Computers have become a vital part of modern life. There are only a few activities and tasks that do not involve computer use. One of all reasons is that the device has been proven to provide a significant boost to work efficiency. Moreover, automation and artificial intelligence will be the two primary forces that will dominate the world in the near future. Therefore, you are better to introduce your kids to computers and help them to develop their computer skills early on. Here is a guide for you.
Teach the Kids How to Use a Keyboard
As an adult, you may think that your children will know how to use a keyboard when they are old enough. However, improper use of the hardware can lead to slow typing ability. And in the future, speed and efficiency mean everything. There are the right way and the wrong way of placing fingers on the keys, and your kids must know the right one.
Nevertheless, today’s e-learning has accommodated the needs of young learners. You can check apps and webs that teach and exercise typing skills, and you can see for yourself how creative and exciting their designs are. Some are more like games than boring practices. And some are even interactive enough to keep your kids happy to engage themselves with the activities.
Teach the Kids How to Use a Mouse
The next important tool of a computer is the pointer’s controller, the mouse. And although using it seems like a child’s play, the fact is that your child needs to learn how to use it properly. A mouse is different from a touch screen feature. The latter does not require a trained hand-eye coordination since the pointer moves as the finger does, while the former is controlled with a mouse. Therefore, your child may be proficient in operating a tab or a smartphone, but it does not necessarily mean that they can use a mouse comfortably.
There are many ways to introduce your kids to a computer’s mouse. One way is by getting them to play mousercise games (a coined word that combines mouse and exercise). One example web that supports this purpose is http://minimouse.us. It uses flash so that your kid can play the game as soon as the browser opens the site.
Introduce Your Kids to YouTube Kids
Videos are a powerful tool to teach your kids about anything. In the future, e-learning will be the basis of education. And thus, if your kids are used to processing information through computers, they will get the advantages over those who are not. However, not all contents on the Internet are appropriate for kids, especially on YouTube. Fortunately, the company has the YouTube Kids feature that curates videos which are suitable for kids.
However, you must teach your kids the proper way of processing the information they obtain from videos. You must not let them be a passive receiver. One way to achieve this objective is by asking them to retell what they have learned from the videos. Another way is to expose them to interactive videos that guide the viewers to create a project. In that case, watching YouTube videos will be more like an active learning activity than the passive one.…
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