Investigation of young children’s use of gestural interface

There is a growing body of research on the nature of spontaneous gestures and their effect on communication, working memory, learning, mental modelling and reflection of thought. These gestures interface screens have changed the way in which young children engage with these technologies; with increased exposure and use, it raises debates about the suitability of integrating the technologies within early childhood settings. The findings of this study indicate when children used the gestural interface appropriately they had higher levels of engagement. Moreover, it was also found that gestural interfaces allow for embodied interactions, which impacts on the way young children learn via gestures with their hands and fingers. The implication of these findings suggests that gestural interface devices should be encouraged in early childhood service delivery, and the engagement levels during play strengthen the argument that gestural interface devices are indeed developmentally appropriate tools for use with young children.