How Effective is Online Learning for Early Childhood Students?

Laura Haymes Harlan

COVID-19 made us rely on technology, particularly for home-based learning. The teachers had few choices. Therefore, technology was the only tool they had at that given time. Perhaps for some content subjects and areas, online learning is effective. However, for Early Childhood students, it creates big problems. As the COVID-19 pandemic ends, teachers and administrators must decide whether to move forward embracing online learning or shelve it for the next crisis. This project explores the published research on online learning for Early Childhood students using the EBSCO databases available through Jackson Library. While a few scholars find value in this type of instruction, many others raise serious concerns about its usefulness and the reduced human contact. The research shows that both educational and emotional delays can occur in young students whose schooling takes place online.