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No more phones in preschool or kindergarten; well, kind of

The legislation took effect July 1 and says children cannot use screens without engagement from a teacher.

MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's Note: The video above originally aired to KARE11 on April 9, 2022.

Beginning this fall, children in publicly funded preschools and kindergartens will not be able to use screens in the classroom without engagement from a teacher.

The legislation passed in 2021, and according to the Minnesota Department of Education, the law went into effect July 1, but it won’t affect most children until the new school year begins.

The legislation states children may not use a “tablet, smartphone, or other digital media” unless they are using it for individual-use engagement. This includes “independent practice and exploration within the context of the lesson, and/or opportunities to collaborate with peers on a screen based activity or project with teacher guidance.”

But most parents know that screens are a part of everyone’s’ life, including their own children. Mayo Clinic suggests for children ages 2 to 5, limit screen time to one hour a day of high-quality programming.

This doesn’t mean all children will adhere to the rules, of course. So how can parents be certain their preschoolers and kindergarteners will follow the new law?

Well the law makes it sound like it is up to the school districts and its teachers to make sure local schools have the “tools and support to follow this legislation.”


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