Digital games and media resources are often designed to teach particular skills or concepts, and mediation can have an impact in supporting those intended learning outcomes. We refer to mediation to describe the role that an adult plays in supporting, guiding, and demonstrating game play as well as curation, or the sequencing or grouping of game play activities in targeted ways. We examine and describe ways in which educators, parents and families can mediate children’s game-play and media use that can support positive learning outcomes in formal and informal learning environments. We also discuss how the curation of digital media experiences for children that are engaging and that integrate elements of a particular skill area can promote learning. To inform this discussion, we draw from multiple studies examining preschool-age children’s use of digital media and the impacts on learning.
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