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Exploring the Impact of Digital Literacy on Cognitive Development in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Literature Review
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Abstract
Purpose – This systematic literature review explores the development of digital literacy among children in the post-typographic era, where digital technology increasingly dominates daily life. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of digital literacy on various dimensions of cognitive development in young children, including early numeracy, executive functioning, critical thinking, and creativity. By broadening the conceptualization of cognitive development, this study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how digital literacy contributes to children's intellectual growth in early childhood education.
Design/methods/approach – Analysis of 33 studies obtained from the period between 2019 and 2024 indicates that children engage in multimodal practices, using technology for both play and learning. This highlights the importance of educators' understanding of digital literacy practices at home. Factors such as children's age, family structure, household income, and Human Development Index (HDI) significantly contribute to predicting preschool children's early digital literacy.
Findings – The findings show that while children's literacy skills may benefit from access to digital resources, their mathematical skills do not demonstrate significant improvement. However, this study recommends that teachers collaborate with parents to enhance digital literacy and awareness of digital data security. Additionally, the use of interactive digital media can increase children's engagement and motivation in learning, allowing for more differentiated and inclusive learning approaches.
Research implications/limitations – Future research should prioritize the development of age-appropriate, culturally relevant, and innovative digital content that can support effective teaching and learning in the digital age. Additional longitudinal studies are needed to explore the long-term cognitive and socio-emotional effects of digital media exposure in early childhood.
Practical implications – Digital literacy can help children develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity skills. However, exposure to age-inappropriate content can hinder their social-emotional development. The conclusion of this study emphasizes the need for training and support for educators in using digital media, as well as close collaboration with parents to ensure the successful implementation of digital literacy in early childhood education.
Originality/value – This review offers a novel contribution by integrating multiple dimensions of cognitive development with the concept of digital literacy. It provides valuable insights into the future of educational practices, emphasizing the importance of digital competencies as foundational elements in early childhood education in the digital era.
Paper type Literature review
Keywords:
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1. Introduction
Children today are in the post-typographic era, where electronic devices increasingly dominate everyday life(Laidlaw et al., 2021). Children actively engage in multimodal practices, using digital technology for play and learning at home(Ozturk & Ohi, 2022). This finding emphasizes the importance for educators to understand the existing digital literacy practices at home as a foundation for further literacy learning. Parents may also need support in understanding how the use of technology can contribute to children's literacy learning(Ozturk & Ohi, 2022). Reading and writing involve a variety of skills, but both can be divided into two relatively distinct groups: one related to encoding and decoding (the conversion between the written and spoken forms of language) and the other related to linguistic comprehension. In the early stages of the literacy learning process, encoding and decoding skills are crucial. Merely memorizing the spelling of individual words is a highly inefficient strategy for learning literacy, and mastery of sub-word patterns that connect pronunciation with spelling is necessary. This requires an understanding of the sound structure of words, known as phonological awareness(Sysoev et al., 2022).
The results of PISA 2009 and 2012 are based on data collected from students, while the data from the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 2013 and 2018 comes from teachers. PISA 2009 and PISA 2012 include basic indicators of technology use by students, such as the proportion of students who regularly use computers at school, at least once a week. The average across all participating countries showed that in 2009, 71% of students used computers regularly at school, while in 2012, this figure increased to 72%. ICILS 2013 highlighted teachers' perspectives on technology use during lessons, finding that across participating countries, 62% of teachers often used computers. However, the frequency of technology use in teaching varied greatly between countries. For instance, in Germany, only 34.4% of teachers frequently used computers in their teaching. The results from ICILS 2018 indicated that nearly half of the teachers utilized digital technology in their daily teaching activities. These findings suggest that digital technology is increasingly being used in schools and becoming an integral part of teaching and learning practices. However, the results do not explain how digital technology is applied in the classroom context(Sailer et al., 2021).
Developing digital literacy begins at an early age and contributes to the widening digital divide(Cao et al., 2024). The need to involve experts in curriculum development to improve digital literacy among students has been emphasized in recent research(Polizzi, 2020). Storytelling has been shown to significantly enhance children's literary and digital literacy skills, serving as an effective and valuable pedagogical method in early education(Maureen et al., 2020). These findings emphasize the importance of storytelling as a tool that is not only enjoyable but also effective in enhancing reading ability and understanding information in the digital era(Maureen et al., 2020). The use of augmented reality technology has been found to increase children's motivation, engagement, and comprehension of complex concepts, while simultaneously developing important skills for digital literacy(Wang et al., 2024). Early literacy education is crucial for helping children adapt and succeed in today’s information-rich world(Sysoev et al., 2022). With the increasing use of digital devices, children need to develop the necessary skills to interact with technology effectively(Akiba, 2022). Various social and economic factors influence the development of digital literacy in early childhood, including age, gender, income, and access to technology at home(Cao et al., 2025). The family environment plays a significant role in shaping children's ability to use technology and comprehend digital information(Cao et al., 2024).
Collaboration among parents, educators, and policymakers is essential to enhance digital literacy among preschool children and support the creation of evidence-based policies that address the digital divide(Cao et al., 2024). Family background, such as parental marital status and household income levels, also affects children’s screen usage behavior. To improve cognitive development in children from low- and middle-income countries, investment in education that considers socioeconomic context is necessary. Cognitive development in early childhood is not limited to numeracy or mathematical reasoning but also includes executive functions, critical thinking, and creative engagement. The need for a more targeted and effective use of digital technology to support children’s foundational skills has also been highlighted(Parks & Tortorelli, 2021). Teachers’ professional development should combine practical skills and positive attitudes to better equip them for teaching digital literacy(Pires Pereira et al., 2023). Teachers, students, and parents—key stakeholders in education—need to understand digital parenting, digital literacy, and digital information security, especially in this era where digital life has become the norm(Akman et al., 2023). To meet modern educational challenges and improve reading instruction quality, it is important to consider historical contexts and developmental models(Semingson & Kerns, 2021).
Collaboration and innovation have a significant positive effect on children’s digital learning and sustainable education, with digital learning acting as a mediator in strengthening these relationships(Ika Sari et al., 2024). Enhancing digital learning can improve children's understanding of sustainability. Overall, there is a need to integrate collaboration and innovation into education to promote digital literacy and sustainability awareness among children in Indonesia, supported by evidence-based policies(Ika Sari et al., 2024). Modern preschool education must support children's digital literacy
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