How our screen-free early childhood classrooms and intentional approach to technology support healthy development, meaningful learning, and school readiness.
Technology is part of our everyday lives. From smartphones and tablets to interactive learning platforms, children are growing up in a world where digital experiences are increasingly accessible. For parents exploring daycare, preschool, or elementary education, one important question often comes up: How much screen time will my child have at school?
At The Brunswick School, we believe the answer should always begin with what children need developmentally, rather than what technology can offer.
Our approach is simple: Young children learn best through real-world experiences, meaningful relationships, movement, exploration, and play. That is why our classrooms remain completely screen-free from infancy through Pre-K 3, including our programs for children under two and a half years old.
As students grow into Pre-K 4 and elementary school, technology is introduced gradually, with clear educational objectives, teacher supervision, and developmentally appropriate boundaries.
Why Screen-Free Learning Matters During the First Years of Life
The first years of childhood are an extraordinary period of physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and language development.
Babies and toddlers learn through their senses. They reach for objects, recognize familiar voices, experiment with movement, observe facial expressions, and begin making connections between their actions and the world around them.
These experiences are the foundation of early learning.
While digital devices may capture a young child's attention, they cannot replace the developmental value of responsive interactions with teachers, physical exploration, or hands-on discovery.
At The Brunswick School, our Infant, Toddler, and Rising Pre-K programs are intentionally designed around these essential experiences.
Rather than watching a screen, our youngest learners spend their days:
- Exploring sensory materials that encourage curiosity and discovery.
- Participating in music, movement, and age-appropriate physical activities.
- Building early language skills through songs, stories, and conversations.
- Developing fine and gross motor skills through purposeful play.
- Practicing social interaction and emotional expression with teachers and classmates.
- Engaging in teacher-led activities aligned with individual developmental milestones.
These opportunities allow children to become active participants in their learning rather than passive observers.
Our commitment is clear: Children under two and a half do not participate in screen-based activities at The Brunswick School. In fact, our screen-free approach extends through our Pre-K 3 classrooms.
Our Screen Time Policy: A Developmentally Appropriate Approach
As children grow, their ability to use technology meaningfully changes. We recognize that digital literacy is an important part of modern education, but we also believe that technology should support learning, never replace the experiences that make learning meaningful.
Our Technology Plan is aligned with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Developmentally Appropriate Practice framework and the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.
The plan establishes clear expectations for technology use across our programs.
Infant Through Pre-K 3: Completely Screen-Free
Children in these classrooms do not participate in screen-based learning or entertainment.
Instruction is hands-on, interactive, and teacher-led. Students develop foundational skills through classroom materials, guided exploration, collaborative activities, creative expression, and meaningful social interaction.
Pre-K 4: Introducing Technology with Purpose
For children approximately four to five years old, technology may be introduced in short, supervised sessions of up to 30 minutes daily.
Activities may include interactive literacy and math games, digital drawing, and teacher-guided listening experiences.
Technology is used to complement classroom instruction rather than replace traditional learning materials.
Kindergarten: Building Foundational Digital Skills
Kindergarten students may participate in approximately 30 to 45 minutes of structured technology use daily.
Activities can include phonics practice, early reading reinforcement, mathematical exercises, digital storytelling, and introductory keyboard skills.
Teachers remain actively involved in guiding each experience.
First Grade: Developing Independence
First Grade students may participate in approximately 45 to 60 minutes of purposeful technology use daily.
At this stage, students begin strengthening their digital independence through typing practice, structured academic assignments, introductory research, and basic presentations.
Second Grade: Supporting Research and Creativity
Second Grade students may participate in approximately 60 to 75 minutes of technology-supported learning daily.
Activities become increasingly connected to project-based learning, writing assignments, research, presentations, and introductory coding or design thinking.
Across all grade levels, these timeframes represent our planned instructional guidelines, not a requirement that students spend the full amount of time using a device.
What Technology Use Looks Like in Our Classrooms
One of the most important distinctions in our approach is the difference between passive screen time and purposeful educational technology.
At The Brunswick School, technology is never introduced simply to occupy students or fill gaps in the classroom schedule.
Every digital activity must serve a clear instructional purpose.
