Practices | Young Children in Digital Society

Why are practices important?

Practices are important because they help people say and do things and interact with others. Practices give people useful examples of how they can try out different ways of interacting with other people and digital technology. Digital practices are helpful because children and their adults can learn how to use technologies safely and well together. For example, helping children with calm transitions away from the sedentary use of technologies into non-digital activities or children learning how to share technologies with each other.

What are Practices?

Practices that support young children in digital society

We have spent time with children, families, and educators exploring and sharing practices that can help children and their adults use technologies in ways that are safe, fun, and educational. There are nineteen practices that children and their adults can use to develop in the areas of Relationships, Health and Wellbeing, Citizenship, and Play and Pedagogy when using digital technologies. This table shows the Area of the Early Childhood Australia (2018) Statement on Young Children and Digital Technologies to which each practice is mapped, along with a description, example, and associated resources.

Area	Practice	Description	Resources
Relationships	Viewing	Children view digital content with others for entertainment, information seeking, relaxation, physical activity, and/or recreation. Example: Watching content on YouTube for singing, dancing, and/or rhymes with peers and adults.	Sharing screen time and digital technology with children and pre-teens Enjoying digital content with children Supporting children’s relationships with technologies
	Using	Children use digital technologies to access and share information and to communicate with others. Example: Searching for information with adult supervision and support to find out more about the type of birds observed by children in the garden.	Using technology to build relationships and social skills Using screen time and digital technology for learning: Children and pre-teens Supporting children’s relationships with technologies Play in a digital world: Ideas and tips
	Showing	Children show others how to use and engage with a variety of hardware and software. Example: Children demonstrating and explaining to each other how to take photographs using an iPad.	Using technology to build relationships and social skills Supporting peer learning with technology Supporting children’s relationships with technologies
	Discussing	Children, their peers, and adults discuss, consider, and reflect on digital content and/or the use and application of technologies in context. Example: Children and adults considering media classifications when selecting digital content.	Using technology to build relationships and social skills Supporting children’s relationships with technologies Supporting peer learning with technology Play in a digital world: Ideas and tips
Health & Wellbeing	Reinforcing	Children and trusted adults record children participating in physical activity and re-play footage to support and build skill development and receive encouragement from others for physical activity. Example: Recording a child learning to ride a bike and sharing the video with grandparents.	Staying active in the digital playground Four ways to use technology to help kids be active Screen time doesn’t have to be sedentary How can technology help get kids moving?
	Engaging	Children and adults use devices to engage children in physical activity, including audio/video for dancing, yoga, outdoor activities, and/or use device functions such as maps or timers to enhance opportunities for movement. Example: Using a mobile phone timer to record how long it takes for the child to complete a lap of the park on their bike.	Four ways to use technology to help kids be active How can technology help get kids moving? Screen time doesn’t have to be sedentary
	Launching	Adults capitalise on children’s media interests to launch children into physically active play to transition from screen viewing or to foster non-digital play. Example: Playing a game of ‘Keepy Uppy’ with balloons after watching an episode of Bluey in which Bluey and Bingo play the same game.	Four ways to use technology to help kids be active How can technology help get kids moving? Screen time doesn’t have to be sedentary
	Planning	Adults use internet-connected devices to research ideas to plan opportunities for children’s physical activity. Example: Searching online for fun ideas for active rainy-day play.	Get moving with Humpty’s Big Adventure Four ways to use technology to help kids be active How can technology help get kids moving?
	Strategising	Adults pre-plan approaches to support children with moving from screen-based activities to non-screen activities, such as providing time limits, acknowledging, distracting, offering choices and decision-making opportunities, and following routines. Example: Parents and children agreeing to watch two episodes of a favourite program prior to making lunch together.	Three ways to help kids transition away from screens smoothly How can technology help kids transition away from screens calmly? Three ways to help your child transition off screens and avoid the dreaded ‘tech tantrums’
	Singing	Adults specifically employ the use of singing with children to break engagement with screen-based devices. Example: A parent using songs from ABC Kids Shake and Move to shift their child’s attention from the device to the next planned activity.	Three ways to help kids transition away from screens smoothly How can technology help kids transition away from screens calmly? Three ways to help your child transition off screens and avoid the dreaded ‘tech tantrums’
	Inspiring	Adults and children share digital content to initiate non-screen activities, such as searching for active play ideas, craft, cooking, or developing new physical activity interests. Example: A parent and child looking up an online recipe to bake a cake together.	Three ways to help kids transition away from screens smoothly How can technology help kids transition away from screens calmly? Three ways to help your child transition off screens and avoid the dreaded ‘tech tantrums’
Citizenship	Supervising	Children use internet-connected technologies with filters and passwords applied and always with active adult supervision. Example: Parents implementing expectations that internet-connected devices are used by children in communal spaces, such as the family living room.	Cyberbullying eSafety Early Years Parent Resources eSafety Early Years Professional Learning Modules eSafety Lower Primary Professional Learning Modules eSafety Early Years Program for Educators Healthy social media use Supporting your preschooler with online games
	Modelling	Children and adults participate in online activities together so that adults can model safe internet behaviours. Example: Adults providing explicit commentary when using the internet with children, such as avoiding advertisements or pop-ups, resisting suggested content, asking consent for taking images, agreeing on who can view and receive images, and deciding whether images, stories, and names can be posted to social media.	Young Children Online Playing IT Safe Navigating life in a digital society
	Knowing	Children and adults know about the people and data they are interacting with using internet-connected technologies. Example: Parent saying to child, “We know we are talking to Auntie, so this is a safe video call to take."	eSafety Mighty Heroes video series Navigating life in a digital society What does your child understand about the internet? What is the internet?
	Pretending	Children participate in pretend play with, and about, the internet. Example: Children and their adults pretend to use the internet to communicate and/or send and receive data using non-working devices.	The wooden internet Play-based learning with a wooden internet
	Reading	Children and adults engage in shared reading of books and e-books about the internet and online safety. Example: An educator reading books about using the internet and online safety with children.	Jack Changes the Game Swoosh, Glide, and Rule Number 5 Storytelling for a connected childhood
Play & Pedagogy	Acknowledging	Adults notice and recognise children's interests in and experiences of using digital technologies and interacting with digital media and popular culture. Example: An educator noticing a child’s interest in their favourite program and providing an opportunity for a short viewing of the program with peers.	Tinkering with unplugged technology Tinker play with unplugged tech What to do with children’s media interests Unpacking imagination in action with Bluey Supporting children’s play and learning using technologies Technologies used in play Using apps and websites to support children’s interests and skills Developing a culture of consent
	Interpreting	Children interpret their experiences with digital technologies and media through play and in discussion and collaboration with others. Example: Children and their educators creating and recording mini episodes of a child’s preferred program.	Tinkering with unplugged technology Tinker play with unplugged tech Supporting children’s play and learning using technologies Technologies used in play Developing a culture of consent Using apps and websites to support children’s interests and skills
	Integrating	Children and adults integrate digital technologies with non-digital media and/or experiences. Example: Children using an augmented reality app about dinosaurs in conjunction with hands-on materials including blocks and toy dinosaurs.	Media as a portal to play Technologies used in play When the dinosaurs came to kindy Developing a culture of consent Everyday learning to build young children’s digital technology skills Supporting children’s play and learning using technologies Using apps and websites to support children’s interests and skills