A Comparison of Child-Tested Early Childhood Education Software with Professional Ratings

Abstract

This study explored children's preferences for 13 computer software programs and field-tested the relationship of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) ratings of early childhood computer software programs to actual child selection. Participants were 19 4-year-olds. The Haugland and Shade (1990) evaluation instrument was used to assign DAP ratings to the software programs; children were then video- and audiotaped at the computers over one semester. Results showed: (1) some positive relationships between highly rated programs and children's preferences; (2) features identified in Haugland and Shade (1992), such as age-appropriateness, open-endedness, child-controlled or process-oriented, were present in the frequently selected programs, but some developmentally inappropriate software programs were preferred by children; (3) children preferred the software that provided the opportunity to interact, and interactions were the defining characteristic that motivated selections; and (4) male students chose to visit the computer area more frequently than female students. (Contains 26 references.) (Author/EV)