Digital positioning for inclusive practice in early childhood: The cultural practices surrounding digital tablets in family homes

Digital tablets are now commonplace among families, in many schools and in a growing number of early childhood centres. Digital tablets have become normalised as part of everyday family life in many homes. But what do they afford for preschool-aged children, especially children who are visually impaired? This paper examines how iPads provide a conceptually inclusive tool for learning about the world. In the case study of one child with albinism, the conditions for supporting development through the use of an iPad were digitally documented and analysed. It was found that the social practices in the home afforded a level of digital positioning that demonstrated the significance of a dialectical reading of child and environment. In drawing upon cultural-historical concepts, this paper presents an inclusive framework for understanding the use of iPads in everyday family practices, and a better reading of digitally oriented social practices that arise as part of the pedagogy of families who use iPads.

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