NEW YORK — More than three-quarters of parents would be lost without technology. A survey of 2,000 parents of kids between three and seven years-old finds that they use tech to supplement their child’s learning (59%) and reading (41%) and to even aid them before they’re in the classroom.
While one-quarter (26%) of parents weren’t using technology as learning tools, 60 percent believe their child is progressing faster directly because of tech. More than four in five (82%) admit they would have benefited from using those tools to learn when they themselves were younger.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Duolingo ABC, a literacy app for kids, results reveal that 71 percent of parents have already used a learning app to help their child. Almost three-quarters (74%) say technology makes parenting less stressful and some parents use tech to teach their kids something new, like a second language or music (79%).
Tech is also allowing parents to keep duties like sports and club schedules (68%) as well as lunches and meals (68%) organized.
6 in 10 parents still struggle to understand new technology
On top of supplemental learning, children use tech for creative pursuits (64%) and video chatting with family and friends (67%). Millennial parents also value how tech can help them increase exposure to other cultures and people (34%) as well as teaching life skills like sharing and social interactions (39%).
“Many parents are realizing the benefits of using technology to support supplemental learning — seeing firsthand how tech can help children learn independently and build confidence,” says Daniel Falabella, General Manager of Duolingo ABC, in a statement.
However, creating a more modern learning environment for their child comes with its challenges. Parents have struggled with bettering their own understanding of technology (63%), teaching their child how to navigate technology on their own (69%), and identifying where their child needs extra support (56%).
On the flip side, parents are also gauging their children’s strong suits. One respondent says, “because I have studied his performance [in] both cases …I can observe he learns better through games, educational modules and other technological tools than without one.”
Teacher recommendations (39%) and seeing peers’ success would also make parents more inclined to try a learning app. This may only be the beginning — more than four in five parents (81%) believe technology is the future of education.
“Well designed apps can have an incredible impact on learning, by helping kids stay engaged and motivated to keep learning,” Falabella says. “The future of learning through tech is really exciting. More families than ever have access to high-quality, personalized learning experiences.”
Survey methodology:
This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 parents of kids ages 3-7 was commissioned by Duolingo ABC between Nov. 16 and Nov. 21, 2022. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).