Early-childhood advocates alarmed at growth of online preschool programs

In a joint petition statement released Wednesday by Defending the Early Years and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, dozens of early-childhood education experts and advocates expressed alarm at the growth of online preschool programs that are being used primarily by parents who cannot access traditional preschool because of cost factors or lack of access to high-quality programs, according to the Hechinger Report.The petition warns that online preschool programs can lead to excess exposure to screens for that age group, resulting in behavior problems, sleep deprivation, delays in the social-emotional development of children and are poor substitutes for high-quality, in-person preschool programs that offer hands-on learning and the opportunity to build relationships.However, Claudia Miner, chief UPSTART officer for the Waterford Institute, cautions against treating all online preschool programs the same and points out that the popular UPSTART program encourages offline activities with parents and is a valuable supplement to online preschool or as a preschool replacement option for parents who don’t have access to preschool programs or prefer to keep young children at home.