Playtime and art supplies win appeal at NAEYC

Take thousands of preschool teachers, put them in a convention center, offer them 800 sessions about early childhood, and see where they end up.

Based on my unscientific observations in Chicago last week, at the annual meeting of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, they'll be drawn to the sessions on "play" like kids to cupcakes. They'll pack the ballroom to learn new ideas for using paints, putty and other school supplies. And while some will come to hear about new technology -- how it should be used and how it's being used poorly -- most won't.

As a mom of young children, that doesn't surprise me. I, too, want to know more about playtime. I love eavesdropping on my children's conversations in the midst of pretend play. And I'm a sucker for art supplies. I can't seem to walk out of Michael's, the big retail store, without spending $100 or more.

The idea of mixing computers with young kids has always been a harder sell -- for reasons that are both legitimate and not. I've watched Gigi, my 3-and-a-half-year-old, become enthralled with games on the computer, like those on SesameStreet.org, PBSKids.org, and Peep and the Big Wide World. She smiles and feels pride in what she can achieve online -- just as she beams whenever she accomplishes or masters new tasks offline. So clearly, there is something about technology that could work for kids -- if not done at the expense of other worthwhile moments.

In halfday preschools, for example, time is so limited that I understand and applaud decisions to keep kids involved in traditional "hands on" activities, like water tables, playdough, and playing dress up.

But in preschools and daycare centers that enroll children for a full day -- some even go into the evenings -- how should computer technology be used? What works? What doesn't? Will at-risk children need to be exposed to computers at age 4 in preschool, since their advantaged peers are probably getting it at home?

These are the some of the questions that were raised at the conference, but often to small audiences and often without satisfactory answers. The next NAEYC event, in New Orleans in June 2008, is focused on the use of technology in early childhood. I hope to attend -- and to learn much more. (Meanwhile, when it comes to tips for engaging kids, I've got a whole bunch of cool notes on creative ways to use water color paints.)