Early Childhood Teachers' Use of Digital Apps for Language and Literacy Instruction During COVID-19

• In Event: Section 1a, Poster Session 1. Literacy: Literacy Processes and Practices

Abstract

The arrival of COVID-19 in the United States in March of 2020 led to the widespread closures of schools, and a rapid shift to remote instruction, even for very young children. The present project explores early childhood educators’ use of digital technology intended to support literacy and language learning during COVID-19 remote instruction. The present project reports on 1) the frequency with which teachers asked families to use different kinds of digital technology, 2) the specific educational websites/apps used at least once a week during remote/distance learning, 3) the websites/apps that teachers believed helped children learn the most in the areas of literacy or language, and 4) the quality of the early language and literacy apps used.

Authors

• Elizabeth Burke Hadley, University of South Florida - Tampa

• Meaghan McKenna, University of Kansas Medical Center

• Xigrid Soto-Boykin, University of Kansas