Hello everyone, welcome to the Munch and
Move Staff Development Kit, and welcome
to the Monitor key message training
module, Turn Off the Screen and Get
Active. If you are undertaking this
training module, your service has already
completed module one, Program Overview of
the Staff Development Kit. Let's start by
sharing the recommendations and a
statistic related to this key message. On
this screen you will see the Get Up and
Grow Physical Activity Recommendations
for children birth to five years,
sometimes referred to as sedentary
behaviour recommendations, and the
Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines.
These recommendations focus on screen
time and sedentary behaviour, as limiting
screen time will also limit sedentary
behaviour. Lots of sedentary behaviour
occurs during screen time. We need to
ensure infants, toddlers and preschoolers
are not sedentary, restrained in a car
seat, stroller or high chair for more
than one hour at a time, or kept
inactive or sitting for extended periods.
Whilst sedentary, it is encouraged that
children aged birth to five years are
engaging in pursuits such as reading,
singing, puzzles and storytelling with a
caregiver. Where screen time is concerned,
these documents tell us that children
younger than two years of age should not
spend any time watching television or
using other electronic media, that's DVDs,
computer and other electronic games, as
sedentary screen time is not recommended. And
for those children aged two to five years,
sedentary screen time should be no more
than one hour per day and less is better.
Let's now look at some current research
related to this.
Interestingly, the statistic on the slide
tells us that only 26% of Australian
children aged two to four years meet the
Australian screen time recommendation of
accumulating no more than one hour per
day. That means a whole 74% of
these children are engaged in more than
one hour of screen time each day.
Remember, it's all about forming positive
screen time and sedentary behaviour
habits for now and for the future. So why
limit screen time? What are the facts?
Well, as the recommendation states, screen
based activities are not recommended for
babies and toddlers less than two years
of age because it reduces the time for
the child to be engaged in active play.
It reduces the time for social
interaction with others and consequently
opportunities for language development.
You do not learn the art of a
conversation in front of a screen. It
reduces the length of time children can
stay focused. Also, screen time can impact
on the development of the full range of
eye movement. As you know, when using
screens your eyes are focused on that
one framed space. Did you know that Get
Up and Grow states that screen based
activities for children less than two
years of age have not shown to lead to
any health, intellectual or language
improvements? Also, as stated in the green
box on the slide, there is little
research to suggest that infants and
toddlers learn from watching videos. If
infants are distressed, they need the
comfort of a caring adult and not an
electronic toy. Both of these quotes
provide further support for no screen
time for children under two years of age.
Let's now look at some facts about why
the recommendation states screen time
should be limited to less than one hour
per day for children two to five years of age.
Research tells us that toddlers and
preschoolers who engage in long periods
of screen time each day are more likely
to have unhealthy eating habits, snacking
on sometimes food, be less physically
active and spend less time outdoors,
reducing the time for physical activity
and reducing the many benefits received
from being physically active, have
suboptimal muscle and bone growth, have
poorer social skills from the lack of
social interaction with others, and have
slower development of language skills
and short-term memory. Even though some
screen based activities now include
movement, this movement is restrictive
and usually done indoors, and shouldn't
replace more traditional forms of
outdoor physical activity. We don't want
children to get into the habit of
turning on the screen to get active.
We now know what the screen time and
sedentary behaviour recommendations are,
why they exist, and we know that screen
based activities can play a role in
children's development.
However, they involve time spent sitting
still and can displace time available
for children to be physically active. So
why screen based activities for children
over two years of age? What is the
learning potential? In relation to
educational program and practice, what is
the purpose, the intention of undertaking
a learning experience on a screen based
device as opposed to undertaking a
learning experience using traditional
resources? Let's do a comparison. Firstly,
consider a drawing app and the learning
potential for children of using this
drawing app on a screen based device. Now
consider the learning potential for
children using traditional drawing or
painting resources. The learning
potential for children using the
traditional drawing, painting resources
far outweighs the learning potential of
the drawing app. The traditional
resources provide children with the
opportunity for creativity, exploration
social interaction, turn-taking,
cooperation, to be messy and to move
around, as well as the development of
language, fine motor skills and concepts.
We need to remember, just because we can
use an app with the children it doesn't
mean we do. We need to consider, is the
app providing an opportunity to do
something that we can't normally do
using traditional resources?
