Last term, I wrote about delaying giving your child a smartphone and why that can be a positive decision for many families.
Recently, I listened to a thought-provoking presentation by Dr Chris Watkin, whose ideas reinforced many of the conversations we have been having at Maranatha about helping students build strong foundations before increasing their access to digital tools.
It prompted me to ask a similar question:
When is the right time to give my child a Laptop?
At Maranatha, we value technology and recognise that our students will need to be digitally capable and confident in a rapidly changing world. However, before students can effectively use technology, they first need to develop the ability to think deeply for themselves.
Formation Before Technology
One of Dr Watkin’s key ideas is that education is not simply about providing access to information. It is about the formation of the learner.
During the primary years, children are learning how to focus, persevere, organise their thinking, communicate clearly and engage deeply with ideas. These habits underpin all future learning.
- Students need to become readers before researchers, writers before editors, and thinkers before users of artificial intelligence.
In a world where AI can generate answers instantly, students need the ability to evaluate those answers. They need to recognise the difference between thoughtful, well-researched work and shallow or incomplete responses. That discernment is developed through reading, writing, discussion and critical thinking.
- Delaying technology is not about limiting opportunities. It is about ensuring that formation happens alongside the learning of foundational skills.
What We Are Seeing
As parents and educators, we are noticing that many children are finding it harder to sustain attention, persevere with challenging tasks and engage deeply with learning.
This should not surprise us. Recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data found that only around one in four children aged 5-17 meet recommended screen-time guidelines, with children spending an average of almost three hours per day on recreational screen activities. [abs.gov.au]
Our children’s world is filled with notifications, videos, games and endless streams of information competing for their attention. Learning requires concentration, effort, persistence and sustained thinking. These habits become harder to develop when screens are constantly demanding attention.
The Challenge of AI
Artificial intelligence has made this conversation even more important.
Today, students can generate answers, essays and ideas within seconds. However, if they have not developed strong foundations in reading, writing and critical thinking, they often lack the ability to judge whether those responses are any good, accurate or appropriate.
- In other words, they can produce an answer without necessarily understanding the answer.
Restricted Technology Use
At Maranatha, technology has always been viewed as a tool to support learning rather than drive it. As we continue to review research and educational practice, we remain committed to an intentionally balanced approach. Technology will continue to have an important place in our classrooms, but it will be used purposefully and at appropriate times rather than becoming the default tool for every learning task.
You will continue to see a strong emphasis on:
- Handwriting and written responses
- Reading printed texts
- Explicit teaching
- Rich classroom discussion
- Practical learning experiences
- Collaborative problem-solving
- Building sustained attention and focus
A recent review of 24 studies found that students who took handwritten notes achieved stronger learning outcomes than those who typed notes, with handwriting helping students process and retain information more effectively. [link.springer.com]
Delaying the Laptop
Just as many families are reconsidering the timing of introducing smartphones, there is value in asking whether every primary-aged child needs access to a laptop. Our goal is not simply to raise children who can access information. Our goal is to raise young people who can think wisely, evaluate ideas critically and use technology as a tool rather than becoming dependent upon it.
Technology will always be waiting for them. Childhood will not.
Jenny Rus
Director of Junior School
Maranatha Christian School
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