▁them ▁apart ▁from ▁the ▁first ▁language ▁group . ▁Although ▁more ▁recent ▁research ▁suggests ▁this ▁impact ▁still ▁exists ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁of ▁age . ▁ ▁Kinder g arten ▁and ▁gr ades ▁ 1 ▁and ▁ 2 ▁are ▁critical ▁to ▁student ▁success ▁as ▁digital ▁n atives ▁because ▁not ▁all ▁students ▁have ▁a ▁" dig ital " - rich ▁child hood . ▁ ▁Stud ents ▁learning ▁techn ological ▁skills ▁before ▁Gra de ▁ 3 ▁can ▁become ▁equival ently ▁b iling ual . ▁" Language - min or ity ▁students ▁who ▁cannot ▁read ▁and ▁write ▁prof ic ient ly ▁in ▁English ▁cannot ▁particip ate ▁fully ▁in ▁American ▁schools , ▁work p laces , ▁or ▁society . ▁They ▁face ▁limited ▁job ▁opportun ities ▁and ▁ear ning ▁power ." ▁Spe aking ▁" dig ital " ▁is ▁as ▁important ▁as ▁being ▁liter ate ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁particip ate ▁fully ▁in ▁North ▁American ▁society ▁and ▁opportun ities . ▁ ▁Stud ents ' ▁struggle ▁Many ▁students ▁are ▁considered ▁ill iter ate ▁in ▁media ▁and ▁information ▁for ▁various ▁reasons . ▁They ▁may ▁not ▁see ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁media ▁and ▁information ▁liter acy ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 1 st - century ▁class room . ▁ ▁O thers ▁are ▁not ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁form ▁of ▁information . ▁ ▁Edu c ators ▁need ▁to ▁introduce ▁I ML ▁to ▁these ▁students ▁to ▁help ▁them ▁become ▁media ▁and ▁information ▁liter ate . ▁ ▁Very ▁little ▁changes ▁will ▁be ▁made ▁if ▁the ▁educ ators ▁are ▁not ▁supporting ▁information ▁and ▁media ▁liter