Full Description
Use screen awareness to nurture and safeguard child development from birth to age 8 in the digital age.
This book equips early childhood professionals to grow their "screen awareness"—the knowledge and practices that uphold the developmental well-being and rights of children in a screen-based, media-centric society.
The authors introduce the Screen-Aware Framework for Early Childhood (SAFEC), a versatile approach for making informed, intentional decisions about screen use, time, and content across diverse home, classroom, and child care settings. The book highlights consequential research findings and myths about young children and screens; builds awareness of the influence of screen-based media, including problematic industry practices; and digs into protective factors for reducing risks and identifying priorities for strengthening child and family resilience.
Full of practical information, strategies, tools, and resources for developing screen-aware practices, policies, and partnerships, Screen-Aware Early Childhood is essential guidance for all those who educate and care for young children.
Book Features:
Offers a dynamic framework with actionable practices that enable adults to prioritize and protect children's developmental needs.
Builds knowledge and skills so professionals and families can make informed decisions about screen use with confidence.
Offers research-based cautions concerning the harmful effects of screen exposure on young children's health, development, and learning.
Encourages responsive, non-judgmental communication among caregivers, teachers, colleagues, families, and community partners to foster understanding and shared responsibility and support.
Includes practice-based scenarios, questions for reflection and discussion, and helpful tools and resources.
Contents
Contents
Foreword Denisha Jones xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
Part I: Cultivating Screen Awareness
1. Navigating the Screenscape 7
Growing Up in a Screen-Saturated World 7
Why Screen Aware? 11
The Screen-Aware Framework for Early Childhood (SAFEC) 13
Questions for Reflection 23
2. Focusing on Development 24
Core Developmental Needs 24
Questions for Reflection 42
3. Looking to Research 43
Common Screen Myths 43
Critical Findings 48
The Benefits of Research-Informed Practice 57
Questions for Reflection 58
4. Promoting Protective Factors 60
A Strengths-Based Lens 60
Family Protective Factors and Screen Awareness 61
Screen-Aware Protective Factors 69
Questions for Reflection 81
Part II: Advancing Screen Awareness
5. Fortifying Caregiver-Child Relationships 85
Barriers to Connection 85
Strengthening Connections 90
Summary of Key Points 96
Applying Screen Awareness 97
6. Safeguarding Children From Exploitation 98
Children as Targets 98
Child Rights and Risks in the Digital Age 103
Summary of Key Points 114
Applying Screen Awareness 115
7. Activating Screen Awareness 116
Effective Communication Strategies 116
Professional Learning and Development 120
Action Planning for Screen-Aware Practices 125
Summary of Key Points 130
Applying Screen Awareness 130
8. Establishing Policies and Partnerships 132
Program/School-Level Policies 132
Local/State Level 138
National Level 142
Summary of Key Points 144
Applying Screen Awareness 145
Epilogue: Advocating for Screen Awareness 146
Appendix A: Action Planning With SMART Goals 151
Appendix B: Sample Phone-Free Zone Sign 153
References 155
Index 173
About the Authors 177
