Guide by GRADE

Unit II

Grades 2 & 3

Our Technology Vision Overview

Children in grades 2 and 3 are curious, building critical thinking skills, developing stronger peer relationships, and increasingly capable of following rules. At the same time, their impulse control is still developing, and they need adult guidance to navigate complex situations, including digital ones. This is an ideal time to form healthy, lifelong habits around technology, privacy, and balanced use. Seven Hills provides limited, purposeful technology use in grades 2 and 3. Our approach emphasizes community learning and uses technology as one of many tools to support foundational skills. Faculty and staff model positive technology behaviors. Every family is unique, and we recognize that you know your child best. These guidelines are offered as research-based recommendations to help you make informed decisions that work for your family.

View our research resources.

AT SCHOOL

What Students Do:

Engage in shared viewing. For example, teachers might project something on the screen for students to visualize what is happening in other areas of the world, practice creative movement, or see a visual timer.
Build digital vocabulary (differences between closing and quitting apps, basic troubleshooting).
Identify actions that make a digital space safe, kind, respectful, and inclusive.
Engage in media and digital literacy lessons on privacy and safety, relationships and communication, cyberbullying and online harms, healthy habits, and digital footprint and identity.
Take MAP Assessments on iPads.

Third Grade Specific:

Learn basic coding and typing skills Create presentations with Google Slides and multimedia projects such as commercials with Canva and iMovie.
Participate in the “Hour of Code/AI”

School Policies:

iPads remain at school — they do not go home with students. Personal devices (iPads, phones, smartwatches, etc.) are not to be brought to school. All technology use is supervised and purposeful

AT HOME

Best Practices:

Technology should not replace active play, reading, or creative exploration.
Viewing is led, previewed, and reviewed by adults.
Choose long-form content (longer shows, documentaries) over short-form content (YouTube shorts, Instagram reels, etc.).
Use family devices (your phone, a shared family iPad, or television); no personal devices for children.
Discuss what they are doing online and show interest.
Limit to one to one and a half hours daily.