How AI Can Support Early Learning (and What to Keep in Mind)

By Kellie Smith | Little Learning Table

Throughout my teaching career, I’ve seen firsthand how much technology has evolved—and how it’s changed the way we support young learners.

I still remember sitting at my desk in Norman, Oklahoma, using Microsoft Publisher to create weekly classroom newsletters. Years later, teaching at Avenues in New York City, I transitioned to Seesaw and Google Drive to communicate with families. Each shift brought new possibilities, helping me stay connected with parents while saving time and streamlining classroom tasks.

Today, one of the most exciting (and sometimes overwhelming!) tools in education is artificial intelligence. I’ve found AI to be a powerful way to support early learning—especially when used thoughtfully and intentionally.

How I’ve Used AI as a Kindergarten Teacher

When I taught kindergarten, I used AI to enhance my lessons in a few key ways:

• Creating Play-Infused Activities: I used AI to brainstorm developmentally appropriate ideas for play centers and learning invitations, helping me keep lessons fresh, joyful, and engaging for my students.

• Differentiating Instruction: AI helped me tailor activities to meet the diverse needs of my classroom. Whether I was supporting an emergent reader or extending a math lesson for a child who needed more challenge, AI made it easier to offer every student access to the curriculum.

  
  

The beauty of AI is that it can act as a planning partner—offering suggestions, helping with structure, and saving time on tasks that used to take hours.

Canva: A Creative Teacher's Best Friend

Another tool that completely transformed my teaching is Canva. Canva makes it incredibly easy to design engaging games, anchor charts, center materials, and classroom visuals. I used it to create everything from literacy board games to visual schedules and calm-down corner kits.

It saved me hours of prep time and helped me deliver clearer, more compelling materials to my students. It’s one of my go-to platforms for enriching lessons and making learning more accessible and fun.

Why Parents and Educators Can Benefit

Whether you’re a teacher planning a unit or a parent getting your child ready for kindergarten, AI can help by:

• Generating learning activities based on your child’s age and interests

• Offering ideas for at-home literacy and math support

• Brainstorming conversation starters or social-emotional prompts

• Helping you understand what skills are developmentally appropriate

  
  

It can be a useful brainstorming buddy, especially during busy weeks when you’re short on time or ideas.

A Gentle Reminder: AI is Just a Tool

As helpful as AI can be, it’s important to use it with care. AI doesn’t replace the human relationships at the heart of early learning. Children still need real connection, patient guidance, and nurturing support from the adults in their lives.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Double-check everything. AI is not always accurate, and sometimes the content it suggests may not align with your values or your child’s developmental stage.

• Stay present. No tech tool can replace the comfort of a loving adult or the power of a teacher’s intuition.

• Use it to enhance—not replace—connection. AI works best when it supports, not substitutes, meaningful engagement between children and their caregivers or educators.

  
  

Final Thoughts

Technology will keep changing, but our goals remain the same: to help young children feel safe, curious, and confident as they grow and learn. With the right balance, AI can be one more helpful tool in your toolkit—saving time, sparking ideas, and supporting you as you support the children in your life.

I’d love to hear—have you tried using AI to support early learning? What worked for you?