. The data were inconclusive regarding the potential effect of computer use on motor skills. These findings underscore the importance of early childhood computer use in the development of minds and bodies of children from socioeconomically disadvantaged families.
Wayne State University Press. The Leonard N. Simons Building, 4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309. Tel: 800-978-7323; Fax: 313-577-6131; Web site: http://wsupress.wayne.edu/journals/merrill/merrillj.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A