Keywords

1 Introduction

A review of the literature has revealed that learning by preschool children can be enhanced through play and exploration that includes the use of digital technologies. The iPad, with its ease of interaction on the touch screen, thousands of downloadable early learning applications, engaging multimedia capabilities, and reasonable cost is appealing to classroom teachers and parents of preschool children. However, little information exists on how this potential can be utilized effectively with young children with disabilities. The focus of this study was to look at the use of iPads by eight preschool children participating in an inclusive classroom during the afternoon, and looked at the learning the children demonstrated on the iPad over twenty-one weeks, the apps that were used, and parent and teacher perceptions on the use of the iPad by the children.

2 Background

Research on new digital technologies such as the iPad and applications with preschool children is slowly emerging. Matthews and Seow [1] looked at the symbolic representation of 12 children ages 2–11 years using electronic paint on tablet computers. The researchers videotaped children drawing with both tablet computers and traditional media. They found that the tablet and stylus-interfaced technology was a superior tool for drawing. Couse and Chen [2] explored the viability of tablet computers in early education by investigating preschool children’s ease in acclimating to tablet technology and its effectiveness in engaging them to draw. The teachers reported high child interest in the task and drawings as being above expectation. Chiong and Shuler [3] looked at the use of iPod touch devices with children ages 3 to 7 and found that the children made gains in vocabulary and phonological awareness when using the iPod. Bebell, et al. [4] found that kindergarten children using an iPad had greater gains in literacy learning than those not using tablets. Chmiliar [5, 6] in a series of two pilot studies with preschool children with disabilities, found that young children between the ages of three to five were able to successfully learn to navigate the iPad. In each of the pilot studies, preschool children with a range of disabilities used iPads independently at home over an 8 week period of time. The children demonstrated improvements in many preschool skills at the conclusion of the study.

The focus of this study was to look at the use of iPads by preschool children with disabilities participating in an inclusive classroom. The study looked at: the learning the children demonstrated across curriculum areas over twenty-one weeks; the apps that the children chose to use; and parent and teacher perceptions on the use of the iPad by the children.

3 Methodology

The central question for the present research was: What improvement in early learning skills do preschool children with disabilities evidence while using the iPad and early learning apps over a period of 21 weeks?

This research took place in an inclusive preschool program with eight preschool children ages 3 to 5, identified as having disabilities. The children had a range of disabilities including significant speech and language delays, neurological impairments, developmental delay, or behaviors on the autism spectrum. Each child in the study had the iPad to use at home throughout the study and were required to bring the iPad into the classroom each day. The iPads were used in a learning centre in the classroom with all of the children.

This study used a mixed-method approach. First, this study can be seen as participatory action research with the classroom teacher and the researchers working together to understand how to best implement this technology in the inclusive preschool environment. In this research, there were 6 action cycles over a period of 21 weeks. In Cycle I the teacher, children, and parents were introduced to the tool for one week. In each of the remaining cycles, each cycle focused was on a specific area of preschool readiness addressed in the classroom and each cycle lasted 4 weeks. The five focus areas were: drawing, creativity and fine motor skills; tracing and printing; concepts color/shapes; concepts for numeracy; and concepts for literacy.

Second, this study utilized a multiple case study design. Multiple-case design, or collective case design, refers to case study research in which a number of instrumental bounded cases are selected to develop a more in-depth understanding of the phenomena than a single case can provide. Each individual student case consists of a comprehensive description of the student’s preschool skills and experience with the iPad and the apps.

4 Results

During each of the cycles, data from the informal pre and post assessments was gathered. Across cases, it was evidenced that all of the children in the study demonstrated extensive learning directly related to participation in the apps. For example: in the first cycle, significant changes in ability to complete puzzles and mazes was observed for all of the children in the study. In one case, a three year old girl with a neurological impairment started the 4 weeks not being able to complete even a simple puzzle on the iPad. At the end of the 4 weeks the student was independently completing 32 piece interlocking puzzles. Another example is a four year old boy who was not able to “pinch the pepper” at the beginning of the cycle but was able to successfully pinch many “peppers” in rapid succession at the end of the cycle. During the cycle that focused on literacy one three year old girl learned the majority of the alphabet letters and the sounds of the letters. Another four year old boy learned to read a number of words and combined them into sentences on a very interactive engaging app. Overall, it was observed that each child demonstrated very individual choices as to what appealed to them and it was evident that the greatest learning that occurred for each child was directly related to the apps that they specifically liked and engaged with. All of the children were able to navigate through the apps independently and engaged with all of the apps provided to them during each cycle. It was observed that each child would explore apps where they knew and were comfortable with the content, and alternate this with apps where the content was challenging for them. However, some of the reluctant children engaged with apps more quickly when the app was introduced to them by an adult.

Observations of each child in the home, and the interviews with the parents, produced interesting results. It was observed that most of the children engaged with the iPad and apps for longer periods of time at home and appeared to have a higher level of attention in the home environment. In every case, the parent(s) reported changes in their child’s skills they felt were directly related to apps on the iPad. One parent felt that her child’s speech and language growth was specifically related to apps on the iPad due to the child’s word choices and voice inflection that was similar to the language in the app. In another case, the parent reported that the child had learned a much larger range of shapes on the app than what was being taught in class. In yet another case, the parents were very impressed with how their four year old child was creating her own movies with her toys. In several cases the parents reported that they had observed a sibling engaging with the child, the older sibling leading the child into what they thought were more advanced activities. The iPad use by two of the children had to be monitored carefully by the parents. They felt that the child was too engaged with the iPad. This was a struggle for them as they were witnessing so much learning at home related to use of the iPad.

5 Conclusion

This exploratory study is one of a number of small studies aimed at examining the use of the iPad with preschool children with disabilities. Due to the very limited scope of the study and the small number of preschool children involved, there is not yet sufficient evidence to determine the best practices of the use of this tool with this population. However, given the positive results that this study produced, the use of this device as an early learning tool for children with disabilities should be explored further.

Overall, the children were observed to have made significant gains in learning in many areas. In most cases the greatest learning was evidenced when the apps available on the iPad appealed to the unique interests of the child. It is important to provide a number of apps to the children to select from that address the skills and knowledge being focused on. It is also important to provide a range of difficulty in the apps so that the child can review previously learned skills as well as explore new concepts.