What parents need to know
Leading child development expert calls for caution and responsibility from schools using tablets. Developmental science doesn’t support widespread device use in classrooms.
Full Citation
L’Ecuyer, C. (2023). An Open Letter to School Leaders using Tablets: A Call For Caution and Responsibility. Published November 9, 2023.
Publication Type
Expert position paper and open letter by child development researcher and author
What They Studied
Catherine L’Ecuyer, researcher and author of “The Wonder Approach” and “Looks Better in 3D,” synthesized developmental psychology and neuroscience research to evaluate the appropriateness of widespread tablet use in schools. The letter examines whether tablet integration aligns with what we know about how children learn and develop, particularly in early childhood and primary years.
Key Findings
- Developmental science does not support the widespread integration of tablets in early childhood and primary education
- Children’s cognitive development requires certain types of experiences that screens cannot provide
- The “necessary EdTech de-escalation” is needed based on what we understand about child development
- Tablets and screens interfere with important developmental processes including attention development, spatial reasoning, and embodied learning
- School leaders have a responsibility to make decisions based on developmental science, not marketing claims
- The rush to digitalization has proceeded without adequate consideration of developmental appropriateness
- Many of the skills EdTech promises to develop are actually undermined by excessive screen exposure
- L’Ecuyer calls for school leaders to exercise caution and demand robust evidence before continuing or expanding tablet programs
- The letter emphasizes that this is not about being “anti-technology” but about being pro-child development
