To the Editor, The Boston Globe:

Barbara Meltz's otherwise excellent article on the dangers of pushing academics in kindergarten (Child Caring, Feb. 15) was flawed by this unsupported assertion: "Good computer programs for kindergartners help master mouse control (click on the teapot and it pours)."

There is no research evidence that kindergartners (excepting children with certain disabilities) benefit from learning "mouse control" or using computers in any other way. Experts on the hand and brain development like neurologist Frank R. Wilson consider the mouse a poor substitute for blocks, crayons, clay, scissors, and dozens of other traditional tools that teach fine motor control and hand-eye coordination. These low-tech tools also unquestionably spur creativity and imagination, whereas the sparse research on young children's use of computers suggests that it may actually impair creativity. Parents looking for good kindergartens should avoid those where computer screens are the focus of children's activities.

Edward Miller, Co-coordinator
Alliance Computer Project