What does your child understand about the internet?
About this resource
This article supports parents and carers to engage in conversations with young children about the internet.
Age range for this resource
For parents and carers of young children aged 2 to 5 years.
Goal of this resource
To foster young children’s sense of wellbeing and online safety.
To provide opportunities for young children to share their understanding about the internet with trusted adults.
To build young children’s understanding of the function and purpose of the internet.
How might educators use this resource?
Share this article with colleagues to think about how children and adults talking about the internet can provide a starting point for online safety education.
How might families use this resource?
Read this article and view the animated video (1.35 minutes duration) embedded in the article. Use the question prompts to ask your child(ren) what they know and understand about the internet. Use these conversations as a starting point for talking about online safety.
How might organisations use this resource?
Provide a link to this article in your newsletter or communication to families. Encourage families to think about talking with their own children about how they use the internet. Use this article in service policies, such as meeting Child Safe Standards.
What learning might we see?
Parents and carers understanding the importance of talking with young children about the internet as a starting point for online safety in early childhood.
Young children developing an awareness of the purpose and function of the internet.
Practices
Knowing
Children and adults know about the people and data they are interacting with using internet-connected technologies.
Area
Citizenship
Citizenship in digital contexts recognises that young children are active participants in their communities now and into the future. As citizens, young children respect their own rights and those of other people, and develop an appreciation for cultural, racial, gender, and religious diversity. Digital rights, digital privacy, online safety, and cyber-safety education provide a foundation for early citizenship in digital contexts.
Connection to relevant standards
Belonging, Being, and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia V2.0 (Australian Government Department of Education, 2022)
Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity
Children feel safe, secure, and supported (e.g., Educators support children’s sense of security through consistent and warm nurturing relationships).
Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy, and respect (e.g., Educators support children to learn about and recognise safe and unsafe situations).
Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world
Children develop a sense of connectedness to groups and communities and an understanding of their reciprocal rights and responsibilities as active and informed citizens (e.g., Children broaden their understanding of the world in which they live; Educators provide opportunities for children to investigate ideas, complex concepts, and ethical issues that are relevant to their lives and their local communities).
Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
Children become strong in their social, emotional, and mental wellbeing (e.g., Educators discuss and model appropriate use of digital technologies and discuss how to keep children safe online with children and families; Educators update their own learning of digital and cyber safety for children).
Children are aware of and develop strategies to support their own mental and physical health and personal safety (e.g., Educators learn about e-safety for children and embed and model safe digital practices).
Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners
Children develop a growth mindset and learning dispositions such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination, and reflexivity (e.g., Educators build on the funds of knowledge, languages, and understandings that children bring to their early childhood setting).
Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators
Children use digital technologies and media to access information, investigate ideas, and represent their thinking (e.g., Children identify technologies and their use in everyday life; Educators assist children to have a basic understanding that the internet is a network that people use to connect and source information; Educators research topics and search for information with children).
National Quality Standard (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, 2019)
Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice (e.g., Each child’s current knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities, and interests are the foundation of the program; Educators are deliberate, purposeful, and thoughtful in their decisions and actions; Educators respond to children’s ideas and play and extend children’s learning through open-ended questions, interactions, and feedback; Each child’s agency is promoted, enabling them to make choices and decisions that influence events and their world).
Quality Area 2: Children’s health and safety (e.g., At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard).
Quality Area 5: Relationships with children (e.g., Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident, and included).
National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2018)
Principle 5: People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
Principle 7: Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
Principle 8: Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
Explore More
If these ideas are new to you, explore these related resources:
This article describes how the use of wooden pretend devices (e.g., phones, laptops, tablets, Wi-fi routers) in play-based learning can support children’s understanding of the internet and provide valuable opportunities for adults to model and discuss online safety with children.
Swoosh, Glide and Rule Number 5
This picture book helps educators, parents, and carers to discuss online safety behaviours with children.
For more ideas, explore these related resources:
Storytelling for a connected childhood
This article invites parents, carers, and educators to use stories to engage children and build their understanding about online safety.
Developing a culture of consent
This video presentation explores how early childhood educators can embed a culture of consent in their services by requesting permission from children and adults before taking and using digital images of children.
If you would like to read some research, explore these related resources:
Edwards, S., Nolan, A., Henderson, M., Mantilla, A., Plowman, L., & Skouteris, H. (2018). Young children’s everyday concepts of the internet: A platform for cyber‐safety education in the early years. British Journal of Educational Technology, 49(1), 45–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12529
Mertala, P. (2020). Young children’s perceptions of ubiquitous computing and the Internet of Things. British Journal of Educational Technology, 51(1), 84–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12821