By Michael Hilkemeijer
Understanding Augmented Reality in Education
Augmented reality (AR) is an innovative technology that overlays digital images, sounds, and interactive elements onto the real world, creating a blended learning experience that feels both engaging and meaningful. In education, this means children can see dinosaurs walk across their classroom floor, watch a butterfly land on their hand, or explore the solar system as if it were floating right in front of them. These immersive experiences bring abstract concepts to life, sparking curiosity and deepening understanding.
The benefits of augmented reality in education extend across age groups and learning environments. AR enhances student engagement by making learning active and interactive rather than passive. It supports visual and experiential learners who thrive when they can manipulate and observe content directly, rather than just read or listen. In early childhood, AR builds foundational skills through play-based exploration, helping children connect their digital interactions with real-world knowledge. These augmented reality benefits in education also include fostering collaboration, as children often work together to solve problems, follow digital clues, or create shared stories through AR tools.
Educators have found that AR improves retention and comprehension by allowing children to experience learning in context. For example, scanning a picture of a frog could reveal a 3D model showing its life cycle in motion, giving children a clearer understanding of biological processes. Such benefits of AR in education highlight its potential to merge play with inquiry-based learning, where children are encouraged to ask questions, test ideas, and share discoveries with peers. As ClassVR points out, AR can transform learning environments by making abstract topics more accessible. Edutopia highlights practical AR tools already used in classrooms, while eLearning Industry and ArborXR showcase AR’s benefits, use cases, and its growing role in shaping the future of education.
From Knowing About AR to Confidently Using It
While it’s exciting to explore the potential of AR, real transformation in the classroom happens when teachers know how to apply it with purpose. That’s where the ICT in Education Teacher Academy helps. Members don’t just read about AR; they build confidence through structured professional development that connects technology with early learning outcomes.
Inside the membership, educators:
-
Learn underpinning theories that support AR use in early childhood, such as play-based learning, inquiry-based approaches, and digital literacy development.
-
Access lesson plans and activities shared by members — for example, AR Nature Exploration, where children use an app like Seek by iNaturalist to identify plants and insects outdoors, documenting their findings in digital journals.
-
Reflect and adapt with Academy workbook tools, linking AR activities to early learning goals and documenting children’s progress.
-
Connect with a community of like-minded educators, sharing how they have adapted AR in their own contexts and receiving feedback on challenges such as managing device use, supporting non-verbal learners, or linking AR to literacy outcomes.
This professional learning process means AR is not just a novelty but an intentional teaching tool. Members progress from simply adopting AR ideas to adapting them in ways that meet the unique needs of their learners, moving step by step along their professional growth journey.
💡 Imagine being able to introduce AR in your classroom with confidence — knowing it is backed by sound pedagogy, supported by practical lesson plans, and enriched by a community ready to share their insights. That’s the difference membership makes.
Are you ready to explore AR as more than just a digital add-on, and instead use it to genuinely transform early learning?
👉 Join the ICT in Education Teacher Academy today and save on the annual plan while gaining access to the tools, theories, and community that will help you make AR a powerful part of your teaching.
A Deeper Look at Digital Play and Immersive Learning
The role of technology in early childhood education continues to grow, offering new ways for children to learn, play, and explore. One of the most innovative developments is augmented reality in early childhood education, where digital images or objects are layered onto real-world settings. This approach turns everyday learning into interactive experiences that capture children’s curiosity and imagination.
How Educators Are Using Digital Tools
When examining technology use in early childhood education, researchers stress that digital tools are most effective when they are connected to learning outcomes. According to studies, AR provides unique cognitive and sensory experiences that can support language development, symbolic thinking, and memory retention (ScienceDirect). For example, instead of passively listening to a story, children can see characters come to life in 3D, deepening their engagement and understanding.
Making Learning Interactive
The use of technology in early childhood education should always complement play-based learning, not replace it. AR can transform static materials into interactive ones—such as turning drawings into animated images or showing the lifecycle of a plant in motion. These experiences encourage children to make connections between what they see digitally and what they discover in their everyday world.
What the Research Shows
Researchers highlight several ways that augmented reality in early childhood education supports children’s development (Taylor & Francis Online):
-
Cognitive growth – Visualising sequences and cycles builds problem-solving skills.
