Science and math are some of the most important subjects we can teach our children about, they are also some of the most difficult subjects to teach because we ourselves are not always very proficient in these particular areas. If you are not involved in one of these subjects on a professional basis it is difficult to retain even the level of high school proficiency we once developed.
I normally discuss how to implement different types of software into the home school class room but this time I will deviate a little and discuss something a little different. I want to talk about microscopes. They are cool pieces of equipment and often give children their first real taste of biology or real science for that matter. They allow kids to see things that they did not know exited, they make the intangible more tangible. Kids are big into seeing and believing.
I recall the microscopes from my day as being a bit temperamental and difficult to use but for the most part if you got it adjusted just right you could kind of see what you were looking at through the eye piece when you shut one eye and squinted the other. Now I want you to imagine looking at that same image on a computer screen or better yet a 50” television monitor. Now that is cool.
There are now a number of different companies offering video microscopes that hook directly to your television or computer. They work in the same way as traditional microscopes using slides and back lighting with amplification but instead of squinting for a good view you can actually take it all in and look at things together.
This gives you the opportunity to talk about things, point out different aspects of what you are looking at and conduct whole lessons on microbiology while looking at a specimen up close and personal.
Talk about adding some depth to your classroom and bringing some life to science. This is a great way to spark interest and build skills, it is also a perfect opportunity to to bring other children into your classroom for multi family educational opportunities. Take a look, see what is out there and evaluate your priorities. This is a really cool opportunity but I also realize that it may be a bit extravagant.
If you are trying to decide whether you should get your child a real computer or a kids laptop then this article is for you. I can’t stress enough how important it is for a child to get used to have a computer and familiarizing themselves with not only how it work, but how to handle, take care, and operate it. School’s are introducing your children to them and wouldn’t it be great if they already knew the basics? Think of the advantage it would give them moving forward.
So what laptops for kids are good? Well the netbook is one great choice. They typically come in sizes ranging from 7 to 10 inches and are extremely affordable. They also offer some distinct advantage over your traditional laptop which lend themselves well to children who are just getting used to using a laptop. One of those advantages is the price. Kids mini laptops can be found for as long as $229 dollars which is an incredibly low price to pay to give your child a computer. The other advantage is that a lot of netbooks come with a type of hard drive called a SSD drive. This type of drive is as the acronym suggests a solid state drive and has no moving parts. This type of drive produces no heat and has no moving parts, making it more durable for bumps and small drops.
The only other thing to take note of is the operating system that comes on the mini notebooks. I would make sure to purchase one that comes pre-installed with Microsoft Windows. That way your child will be learning on the same operating system as they would at school. Make sure to teach your child that the laptop isn’t a toy and needs to be handled with care. They may already have a better idea than you think on how to handle a laptop. They imitate their parents at that age and they most likely have seen you using your laptop and will want to be sitting next to you typing on theirs as you sure the web on yours.
Child computer software is a big subject. There are so many games out on the market nowadays, as well as software geared to children that is not a game per se, but teaches children about the world around them in a fun and educational way. If you are looking for good child software for your children, there is a lot to choose from.
Computer games based on popular children’s movies or cartoons is always a hit with children. Many Disney computer games are a spin-off of different cartoons. Many of them have some educational components woven into the game. These are generally geared at children between the ages of four and ten, however, there are computer games based on such popular TV shows such as Dora the Explorer and Blue’s Clues that are geared for a younger audience, such as the 2-4 year old age bracket.
Other good child computer software that you might find helpful for your child is Encarta’s children’s encyclopedia. It not only has different articles presenting many topics about the world around us but it also has a few educational games and puzzles too. If you are trying to teach your child a foreign language, or help them improve in their math, or spelling, or any other school subject, you can find free child software on the Internet that you can download. On the other hand, you can simply look up different web sites that have learning aids and games on the site that will help the child with whatever they are studying.
However, getting good software for children on the computer has a distinct advantage over simply allowing a child to play something educational on the Internet. Child software on the computer itself is better because, as we all know, there are many sites and things on the internet that are not child friendly in the least. If you do not have a good child filter set up on your internet then you run the risk of your child getting on other sites that they would be better off not seeing.
