Primary and Early Years > Technology > Desktop

P34: How do children use computers in the nursery?
Author: Sandra Rudd, Nursery Nurse, St Cuthbert's RC Nursery, Durham
Date: 2005

The nursery nurse investigated which nursery children were choosing to use PCs in the classroom and how they were using them. Observations were recorded every ten minutes during two separate hour-long periods, during which staff intervened only minimally with the children. Only half of the children chose to use the ICT, with four out of the twenty children , those who were most confident at using ICT, dominating their use. Usage was split almost equally between boys and girls.

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Primary and Early Years > Technology > Desktop

P57: Developing Keyboard Skills in Reception Children
Author: Claire Price and Jayne Hagar, Hunwick Primary School
Date: 2006

Summary

Claire and Jayne investigate the use of a BIGKEYS PLUS keyboard to help keyboard skills in reception children. The keyboards helped the children to log on to the school network using their own log on, and provided a 'stepping stone' towards the use of a normal keyboard.

Action

Each child was given their own unique log in to the school network, where they could access a range of websites and software to help with their learning. To help them learn their log in, which consisted of their initial and surname, the children were given 'log in' cards and the BIGKEYS PLUS keyboard to use. They could then move on to the standard or laptop keyboards when they were ready.

Outcomes

Claire and Jayne felt that the colourful, non-threatening and user friendly keyboards had given many of the children the confidence to progress to the stage where many of them could log on to the network using standard keyboards without the help of their 'log in' cards.

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