1. Add technology to the education
toolbox.
Research shows that technology can be useful in supporting learning, but
only if providers and families use it in a thoughtful and intentional way.
Children from low-income families face the greatest challenges in skills
development due to disparities that appear at a young age, and they might
experience the greatest benefits from these new opportunities for learning
and engagement.
2. Support school readiness in digital
literacy.
With increasingly higher standards for technology use in early elementary
grades, all children, particularly low-income children, could benefit from
acquiring basic technology literacy skills in early childhood education settings
to ensure they are ready for the classroom.
3. Narrow the digital divide
The gap between disadvantaged students and their peers in access to and use
of technology — the “digital divide” — is significant. Low-income families are
less likely to have access to most types of technology, and children in lowincome families are more likely to use technology in ways that are passive and
isolated. This may prevent children from gaining exposure to important tools
for learning and skill growth. In early childhood education settings, low-income
children can access technology that is not available in the home, and they can
be taught to use technology in ways that are more likely to result in skill
growth and learning, thereby addressing disparities in use.