Bits, Bytes And Books: Making Computer Learning Fun For Children (NAPSA)—Sometoddlers hack away at a keyboard before they’re out of diapers, long before their parents ever master the VCR. Today’s children are often veterans of the Internet by age 10. In fact, government data shows that by age 10, young people are morelikely to use the Internet than adults 25 and beyond. This makes it increasingly important that children are trained to understand the importance of computerskills. How can a child prepare to successfully tackle computers and the Internet at such an early age? With continued assistance from government and teachers, and with a little help from a publisher experienced in computer training, children can now sharpen their computerskills as easy as 1-2-3. Training a tech-savvy child is the subject of a book series called Growing with Technology, published by Course Technology, whichalso offers Teachers Discovering Computers, Integrating Technology in the Classroom, to help teachers successfully provide technology education in the classroom. These books are among very few training materials available today that meet the criteria of the National Education Standards project, an ongoing initiative of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) to develop a set of national standards for introducing technology to elementary students. Forty-five states have already adopted or referenced the intent to adopt the proposed standards, realizing the importance of teaching children correct computer skills at a young age to ensure they don’t develop flawed computing habits. “Technology is becoming more prevalent at all levels of children’s educational lives,” said Emily Trask, an analyst from A fun series of books is helping make learning about computers enjoyable for kids. Eduventures, a leading research firm covering the K-12 learning market. “Parents and educators are increasingly seeking out appropriate and effective strategies for introducing young children to technology as a foundation for future educational experiences and needs.” Despite increasing government funds, not all teachers are appropriately equipped to help young students learn and retain these new skills. In addition to securing the necessary equipment, the subject matter itself needs to be presented in an enjoyable manner in order to capture the attention of elementary students and make computerlessonstruly fun. Growing with Technology is an excellent example of how this can be done. Theseries has an interactive Web site (http://grow ing.course.com) to accompany the books, which features games, tutorials, and colorful animation to bring information to life for students. As technology continues to play an ever-increasing role in our work and homelives, it is vital for young children to learn correct computer skills, while having fun. For more information on the Growing with Technology series, call (800) 824-5179.
