Schools delay screen time to focus on communication and concrete learning

St. Andrews Montessori and Covenant Academy focus on hands-on tools and face-to-face interaction in early grades

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – If you look around this classroom at St. Andrews Montessori School in Macon, you’ll see it filled with many manipulative materials such as blocks, books, and other learning tools, but you won’t see Chromebooks or iPads.

Karen Mangham, Head of School at St. Andrews Montessori School, said that’s because their younger students don’t touch a keyboard until they’re at least 8 or 9 years old.

“The child’s brain is not ready for abstract thinking until around the age of 6 or 7, and then they’re gradually moving into that ability, reasoning, and abstract thinking,” said Mangham.

Mangham said manipulative materials are concrete– something a student can handle, move with, pick up, and feel– unlike the abstract materials, like computers.

Delaying tech use to develop communication skills

Just a few miles away at Covenant Academy, 6th Grade Math Teacher and Director of Classical Thought, Stacie Hart, said digital education is also secondary at her school.

“We want technology to be purposeful.  We know that technology is used as a tool, more than it is as the teacher. So, our school wants to focus on reading and words because that’s what helps us communicate. [Our approach] gives the student a better vocabulary and allows them to be able to write well,” said Hart.

Students become confident communicators

Hart said delaying the use of computers in the classroom also helps with building children’s confidence, making them more personable leaders.  She said, even parents think so.

“They don’t know a stranger because you’re teaching them to how communicate with words and with looking people in the eye and we teach that from kindergarten, onto even interviews with people, because we want thought and good communications skills,” said Hart.

Both, St. Andrews Montessori School and Covenant Academy, agree technology is an important tool students can use to learn, but they want to introduce it when its best for the child.