Anonymous wrote:Are there any private schools in DC that are screen free (at least until middle)? Or very very minimal screen use?

School names + grades and any specific feedback you can share would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Barrie (no screens at all until 4th & 5th, and then very limited).

Anonymous wrote:German International School (which has an immersion program for kids whose home language is something other than German) has an amazing group of parents who are pushing reduced tech. There are definitely still iPads at the school but this is nothing like what it is at most schools. Kids do science in the woods, they have real labs, it's very hands on. At the upper school, all assignments are on paper and they read whole books. The students get a lot of independence and I think it's a great place. (It's also very international and there's bus service all over NW DC)

My child was a GISW SES-5th. They started heavy computer use for everything in elementary school during Covid and did NOT dial back when in-person finally resumed. They also took strict covid precautions for an extended period of time. I was incredibly disappointed by the use of Bettermarks for math and online text books for at least one other class. I advocate for regular books and another mother said they were “heavy to carry.” The school stuck with all of the tech.

It’s sad because pre-COVID the elementary was great. I’d like to think things changed, but it hasn’t been that long, and they fully embraced all the tech which was terrible for my child and others. Also, every kid had a phone by late elementary. I’m not sending my younger child to GISW for this reason.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NPS goes through 6th, no phones on campus, tech classes start minimally in 2nd and no Google classroom til 6th.

Children start working on the computer/ipad for some assignments including longer written assignments or presentations by 4th, dreambox math is assigned, smart boards/videos etc. It's not screen free. Yes, no phones on campus and it's not excessive. Actually wish keyboarding skills were taught more in school.

I have three kids who are/were at NPS. It is not screen-free but the use is pretty minimal until 5th grade and then they use them mostly to write. This was a huge help for my kid with dysgraphia who was able to type instead of handwrite assignments. The kids do a ton of writing in the upper grades and proper spelling and grammar are both taught and expected. They do teach touch typing and I never had to supplement with outside of school typing lessons. Little kids do have a minimal amount of Dreambox math for homework. I actually preferred when they used Reflex math to drill math facts. My oldest knows his math facts cold because of Reflex Math in 3rd and 4th grades. Google classroom is used in 6th grade, which is a good thing because all the kids are going to have to use online platforms at their next school and it is a skill that they need to learn before being dropped into middle school.

Overall, I think its a pretty balanced use of technology.

Anonymous wrote:Village School in Arlington has minimal screen time and I know their PreK-2 program is completely screen free.

Is it typical to have screen in preK??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret told us they were basically screen free in lower school on the tour.

We wish

Yeah, ours (not Maret) told us at kindergarten night that the kids get “MAYBE 10 minutes, or 15 minutes, no more than that” in kindergarten. That was not the case at all. iPads, movies, and additional screens in all blocks all day.

Village School in Arlington has minimal screen time and I know their PreK-2 program is completely screen free.

Anonymous wrote:Maret told us they were basically screen free in lower school on the tour.

We wish