The Academic Benefits of Educational Software for Kids

 Advances in technology have had a strange effect on our world. All of these gadgets we have make our lives both easier and more complicated all at the same time. We have more choices than ever before in how we spend our time, what we do for entertainment, who we meet and how deeply we stay connected with each other's lives. It's a constant attention battle between movie theaters, billboards, smartphones, televisions, and somewhere in the midst of all of that, actual human contact. But while it can be seriously distracting, and possibly why so many of us have ADHD these days, technology also brings some real benefits when it comes to educating our children. Almost every household in America has at least one computer these days, and kids of all ages can learn with the aid of some innovative educational software releases. As parents it is up to us to limit our kids' exposure to the right types of input, but when used properly, computers and educational software can truly enrich our lives.

Now if your child is two-years-old or younger you probably won't see many of those benefits. At that point their tiny brains are still developing, and you're better off limiting their exposure to technology overall. Minimize their television time, and outside of scrolling through some pretty pictures on your tablet or laptop the majority of their stimulation should come from the natural world. But once they are older than two and heading towards school you can confidently add in some computer-assisted education.

One way that educational software really helps kids is that it incorporates most of the major senses into the experience. When you read a book with your child, he is only seeing it and hearing your voice. Individual reading is even more limited. With an educational game your child is receiving sight, sound and touch stimulation at the very least. Some games also involve interactivity, meaning they must use their voices as well. That's a great way to help their developing senses make connections and expand all at the same time.

Educational software also taps into your child's native creativity. Just watch your children playing for a while. They are at their happiest when drawing, painting, singing, dancing, making up adventures or acting out some storybook scene. While book learning helps them craft mental pictures, educational software can expand that creativity visually, and bring together many of the things they like to do. Based on your kids' particular interests you can find games that are focused on any number of learning strategies. It can call on them to draw, sing, spell, match similar things and understand complex cause and effect relationships. With all of these possibilities, the right educational game can actually help them develop at a quicker rate. Add on top of that the hand-eye coordination that comes from most computer game play, and you're introducing a heck of a lot of value to your children's educational experience.

Finally, educational software can help your children become more interested in learning without your prodding. No kids really enjoy working through flashcards or memorizing facts. But in the context of a computer game they will bring more attention to the work, and stay focused longer than they would otherwise. And their ability to master it will astound you. While it could take us grownups weeks to learn the workings of a VLC media player, you'll find your children have mastered software control after only a game or two. This generation is growing up with computers, and computer-aided learning will help them prepare for a future that is only going to rely more intimately on technology as the years pass.