After looking at gadgets for kids yesterday, we now look at educational software for kids.

Some people are surprised when they hear talk about software that you pay for, since everything seems to be online these days. In fact, education is one of the main areas where offline, traditional software makes a lot of sense and is worth the investment. Just one of the reasons: you don't want young kids wandering aimlessly through cyberspace.

Of course, the Web remains the best place to LEARN about software, just as it does for any purchasing decision.

The best place to start is SuperKids.com, a free site dedicated to reviewing educational software. It has high-quality, trustworthy reviews and doesn't take ads from software companies. Be sure to bookmark this site and visit it often.

I asked Andrew Maisel, the site's founder, to suggest one software package in three age groups and here are his thoughts:

PRE-SCHOOLERS: Parents should consider Sesame Street Toddler
Learning Basics, from Encore Software. This is a solid introductory skills program for toddlers and pre-kindergarten age children. It covers the basics expected of most entering kindergartners, using a wide variety of age appropriate methods.
SuperKids review
Company site

UNTIL THIRD GRADE: For those learning to read, a great program is Reader Rabbit Learn to Read with Phonics (2 versions, preK/K, and 1st/2nd grade). The program, from The Learning Company, is designed to teach reading through the development of phonemic awareness, letter sounds, word families and sight words in a purposeful, contextual fashion.
SuperKids review
Company site

FOR OLDER KIDS INTERESTED IN MATH: Consider Math & Music, from Wildridge Software. This program is an excellent introduction to the physics of waves, the biology of hearing, algebra and trignometry. If a student uses the Math & Music software, textbook and workbooks, he or she will also be able to thoroughly learn and review important math concepts.
SuperKids review
Company site

Many thanks to Andrew for those great suggestions. Also check out these resources on his site:
SuperKids Math Worksheet Creator
SuperKids Vocabulary Builders

Another great education site to visit is DiscoverySchool.com from the Discovery Channel. See my suggestions for other kids sites.

Write to techguru@sree.net and let me know your thoughts.

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