While the debate continues regarding the impact of social media and technology on the development of young children and adolescents, a plethora of research supports the fact that the effective use of educational media and technology helps children learn, increases family engagement, and boosts parent and educator capacity.

In a first-of-its kind survey, education researchers from the Education Development Center (EDC) and SRI International spoke to more than 1,400 parents to explore how learning occurs in contemporary families, the role that media plays in children’s learning at home, and the types of resources and experiences that parents would like to better support their children’s learning.

Captured in the report What Parents Talk About When They Talk About Learning: A National Survey About Young Children and Science, parents told researchers they are very confident in teaching their children reading, writing and arithmetic, yetparents are far less likely to report feeling confident in helping their children learn science. Many parents, especially low-income parents, say that more ideas and resources would help them to do more science with their children. This presentation will explore how media can fill that need.

We will then explore one such mobile-based resource, Ready4K, that is currently helping over 150,000 parents across the country support their children’s learning through an evidence-based family engagement program delivered via text message. Dr. Ben York, the founder of Ready4K, will discuss the research behind Ready4K, which he led while at Stanford University, and how it has proven to increase family engagement and children’s development by 2-3 months over the course of a school year.
Please join our presenters as they highlight new science and literacy media designed to support children’s learning, in combination with new approaches to family engagement and community collaboration.