kids and computers
my son has been using the computer since he could reach the keyboard. we have the cutest photos of him barely being able to walk, yet bellying up to my husband’s laptop to push buttons. josiah is also more capable on the iphone than most adults i know. i’ve always equated computer use with video games and television and tried to keep it to a minimum, but there may be a slight advantage to having computer savvy children. not only is it common to have children using computers as part of their schooling experience as early as kindergarten, but, according to a very specific study, “children who use computers more proficiently demonstrated less problem behaviors and better social skills, rated by their teachers“. with that in mind, i give you josiah’s top favorite educational sites (i don’t think he knows their educational):
1)RIF.org – Reading Is Fundamental. this was the first website i ever let josiah try his hand at, and i actually wrote about it last year when i first discovered it. it is split into sections according to age and offers great interactive reading and prereading activities for babies right on up to high schoolers. a winner!
2)kbears.com – this has been all the rage lately for my son as he has developed a keen interest in dinosaurs. they have wonderful photos and information about farm animals, dinosaurs, sea creatures, even a section on geography complete with music from around the world. the site is sort of low-tech and can take awhile to load, but that doesn’t seem to bother josiah who requests daily to “look at the dinosaurs”.
3)national geographic kids – at age 2, josiah is still most interested in the animals and photos of exotic places that can be found on this website, but i really feel this one will grow with him. lots of science project ideas, math based games, and real life stories about kids in other countries are sure to keep him coming back to this one for many years.
4) ready, set, learn! – this website is sponsored by the discovery channel, and has too many fun things to tell you about (you’ll just have to go look yourself!)
