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Why AI Belongs in the Early Childhood Classroom

When most people think of artificial intelligence (AI), they picture robots, algorithms, or complex data—not preschoolers singing songs, seeing themselves transformed into superheroes, or watching their drawings come to life. But at GISNY, we’ve discovered that AI can be a playful and powerful tool in our everyday teaching practice.

Educational research supports this: when used intentionally, AI can enrich learning experiences, support diverse needs, and free up valuable time for educators to focus on building relationships with their students (Luckin et al., 2016). In early childhood settings, the use of AI is still emerging, but our experience shows how creative and meaningful its impact can be.

Personalized Learning Through AI: Creating Connection and Supporting Development

One of the most practical uses of AI in my classroom is lesson planning. With tools that generate songs, rhymes, fingerplays, and stories tailored to specific topics—like who’s opening the advent calendar or preparing for the Easter egg hunt—I can quickly create age-appropriate content that reflects the children’s immediate experiences.

This isn’t just about saving time—it’s about deepening connection. In early childhood, feeling seen and heard is essential to emotional development and learning. Responsive interactions—those that build on a child’s interests—are foundational to brain development (Harvard Center on the Developing Child, 2011). When children feel their voices matter, they’re more likely to engage, take learning risks, and build self-worth (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004).

In a bilingual classroom, this becomes even more important. I use AI to create rhymes and stories using vocabulary the children already know in German. This boosts accessibility, confidence, and language acquisition. Instead of relying on generic material, I generate songs about our class and shared experiences. Every child feels valued because the content reflects their lives.

Two examples stand out. After our project of “experiments”, I created a video to reflect and remember the learning. As a background song, I created an AI-generated song that sounded like a professionally recorded pop track. They were surprised to realize it was about them—their science experiments in the classroom. “I hear Cinnamon Bears!” one child exclaimed with delight. That moment of recognition turned the song into a powerful learning tool—supporting vocabulary, rhyming, emotional expression, and reflection.

Later, for our Easter egg hunt, I created a musical story introducing the rules: where to search, what to look for, and how to work together. The song was playful and specific to our group, making the event easier to understand and more joyful.

Seeing themselves in learning materials has a powerful effect on children. When their identities and experiences are reflected in the classroom, they feel valued and develop a stronger sense of belonging (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). AI helps us do this in ways that are age-appropriate, inclusive, and human—making technology a bridge, not a barrier.

About the Author: Sarah Tüllmann

I’m Sarah Tüllmann, an early childhood educator in the Cinnamon Bear Eingangsstufen class at the German International School New York (GISNY). With a background in psychology, 15 years of experience in school settings, and a passion for creative, child-centered, play-based learning, I strive to make everyday classroom moments meaningful and magical. Our bilingual, nature-based setting is a space where play, discovery, and community come together—and recently, technology has found a thoughtful place.

References:

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2011). Building the brain’s “air traffic control” system: How early experiences shape the development of executive function (Working Paper No. 11). https://developingchild.harvard.edu

Denham, S. A. (2006). Social-emotional competence as support for school readiness: What is it and how do we assess it? Early Education and Development, 17(1), 57–89. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15566935eed1701_4

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x

Luckin, R., Holmes, W., Griffiths, M., & Forcier, L. B. (2016). Intelligence unleashed: An argument for AI in education. Pearson.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004). Children’s emotional development is built into the architecture of their brains (Working Paper No. 2). Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. https://developingchild.harvard.edu

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

Wright, S. (2007). Young children's meaning-making through drawing and ‘telling’: Analogies to filmic textual features. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 32(4), 37–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/183693910703200408