This quote by the Fred Rogers Centre
sums it up: ultimately, the key decision
regarding the use of technology and
interactive media is where the specific
goals both for individual children and
the program as a whole can be more
effectively achieved using traditional
classroom materials, or whether the use
of particular technology and interactive
media tools actually extends the
opportunities for learning and
development. As mentioned earlier, screen
time and sedentary behaviour are linked.
However, let's just focus on sedentary
behaviour for a moment, and the related
recommendation that infants, toddlers and
preschoolers should not be sedentary,
restrained or kept inactive for more
than one hour at a time, with the
exception of sleeping. Children need
quiet downtime to balance out the times
of physical activity. However, educators
need to be aware of how long children
may be engaged in downtime, and that it
is no more than one hour at a time.
The Australian 24-Hour Movement
Guidelines tells us that while sedentary,
it is encouraged that children aged
birth to five years are engaging in
productive sedentary experiences, as per
the green outline box on the slide,
rather than the non-productive sedentary
behaviour experiences for downtime, or the
blue outline box on the slide. For
example, when engaging children in
downtime or productive sedentary
behaviour, would you be playing a screen
based game, for example an app about
using blocks, or would you provide the
children with a more traditional
physical resource of blocks for downtime?
Again, what is the intent or the purpose
or the learning potential? Both can be
played quietly for downtime but the
learning potential from one activity, the
traditional blocks set, far outweighs the
other. Children need to learn how
to have downtime without using a screen.
We want children to get into the habit
of productive downtime and into the
habit of moving after being sedentary.
Linking to the grey regulations box on
this slide, what does your serviceís
policy say about sleep and rest for
children? Consider making time to read
over and review your serviceís sleep and
rest policy together. Technology is all
around us. It's a reality in children's
lives, so we can't be like the ostrich on
the screen and bury our heads in the
sand. We need to embrace technology but
do this in line with the Australian
sedentary behaviour recommendations and
the National Quality Framework. Educators
have a responsibility to support
children's technological knowledge. Young
children may be technology savvy but
most children would not be technology
mature. Educators need to help children
develop positive screen time habits,
including developing the skills to
choose appropriate technology to consume,
good posture, how to use technology
responsibly, for example asking
permission to take photos of people, and
how to self-regulate screen time use,
which is what this key message is all
about: how to turn off the screen and get
active. And as we just shared, educators
need to promote productive downtime. To
best do this, educators need to engage
with technology to develop the skills,
knowledge and confidence to make
informed technology choices for children.
Educators need to positively role model
appropriate screen time and sedentary
behaviours. On the slide is a great quote
by the Fred Rogers Centre to finish off
with: when used appropriately and keeping
screen time recommendations in mind,
technology and interactive media have
the potential to enhance without
replacing creative play, exploration,
physical activity, outdoor experiences,
conversation and social interactions.
Please follow the directions in your
green activity box and, reflecting on the
information that we've just shared, take
two minutes to brainstorm how your early
childhood education and care service can
promote turn off the screen and get
active. You may like to pause the
presentation while you undertake this
activity together. Thanks everyone,
it's now time to come back together. In
your brainstorm you may have considered
some of the points that are listed on
the slide. You might like to pause the
presentation to discuss these further.
There are so many ways you can promote
and embed this key message, turn off the
screen and get active, in your early
childhood education and care service.
Now that we have shared the Turn Off the
Screen and Get Active key message
training module, please take five minutes
to begin the reflective practice task on
the slide, using the hard copy version of
this document. You might like to pause the
presentation while you undertake this
task together. Thanks everyone,
it's now time to come back together. Now
you have completed your reflective
practice task for this key message,
please transfer any identified areas for
improvement onto your early childhood
education and care serviceís quality
improvement plan, especially for National
Quality Standard, Standard 2.1 Health
and its related Element 2.1.3
Healthy Lifestyle, and
remember the action plan template can
assist with this planning.
Resources available to promote turn
off the screen and get active include
the Munch and Move Resource Manual Birth
to Five Years, Munch and Move CD, Munch
and Move fact sheet and other related
resources accessible on the Healthy Kids
website. Well done everyone, you have
completed the key message training
module, Turn Off the Screen and Get
Active. What happens now? Please ensure
the record of completion is finalised
for this training module. Remember to
link the reflective practice task to
your serviceís quality improvement plan.
Please select the next key message
training module. Remember there are six
key message training modules, and
schedule a time and date to share this
together. Enjoy embedding turn off the
screen and get active into your early
childhood education and care service.
