Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- A national survey shows 49 percent of parents plan to give children 12 and younger electronic gifts this holiday season. But parents need the right resources to make sure their kids are learning on that technology. Leslie Rotenberg, senior vice president of PBS, gives KSL parents some tips.
Rotenberg says PBS commissioned research with children and the media and found handheld and touch screen devices offer kids extraordinary potential for learning. The most important thing is what applications they put on that technology.
The first thing you want to do is look for apps that offer education and entertainment, Rotenberg says. Then consider your child's interests and choose apps that are geared towards things they love. That makes the children more likely to be interested and learn. Rotenberg also says to look for apps that are geared toward the right age and developmental stage for the child. Not all 4-year-olds are at the same stage. What is your child ready to learn?
In the end, Rotenberg says, the device isn't as important as the content that's on it. She advises giving your child a healthy media diet. There will be many opportunities for them to just have fun, but you should also give them opportunities to learn, grow, explore and be creative.
