Supporting Whole Child Development in the Digital Age

Abstract

In this chapter the authors define a whole child approach as an approach to collaborative learning focused on children’s well-being, learning and growth. The whole child approach spans across the social, emotional, cognitive and language developmental domains and empowers young children as creative and collaborative learners in the digital age. The authors contextualise apps as part of a learning toolbox and present five vignettes from research and practice. Technology-enabled tools that afford cognitive, social and emotional development are highlighted. These illustrate how some digital tools—in certain contexts, supported by certain kinds of interactions—have potential for promoting sustained engagement, communication and collaboration, cognitive learning and social and emotional development.