In today’s world, computer literacy is a must, and computer education should begin at an early age. Some parents fear that they will push their little ones too hard, but you can teach your children about computers without taking anything away from their childhood. In fact, you might be surprised how much they will enjoy using the computer, and children tend to absorb more when they start young. This is true of everything from gymnastics to learning foreign languages, and it’s just as true of computer literacy.
Children are naturally curious, so anything that big people do looks interesting to them. Ask your child if he or she would like to use the computer. There are also some great toy computers available to get your child started, or you can put together a simple, inexpensive system just for the kids. Also, look for computer literacy courses, summer programs, and easy to understand educational software.
For preschool children, you can begin with something really simple such as an age appropriate computer game, or a paint program. Your child will learn to direct the mouse and begin learning basic computer functions. You can also open a word processing program and let your child type. Teach your youngster to type out names, simple words, numbers, and symbols. He or she will learn to find keys on the keyboard and remember where they are located.
As your child becomes more familiar and more comfortable with the computer, try something a bit more challenging, such as a typing game. Besides typing, teach your child different keyboard functions.
Your child will be confident enough to jump right in when it comes time to use computers at school. He or she will have a head start and will be well on the way to computer literacy. While other children are just learning to type your little guy or gal will be ready to move on to bigger and better things.
The gift of computer literacy is one that will last a lifetime, so start today. Your child will thank you for it.