I was reading another parent's quandry and started to think about this issue recently. It's already decided for us -- our kids have been on the Internet for over a year -- but how did we arrive at that decision and was it the right one?
Arriving at the decision was easy; we really didn't even think too much about it. As computer geeks ourselves, we've had our kids on our lap while we checked email or the weather report, searched online, made purchases, etc. I learned to type one-handed while nursing my first-born, so there was no hiding the computer from them.
We picked up some software on clearance from OfficeMax (before the child was even born, I think) and set it aside for the right time. Two years old, we discovered, is a little early. She wanted to get on the computer but didn't have the skills to master it. We set it aside for later.
Three years old is the perfect age to begin. We gave our children an old computer and set it up with Microsoft Word in a huge font (1 inch tall letters, I think it was). They had a great time hitting the keyboard to see what they'd get. Kiera learned to type her name looooong before she could write it. And she typed 'Mommy,' 'Daddy,' 'Grammy,' etc. Good skills to have.
We broke out that software, which included a program called "Buddy Paintbrush." This is (in my opinion) a great program to start a preschooler with. It has no purpose - you click on objects and things happen. For a preschooler to be able to manipulate an object and feel in control is empowering for them (so much of their world is controlled by Mommy and Daddy).
Anyway, one click might make a couch turn plaid. Two clicks might make the cushions pop off and spin around. The results are the same each time -- teaching children that one click is different from two clicks and that the computer produces consistent results from the same actions.
A paint area allows the kids to click on a color, then click on an area to fill it in -- a glorified coloring book, but it captivates them with color choices. Clicking on an area that is already colored in replaces the old color with the new color -- teaching kids about overwriting existing data.
Eventually, kids click on things just to see what happens and discover that certain complex sequences of clicks produce more spectacular results -- things dance around the room, an orchestra appears, etc. This teaches the (now intermediate) user that some items require more than one action to complete and, once again, that repeating the same keystrokes/mouse clicks will produce the same results.
Once the kids had mastered that, we moved them online with http://www.noggin.com -- a website designed for preschoolers. The site talks (you need speakers, of course), so no reading is required. An example: "To play again, click the green balloon. To go back to the menu, click the red balloon."
The games are educational -- pattern matching, memory and concentration, letter sounds, sorting and so on -- and filled with their favorite characters including Grover, Jack (from Jack's Big Music Show), Connie the Cow, Miffy, Franklin (the turtle) and others. They enjoy playing and don't realize they're learning.
We have established time limits for computer use and it is a treat -- not a right -- in our house. Often, computer play is a reward for chores done quickly. We also provide our children with a FireFox browser, pretty well restricted in terms of what they can visit. They haven't yet figured out how to type in URLs. Yet.
Our oldest child is now onto more advanced educational sites and together we Google for information that we don't have on hand. When my child asks "Why is the sky blue?" we go online and find the answer. "I don't know" or "I think" followed by some mumbling doesn't have to be part of my vocabulary, my child isn't frustrated, and she learns a good research ethic.
Someday I'll have to give them email accounts and allow them on whatever websites they choose. I'm hoping by then I will have taught them good surfing habits and be able to trust them -- certainly it's easier to teach an eager child than a rebellious teenager -- so they'll have a good base from which to venture into the technological world they'll live in.
I shake my head when I think that one of Alannah's first 50 words was 'computer,' but then I remember that it's a fixture in our home -- just like the table, the refrigerator and the TV. They're both accustomed to the PC as part of their lives, so maybe they won't be so overwhelmed that they worship and/or fear it. THAT is a good thing.