Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, Volume 3, Number 2, 2002
160
Computers in
Early Childhood Mathematics [1]
DOUGLAS H. CLEMENTS
University at Buffalo, State University of New York, USA
ABSTRACT Computers are increasingly a part of the lives of young children.
This article reviews empirical studies that have investigated the implementation
and use of computers in early childhood mathematics, from birth to grade 3.
Major topics include general issues of children using computers, the use and
efficacy of various types of computer programs for teaching and learning
mathematics, and effective teaching strategies using computers.
Children Using Computers
Most schools have some computer technology, with the ratio of computers to
students changing from 1:125 in 1984 and 1:22 in 1990 to 1:10 in 1997
(Clements & Nastasi, 1993; Coley et al, 1997). However, schools having
computers does not mean children use computers. In one study, just 9% of
fourth graders (they did not collect data on younger children) said they used a
computer for schoolwork almost every day; 60% said they never used one. A
study of preschool and kindergarten classrooms indicated low use by most
teachers (Cuban, 2001). Nevertheless, there seems to be an increasing potential
for children to use computers in early childhood settings. Is such use
appropriate?
An old concern is that children must reach the stage of concrete
operations before they are ready to work with computers. Research, however,
has found that preschoolers are more competent than has been thought and
can, under certain conditions, exhibit thinking traditionally considered
‘concrete’ (Gelman & Baillargeon, 1983). Furthermore, research shows that
even young pre-operational children can use appropriate computer programs
(Clements & Nastasi, 1992). A related concern is that computer use demands
symbolic competence; that is, computers are not concrete. This ignores,
however, that much of the activity in which young children engage is
symbolic. They communi