When it comes to learning to count, which is better? People, or screens?

New research from Rutgers University-New Brunswick has explored the value of counting videos for infants and toddlers, finding that there are some benefits, as long as the counting videos were made to resemble real life as much as possible.

Lead researcher Associate Professor Jinjing (Jenny) Wang embarked on a two-year study to determine whether infants experience any cognitive benefits from watching someone count out loud on screen instead of in person, based on her own experiences as a parent. 

“I showed my daughter a counting video and wondered just how she would react,” she explained.

On reviewing literature about the differences, she found the findings were mixed. 

“Some said it wouldn’t work but my daughter gave me the opposite result. She did respond and react to the counting she was seeing on the video.”

Associate Professor Wang’s previous work, where she studied 81 babies between 14 and 19 months of age, found the same outcome. When these babies watched a video where they were shown pictures of toy cars and toy pigs and listened to someone count out loud prior to the toys being hidden in a box – similar to an earlier study done in person – the babies looked longer when the box was lifted and some of the objects disappeared. When there was no out loud counting and just pointing in the video, the babies became distracted and looked away, similar to the same earlier study done in person.

“Our findings suggest that babies do gain some benefits from these counting videos as long as the counting videos were made to resemble real life as much as possible and engage them, which could give children a boost before they start school,” said Associate Professor Wang. 

“It could reduce disparities in children who might hear less counting in person from caregivers for whatever reason.”

While her findings offer promising insight into how technology can be used to close the gaps in early childhood learning, she said future research needs to be done to examine potential negative consequences of screen exposure.

“What needs to be determined is if these counting videos are going to be used, how much should they be used to help babies learn,” she concluded.

To view the study findings, please see here. 

Associate Professor Wang’s work is designed to answer questions like how babies perceive the world, how babies learn their first words and numbers and how these perceptual and learning abilities support children’s later cognitive development. 

She works with a staff that includes a lab manager, a post-doc, a graduate student and over a dozen undergraduate researchers.

Learn more about her work here.