THROUGH THE EYES OF A TODDLER

Written by Caroline Meyer

Imagine being able to see through the eyes of a toddler. Actually, seeing things from their perspective can change the understanding of early childhood development substantially. Being able to visualize and conceptualize like a little child may improve understanding about learning, language acquisition and the roles that teachers and parents currently have and what would need to change. Moving away from the model of adult observation, research from a child’s perspective is now possible. A small camera on a toddler’s head can tell a story from their perspective in a way that previous observation never could.  There is some concern that there is no informed consent on the part of the child in these types of observational studies, but similar techniques have been used in the past. It is not invasive and does no harm to the child in any way. 

Taking note of what the child does and does not focus on and the length of time something can hold the child’s attention can be strategic. Children seem to focus for shorter periods on the things they already know, basically enough time to assess and move on and even to determine if it is currently within their developmental reach on a cognitive basis. They don’t focus for long on things that don’t allow them to develop and learn. These types of studies allow for children to be placed in a highly resourced area and to study their observations, which can be as many as 100 objects in an hour. Previous studies used a small number of items with a mother and child in the room, observed by researchers outside of the controlled space. 

Using this technology, children’s viewpoints can be observed in a more comfortable setting. This is changing the concept of exploratory learning. While it may appear that toddlers are easily distracted, this could actually mean something else. Rapidly changing focus could mark a learning efficiency. This could help teachers and parents boost their development based on their explorations. 

Using this type of technology, more insight can also be gained from the child’s interactions in the home. This will show their interaction with siblings, parents and friends. How much freedom they are given to explore and how their time is directed. This may also show language and patterns of play that would otherwise go unnoticed.  This type of insight can lead to new methods of teaching and providing learning opportunities to toddlers. Parents and teachers will be able to better support early childhood development with this knowledge. To date, the parental reporting may not always have been completely accurate. Observations done in a laboratory type setting may be a little more accurate but are tainted by the environment as well as having the researchers present. The new technology allows the toddler to “speak for themselves”. The data gleaned from these studies using technology also allows for a greater and a more varied data sample. In the past, only a small number of children were observed and there was often little diversity. Now children from minority ethnic families, linguistic minorities, genders and backgrounds can be observed from an “equal” standpoint. More information can be gathered on the influences from extended families, community support, relationships with fathers as well as different child-rearing habits. As devices become smaller, they also become less disruptive and obtrusive and “normal” behaviours should be discerned instead of generated responses under duress. 

In the past, a lot of the research that was done did not take in to account the backgrounds, ethnicities, disadvantages and family make-up of the results that were being obtained. This led to insufficient data and a lack of understanding of minority groups. This could also lead to problematizing children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The new technology may help resolve the previous inadequacies in the research devoted to early childhood development. Are children from lower income groups exposed to fewer words than those of their peers from more advantaged households? Do they use more language at home than when they are at school or day care? These are just a few of the questions that could be answered by this form of observational technology. 

In the past, many of the studies were focused on children from white families more than on children of other ethnicities. Many of the studies were based in the United States and Europe. This did not give an accurate account of toddlers in general. Studying children from a wider variety of backgrounds and ethnicities will give a much more thorough understanding and enable better optimization of early childhood development. Studies that are based only on evidence garnered from research in a Westernised society is not applicable universally. There may be many other alternative models that could be as effective or even more effective than the current studies show. 

This type of observation could revolutionise how we see toddler development in the future. There may be many more models to work from to optimize their development during the early phases of childhood that will have far reaching effects for our little ones. The audio-visual technologies available can also be used to check a child on an individual basis to be able to formulate programs to help them develop in a way that works best for them.