Our classroom expectations include:
- No screens during meals or rest periods. These routines remain opportunities for nourishment, relaxation, independence, and social connection.
- No background screen entertainment. Televisions, videos, and digital media are not used as passive classroom entertainment.
- No screens for classroom management. Technology is not used to distract children, manage behavior, or replace meaningful teacher engagement.
- No unrestricted internet access. Students do not participate in open internet browsing or use unrestricted video platforms.
- Teacher-led and supervised learning. All digital experiences are selected and facilitated by educators using approved instructional tools.
Our teachers receive training and ongoing support to maintain consistency across both Brunswick School campuses. Classroom walkthroughs and instructional observations also help ensure that technology use remains aligned with our educational philosophy.
Why We Continue to Prioritize Play, Movement, and Human Connection
A child's school day should provide opportunities to build relationships, solve problems, ask questions, move their body, and discover new interests.
These experiences are particularly important in early childhood education because learning is interconnected.
For example, when children work together to build a tower, they are doing much more than stacking blocks. They are exploring mathematical concepts, practicing coordination, negotiating with peers, developing language, and strengthening problem-solving skills.
When children participate in music and movement, they are building listening skills, rhythm, coordination, memory, and self-expression.
When teachers read stories aloud, students develop vocabulary, comprehension, imagination, and an understanding of how language works.
These are the experiences that shape confident, capable learners.
Our TBS Pathways curriculum reflects this philosophy by supporting individualized developmental growth through purposeful activities, teacher observation, and meaningful classroom engagement.
Technology may eventually become another instructional resource, but it is never the foundation of our early childhood curriculum.
Teaching Digital Responsibility as Children Grow
As students progress into our elementary programs, we recognize the importance of helping them develop healthy relationships with technology.
Digital literacy is not simply about knowing how to operate a device. It also involves learning when technology is appropriate, how to use it responsibly, and how to protect personal information.
Our students gradually learn expectations such as:
- Taking turns and sharing classroom technology.
- Handling devices respectfully and responsibly.
- Remaining focused on assigned educational activities.
- Understanding that personal information and classroom photographs should remain private.
- Using digital tools to communicate, create, research, and solve problems.
By introducing these concepts gradually, we help students build responsible digital habits while maintaining a strong foundation in hands-on learning.
How Families Can Encourage Healthy Screen Habits at Home
We understand that technology is part of modern family life, and every household approaches screen time differently.
Our goal is not to suggest that families must eliminate technology from their homes. Instead, we encourage parents to consider how screen use fits into their child's overall development and daily routine.
A few simple practices can help create a healthy balance:
Create screen-free routines. Family meals, bedtime routines, and shared playtime provide valuable opportunities for connection.
Encourage open-ended play. Blocks, puzzles, art supplies, pretend play, and outdoor activities allow children to explore without relying on digital entertainment.
Read together regularly. Shared reading supports language development, listening skills, imagination, and parent-child bonding.
Model healthy technology habits. Children learn by observing adults. Putting devices away during conversations and family activities demonstrates the importance of being present.
Choose quality over quantity. For older children who do use technology, prioritize age-appropriate, interactive educational experiences and remain involved in what they are watching or doing.
Most importantly, remember that meaningful learning does not require a screen. Some of the most valuable developmental moments happen during ordinary activities, from preparing dinner together to exploring a neighborhood playground.
The Brunswick School Difference: Childhood Comes First
At The Brunswick School, we believe children deserve an educational environment that respects each stage of their development.
Our commitment to screen-free learning from infancy through Pre-K 3 reflects a larger philosophy: Childhood should be filled with discovery, meaningful relationships, active learning, and opportunities to explore the world firsthand.
As children advance academically, we introduce technology with intention, ensuring that digital tools strengthen instruction without taking away from the human connections and real-world experiences that remain central to our classrooms.
From our youngest infants discovering the world around them to our elementary students developing early research and digital literacy skills, every decision is guided by what best supports the whole child.
Because at The Brunswick School, technology is a tool for learning, but childhood itself is the foundation.
Experience The Brunswick School for Yourself
Interested in learning more about our screen-free early childhood programs or our approach to technology in elementary education?
We invite you to visit one of our two downtown Jersey City campuses, explore our classrooms, meet our educators, and see our developmentally appropriate curriculum in action.
