Digital Stories in Early Childhood Education

How Important is Children's Emotional Education 

Children who fluently understand and express feelings have better compassionate and social skills. This emotional intelligence can help them connect better with their peers and build long-lasting relationships. They are more likely to do better academically. Even before children enter academics, they're tutored by their parents on which feelings are appropriate and how they should express them. Social-emotional education is vital for children because it teaches them critical life skills, including the capability to understand themselves and develop a positive image of themselves. It also helps them to take responsibility for their actions and forge connections with the people around them.

Emotional development in children involves learning about what feelings and emotions exactly are, understanding how and why they occur, recognizing their own and those of others, and finally developing effective ways to manage those emotions and feelings. Digital stories are a new method for children's emotional education and adult interaction.

What Getting Better Finland does to help Children's Emotional Education

GettingBetter Oy produces Digital stories intended as a tool for interaction and promoting emotional education between the educator and the child. In true stories about domestic and wild animals, adventures, and encountering challenging situations in everyday life. The child's emotional and interaction skills are strengthened by watching and discussing with each other and an adult.

Digital Stories backed up by Scientific Studies and Experimentation 

A scientific study with the City of Tampere on early childhood education found that grouping is catching up by implementing Digital stories for educating children. Conversation between children and early childhood educators has increased drastically in situations. Children are expected to be able to talk about stories. Early childhood educators have created their own ways to build viewing and chatting moments by using Digital stories. For instance, observe children in smaller sections, discuss with them, and resume watching the Digital stories.

Viewing the stories was successful even in a large group (15 children, 2-6 years old) when the adult could give all the children their own turn to speak. This is an excellent way to teach children to listen to each other. Early childhood educators have observed and supported their own activities in viewing situations, especially for children with sensitive or weaker language skills. Digital stories are indeed a true innovation to build interaction and ease working between an adult and a child.