Technology works as a motivator in a variety of ways. It can be used as an incentive or reward that children must earn. It also comforts some children who are reluctant to learn new material for fear of failure. Technology allows them to pace themselves without worrying about keeping up with the rest of the class. It can also capture their interest in ways that traditional lessons are unable to do.
Technology helps kindergarten students as they transition from concrete to abstract learning. It allows them to move from using tactile materials to using representations of objects. Technology also strengthens critical thinking skills and thought processes. While these skills can be built using traditional materials in the classroom, technology incorporates kinesthetic, auditory and visual learning styles to help students learn new concepts. To enrich regular lessons, websites and activities can be used as lesson reinforcements for struggling students and enrichment activities can extend lessons for the entire class.
Kindergarten students often listen to recorded books before they are able to read the printed words. The books might be on the Internet, played on tapes or CDs or even available as MP3 files. When they listen to these recordings, kindergartners are developing language skills that will help them as they learn to read. There are also a variety of computer games that can help them practice letters, phonics and rhyming words. Students can use programs to write messages or make books to learn that they can create written material of their own.
Technology can be used throughout the day in kindergarten to teach math. Interactive calendars can be used for circle time. Extend the lesson by allowing children to draw pictures for each month or season using drawing programs. They can also use the same program to create pictures built from shapes. These activities will help strengthen kindergartners' fine motor skills and improve their ability to manipulate computer components. For other math lessons, there are several computer programs that help students learn shapes, patterns, counting and numbers.