-
Language and literacy – AR storybooks increase vocabulary and comprehension.
-
Social learning – Collaborative AR activities strengthen communication.
-
Creativity – Children use imagination when digital drawings come alive.
-
Scientific thinking – Exploring virtual animals or ecosystems encourages questioning and inquiry.
| Learning Area | Example AR Activity | Skill Developed |
| Literacy | Interactive storybook | Vocabulary |
| Numeracy | 3D block puzzles | Spatial reasoning |
| Science | Virtual life cycles | Observation |
| Arts | AR drawing apps | Creativity |
| Social play | Group AR games | Collaboration |
Turning Research into Practice
The research is clear: AR can enrich children’s learning in powerful ways. But knowing about its benefits is only the first step. Teachers also need to feel confident about how to use it effectively—how to align AR with early learning goals, adapt activities for their context, and make sure it adds value to children’s play and exploration.
This is where the ICT in Education Teacher Academy comes in. Members follow a simple process:
-
Learn – Discover the educational theories that explain why AR supports literacy, collaboration, and creativity in early years.
-
Apply – Access lesson plans, such as AR nature hunts and storytelling activities, that have been shared and tested by fellow educators.
-
Reflect – Use workbook tools and community discussions to adapt AR activities, ensuring they meet the specific needs of your classroom.
By moving through these steps, teachers can confidently shift from reading about AR to using it with purpose. The membership is designed to give educators a place to learn, apply, and reflect so that AR—and other technologies—becomes a meaningful part of early childhood learning.
AR for ECE
Digital technology in preschool should never replace traditional practices of play in early childhood education. They should always be well-integrated into curriculum in a balanced manner. A good example of this occurring is by incorporating technology that promotes physical play as it is an important and effective way for young children to learn.
Virtual and augmented reality provides much of the benefits of technology in early childhood education as much of the recent literature has indicated. It is defined as a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment where the elements are augmented (or supplemented).
Digital technology use in early childhood education such as this has been surveyed amongst parents and the results have indicated that they are supportive of its use as they see it as an enriching and valuable addition to the early childhood curriculum.
As the use of digital technology in early childhood education is specifically addressed in the EYLF AR/VR can be increasingly embedded into the early childhood curriculum as it allows individuals to interact with these real or virtual objects.
Benefits of VR/AR
What are the key benefits of this technology in early childhood classrooms then? In a study on the literature about augment reality (Manipour & Cohrssen, 2020), the benefits were found to be that of the following.
Fun Learning
The attention span of young children is generally short and while young children today are exposed digital technologies prior to joining your early childhood learning environment, you may find it easier to catch their attention using VR/AR as it allows for moving images/objects. This almost results in immediate engagement which means fewer distractions. You can also change the visual settings of the game to cater to each child’s visual engagement.
Enhance Motivation
If children are engaged in the game, it will motivate them to want to play. Studies have indicated that most VR/AR require full participation meaning if the child doesn’t move then the avatar won’t move itself. Concept acquisition is also supported by the use of AR objects. Children learn best when they figure out concepts at their own level and through VR/AR this is achieved as children are able to explore AR objects from different perspectives.
Improved child learning outcomes
Studies have also suggested that children’s learning outcomes is improved by AR during dramatic play, shared book reading, art activities and alphabet learning.
Develop positive attitudes and behaviour and enhance social skills
Other studies (Lorusso et al., 2018) have also concluded that AR supports high levels of social interaction and participation. This may be because the nature of AR and/VR is to encourage children to work together, building their cooperation skills while also improving their communication skills. Technology use in early childhood education gives your child a sense of control over their learning.
Enhances teaching and learning
The benefits of technology use in early childhood education also extends to the many ways that it can assist you in your teaching and learning environments as an early childhood practitioner. As mentioned earlier, technology should never replace traditional methods but it can be used alongside them in order to enhance young children’s learning capabilities.
In the 21st century, digital technology in early childhood education is an important element for young children to learn. Traditional early childhood pedagogies need to adapt to these new ways of teaching so that children’s learning experiences will become enriched with new learning possibilities and their quality is significantly improved.