My approach to allowing the kids to use technology in our home school is as little as possible. Even if it's educational, there is a lot of research showing that the brain processes words on a screen very differently from printed words, and the brain can't remember things it reads on a screen as well as it can from printed or written words (many studies have shows that children score much better on comprehension tests when they're read from paper, than from a screen).
Then there is the issues of eye strain, headaches, and the fact that screens are just plain addictive.(I have noticed in both my own children and other children, that when screens are available they gravitate towards them...it's almost like they cant be bothered to make the effort to play if there is a screen available to touch instead. It makes me so sad when we go out to an activity, like a park or something, and the children are playing happily, and then one of them takes out an ipad....and that's it, the real-life playing is over, the sunshine and sticks they were using as swords are ignored, no more running around squealing and laughing, everyone crowds round to watch someone just tapping a screen. Or worse, to watch a silly cartoon. Also, in general being "bored", and having nothing to do are vital for children. It is during that time that they can daydream and think and process things they've experienced, and get to know themselves and what they're interested in, and find something to do. It's tragic if every free second of time is just sapped away by tapping on a screen. Anyway. that's a rant for another day!)
However, having said all that....technology is very helpful, and there are a lot of amazing resources available online, which can undoubtedly enhance learning and be a big help in many ways. But I do think parents need to be discerning is whether they allow their children to use them, and how much.
Here are some sites I have found helpful
1. Story Nory.
www.storynory.com
This is a lovely free website with lots of classic stories, fairy tales, myths, legends, poems, Saints stories, traditional English nursery rhymes, and more.
For R5's recent birthday I burnt him three hours' worth of stories onto CD including of Riki Tiki Tavi, Anansi, Saints and many classic poems. I've got my eye on Pinocchio next (the whole book is on there), and Knights of the Round table. The audio quality and narrators are just superb.
2. Classics For Kids.
www.classicsforkids.com
Lots of well recorded biographies and music from famous composers. We do a composer per term for our Composer Study, and this site has been helpful. It's free.
3. Reading Eggs.
www.readingeggs.co.ukwww.readingeggs.com
Having just ranted about screens....we were given a 4 week free trial of a website called Reading Eggs. Lots and lots of our HE friend had successfully used Reading Eggs to help their child to read (they offer a home ed discount). L4 (as he was then), was desperate to start reading; ripe and ready. So we tried the free trial and it was a big help for him. His Uncle gifted him with an annual subscription for his 5th birthday. We work through it together slowly. I hold the screen, I read the instructions, I put my fingers under the words, we sound things out together. We use it very much as a book, just...you click instead of turning the page!
You could do it all on paper of course. This just saves some effort
4. Kindle
I was gifted an ipad a few years ago and it has been such a big help. I love it.
Many of the books we use for our home school work are older and out of print. I love books to hold in my hands, but they can be expensive to buy as they are out of print. However, as they are out of copyright as well, they are available for free, either via amazon or google books. I download them and store them all onto my Kindle Reader, and read them outloud to the children from there.
I have also printed some off. I will try to post a tutorial one day for how to turn your printed book into a do-it-yourself bound book!
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