How much time should my child be using a device each day to support their learning?

There is no one right answer. My advice is - you make the rules for your whanau.  Do what works for you - work out a timetable that works for your Bubble. 

There are many challenges we are all facing from having to balance work alongside supporting children with their distance-learning to having to share a device amongst 2 or 3 children.  

I do recommend that you make sure you have regular breaks in the day between periods of time when your child/children are using a device and/or watching T.V.

School Devices

We have managed to distribute a number of devices out to whanau who either did not have a suitable device at home, the device was required for parents to use for work purposes and/or there was only one device available for 2 or more children to share. Whatever the reason, we can send you a school device to use if it will help improve your ability to help your child at home. Please let your child's teacher know if you would like us to send home a device.

Device Use

At school we always ensure that children are using devices in controlled spaces where they can be monitored. This helps the classroom teacher check that children are using the device appropriately. At home, you can set your own ground rules for where your child/children use their device/s. For example; device use is allowed in the living room between 9.00am and 3.00pm only. We have found that children always respond positively to ground rules being set for the use of devices. If the ground rules are not followed it is easy to implement a consequence - no use of a device for a period of time. 

Online Safety Tips

The Ministry of Education and N4L have developed a free safety filter to help block inappropriate online material. Please click on the following link to access the filter - https://switchonsafety.co.nz/ 

Netsafe has a wealth of useful information to help you navigate your way through online-based platforms that your children may be exploring. Link to Netsafe