The National Institute of Early Childhood (NIEC) is steering preschools towards a careful middle ground where technology enhances, rather than replaces, effective teaching.
Its approach blends digital tools with thoughtful pedagogy, always prioritising child well-being and safety. The message is clear: tech in early learning must be age-appropriate, adult-guided, and purposeful — with passive screen time firmly discouraged.
Instead, NIEC urges parents and educators to “co-play” and “co-think” with children, making digital experiences interactive and meaningful.
Training Teachers to Teach with Tech
Through its training programmes, NIEC shows preschool teachers how to use technology as a structured classroom tool. The guidelines align with the Actus code of practice: no screen time for children under 18 months, and purposeful, structured use for older age groups.
“The early childhood education is all about striking that balance between the use of technology and alongside with pedagogy so that it is meaningful for your child,” said Amelia Jaishree, an NIEC leader.
Measuring Success
The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) reports that over half of preschools now use technology effectively within a strong pedagogical framework. Success, says NIEC, is measured not by hours of tech use but by meaningful engagement — experiences where children co-play, co-create, and actively construct their own learning.
About the speaker:
Amelia Jaishree, Lead Specialist, Learning with Technology at the National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC), Singapore, boasts over 18 years in education. Her career spans preschool education to tertiary lecturing and corporate training. With a Master of Education in Educational/Instructional Technology, she focuses on curriculum design and integrating technology. She has held roles at institutions like Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Kaplan Professional, developing innovative learning experiences. Her expertise includes lesson design and inclusive learning, contributing to publications on child engagement and well-being.
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5W1H summary:
| Category | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who | 1. NIEC trains teachers. 2. Preschool teachers learn. 3. Children (0-18 months, older). |
| What | 1. Balancing technology use. 2. Integrating pedagogy effectively. 3. Ensuring child well-being. |
| When | 1. Zero screen time 0-18 months. 2. Continuous engagement with children. 3. Long-term child development. |
| Where | 1. Early childhood education. 2. Preschool classrooms. 3. Home settings (e.g., dinner table). |
| Why | 1. Prevent passive screen time. 2. Promote meaningful interaction. 3. Foster co-thinking, co-playing. |
| How | 1. Technology must be age-appropriate. 2. Adult-facilitated, safe use. 3. Co-playing, co-constructing learning. |
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Q: What is the primary focus when integrating technology into early childhood education?
- A: The primary focus is striking a balance between technology use and pedagogy, always centered around the child’s well-being and safety.
- Q: What key principles should guide the use of technology with young children?
- A: Technology use should be age-appropriate, adult-facilitated, and safe. These three points are crucial for any technology integration.
- Q: How does NIEC assist teachers in balancing technology and pedagogy for preschoolers?
- A: NIEC helps teachers by training them to facilitate meaningful and purposeful shared experiences with technology, encouraging co-thinking, co-interacting, and co-playing instead of passive consumption.
- Q: What are the screen time recommendations for different age groups of young children?
- A: For children aged 0 to 18 months, there should be zero screen time. For older children, technology is primarily used in the classroom for teaching and learning purposes.
- Q: How can one determine the success of integrating technology with pedagogy in preschools?
- A: Success is measured by continually engaging children meaningfully and purposefully, ensuring experiences help in co-playing and co-constructing learning. Over 50% of preschools are already effectively balancing both, according to MSF reports.
Transcript of the interview:
In early childhood, it is about striking that balance between the technology use and also pedagogy in early childhood. I think it is always centered around the child, the child’s well-being and safety involved in the use. If I can position it, when we are using any kind of technology, we should bear in mind three very important points: making sure that it is age-appropriate, adult-facilitated, and safe use.
I see. And what does NIEC as the national body to train teachers of these preschoolers, what are you how are you helping them in striking this balance?
Let me help you envision this. Picture this for a moment. You are there with your child. You are at your dinner table and your child is just sitting there. You hand them a tablet and they are looking at it passively, just watching videos after videos. You realise there is no communication, no interaction. 10 years down the road, your child is estranged, devoid of human interaction. Same scene, just rewind that. You are maybe at a dinner table and instead of just handing the tablet passively to your child to look at it, you are both looking at it together. You are co-thinking, co-interacting and co-playing with that same tool, making that experience, that shared experience, meaningful and purposeful. That is what early childhood education is all about: striking that balance between the use of technology and alongside with pedagogy so that it is meaningful for your child.
And that is what NIEC does I suppose, absolutely, to teach that balance?
That is right. To add on, I think we are also very aligned with our Actus code of practice. For children from 0 to 18 months, there should be zero screen time. For older children, technology is used in the classroom with your child primarily for teaching and learning.
How will you know though if you are successful given that there might be a 10-year run as you described?
I think if you continually engage your child meaningfully and purposefully, to ensure those experiences you create are helping you in co-playing, co-constructing that learning. I am very sure even with the experiences being age-appropriate, adult-facilitated, and safe, it does set those parameters, those boundaries that are going to set you up for a great future in the use and in that balance of technology and also with pedagogy. I think a lot of our schools are already doing it. MSF has reported that we have more than 50% of our preschools who are using it very effectively, balancing both the pedagogy and technology.