Introduction
Language knowledge develops during the preschool years to prepare students for success in kindergarten and beyond. Preschool and kindergarten education is normally the base that ought to be firm to ensure that a child gets the best in terms of education and that the child is well prepared for other stages of education. This means that the kind of base we lay for our children during the preschool stage is very crucial. Preschool education and the government funding that supports it has been a consistent topic of debate since its conception. Recently, debates have come up regarding whether it is appropriate for kindergarten kids to have iPads and proms. This discussion focuses on the appropriateness of this kind of technology on kindergarteners and the possible impact they are likely to have.
Arguments against
Since this issue came up, there have been a variety of reactions, with some people arguing that it is too early to give kids this kind of gadget (Combs, 2011, p.23). A number of people feel that it may be very costly to entrust young kids with such technological devices because, more often, they are likely to drop them, thus destroying them. Others feel that by allowing children to have access to this technology at such an early age, they will not be able to learn the basics that they very much need in laying a firm educational foundation. They argue that such kids will not see the need to use books for purposes of research, and this will mean that they will be lacking in terms of being fully efficient students (Combs, 2011, p.23-4).
Arguments in favor
However, looking at the other side of the coin, giving iPads and proms to kindergarten kids is a good way of helping the kids adapt to technology at an early age. The world has changed and has become quite technological. Almost everything, including education, now revolves around technology, and a child who is not well conversant with various technological advancements may find it difficult to cope with the education system. It is, therefore, important to have them learn the nitty-gritty of technology at this young age (Hess, 2011, p.123).
The other reason why kids need to be introduced to iPads and proms at an early age is to ensure that the process of learning is made enjoyable among kids. For a long time, the learning process has been seen as torturous and almost unbearable, especially for young kids. However, with the introduction of iPads, children can enjoy the process of learning and therefore making learning easier for them.
The other great importance of having kindergarten kids using iPads is because it will help save on paper and therefore protect the environment by going green (Gruman, 2011, p.34). Production of papers is one of the aspects that cause environmental degradation, and therefore introducing the use of iPads at the kindergarten stage will mean that there will be less paper used.
Conclusion
The introduction of iPads, proms, and other technological devices is a great idea that ensures that children get acquainted with the necessary skills that they may need. It is, however, important to ensure that there is a limit to which kids should be allowed to use these gadgets because, again, books are equally important, and iPads and proms cannot be used exclusively to the exception of books. They, therefore, need to be used but only to supplement what is available in books.
References
Combs, B. (2011). Assessing and addressing literacy needs: cases and instructional strategies. London: Sage.
Gruman, G. (2011). Exploring Ipad 2 for dummies. New York: For Dummies.
Hess, A. (2011). Ipad 2 fully loaded. New York: John Wiley and Sons.