Technology is taking the world of education by storm. Statistics demonstrate that the internet has revolutionized collegiate academia. As much as 60% of college students have used digital textbooks which are expected to occupy 25% of the total textbook market over the next 10 years. About 20% of students use mobile apps to organize their coursework, and more than half say they would like to improve learning with their mobile devices. The phenomenon certainly isn’t limited to post-secondary education, however. Internet based learning has also extended to the early childhood level. Learning websites for children include educational games, and as many as 43% of teachers in the U.S. use them in the classroom. Though there is no shortage of preschool learning websites with kids free learning games, many parents are still skeptical. After all, if kids are playing, can they really be learning? Still Not Convinced? Preschool learning websites and fun games can’t replace teachers. That’s true. However, they can let students experiment with learning, motivate the unmotivated student, and help kids practice critical thinking and problem solving. Though they’re fun and engaging, the real selling points are much more involved.

1. Kids learn best when they feel successful, and games allow them to watch their own progress. Games tend to break learning concepts down into small, manageable units, allowing players to feel successful as they continue mastering concepts and moving on.
2. Instant feedback is critical to effective learning, but teachers are often unable to provide it all the time. Games let kids know what they need to work on and allow them to keep trying and practicing.
3. Games provide engagement. Many students are what we call “kinesthetic” learners, meaning that they learn best when they’re allowed to physically interact with the subject matter. Games allow these types of learners to break up a day of verbal or auditory learning with a style that better fits them.
4. Imaginative, make-believe experiences are important for kids, and games allow them to have those experiences in safe and structured ways. They can experiment, make decisions, and see the effects of their decisions, making the abstract much more tangible.

What Does A Quality Game Look Like? The best preschool learning websites know how to design games that are consistent with educational psychological principles. Look for games that do the following things in order to help your preschooler learn best:

• Create competition. The desire to improve and win is a big motivator, and kids love to compete against friends, family, other students, or even the computer itself. The best games use timed races, high scores, and leaderboards to motivate and foster improvement.
• Allow progress. Games that let kids level up, gain points or experience, add abilities, or earn currency get kids hooked and engaged, encouraging them to keep practicing and learning.
• Foster creativity. Kids love customizing their characters and avatars, and it makes them feel more connected to their games. It’s much easier to convince a child to play a game if he or she has some level of control over the character’s appearance.
• Reward success. Incentives for performance are very effective for keeping kids interested. Games that let players unlock new characters, levels, costumes, or even whole new games when they do well on educational content are well-loved and frequently played. The best games provide clear and achievable goals and then reward players when they achieve them.

Games are excellent for engaging students in the learning process. Involve yourself in your child’s learning by helping them find and play high-quality games on free early learning websites. They’ll have fun, practice concepts, and feel good about themselves. It’s a win all around!

Since home computers first began to gain wide popularity in the U.S. during the early 1980’s, their impact on child development has been a perpetual topic of debate. The concerns range from distraction to violent video games to stunted social development; but what about its positive effects? For a large portion of those who are averse to change, even the slightest deviation from what was once considered the “norm” can be unsettling. In light of the continued sociocultural integration of computers and internet technology, our growing dependence has caused considerable unrest among its leading opponents. The supposed adverse effects on child development are almost among the biggest criticisms. To get an idea about the debate, a person merely has to enter the search phrase “internet and child development” into Google. The second and third highest ranking results, respectively, are the “Negative Effects of Internet Usage on Child Development,” and “Positive effects of Internet Usage on Child Development.” Of course, such debates are the equivalent of the “dead horse” metaphor insofar as the internet is here to stay, whether you like it or not. Although it certainly would be a bad thing if the internet were unhealthy for children, but the overarching evidence proves that the pros significantly outweigh the cons. With the many free child learning websites that are available today, this is good news for parents, teachers, and anyone who cares about education and the future of America. Among the most popular free learning sites are those for early childhood education. Furthermore, the sites are divided to age-appropriate groupings. For instance, there are free learning sites for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners. There are also subject-specific websites such as free math learning websites for older elementary school kids. Or course, there are plenty of free child learning websites for kids beyond elementary school. Perhaps the most popular of these are the Encarta Online Encyclopedia and APA reference websites. These are particularly useful for junior high and high school students who are beginning to write more serious research papers. Despite the negative criticism the web has received over the years, it is difficult to argue against the educational benefits that it offers children from virtually every background. Sure, overuse and abuse can be dangerous, but that’s true of just about everything in life. But it is futile to resist the inevitable, especially when it has to potential to revolutionize education.

Why should your kids be using learning games to help them learn subjects like math and reading? Studies have shown that games often help kids focus better, allowing them to learn more. Games help make learning fun as well as less stressful. The consequences of losing a game, after all, aren’t a bad report card. Here are three of the top free kid learning websites, for several different areas of study and play. 1.Best All Around Free Kid Learning Websites Whyville.net is a good all around website for tween aged children, or ages 8 to 15. This educational site tries to engage its users in a number of topics, including business, geography, art and science. Kids can play chess or program a robot, among other activities. It is very popular, with over 7 million players, and it has been lauded by different parent groups for both safety and educational value. 2. Best Free Spanish Learning Websites Kids learn languages differently from adults. Not only do they process words more quickly, but they will also be more reliant on visual clues and prefer websites that look friendly and inviting. 123teachme.com is a good option for learning spanish. They have multiple tools for learning, including flashcards, drag and match games, click and say number, 1,000 action games, short dialogues, videos and more. The site has a lot of fun options for kids that will keep them from thinking of it as “studying.” 3. Best of Free Math Learning Websites Did you know that, according to Dr. Harris Cooper of University of Missouri, children can lose up to three months of learning during the summer months away from school? Many kids who struggle with math might find that this creates an extra barrier to learning. Keep skills sharp with sites like coolmath.com. It gives tons of options for games, learning resources, books, and more. It has a math dictionary as well as practice lessons. Mathplayground.com is a good runner up, with many similar features. What free learning sites for kids do you use? Let us know in the comments

Many aspects of life have been converted to the internet including staying in touch, shopping, and even research and studying. It is inconvenient to have to carry around a set of encyclopedias or visit the library every time you need to research something or study for an exam. That is why it may be a great idea to invest in online reference books. There is an array of different types of research and study materials for adults and children of all ages. They include diverse topics such as geography, science, reading, history, and more. An entire set of encyclopedias can be represented in a reference book online. With so many different devices that people use including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, it is very convenient to be able to find reference books online. This way research can be found using the device that you personally prefer. These online reference books can be used for multiple purposes. They can help children from grade school to high school with various projects and papers. They can help college students with reports and to study for exams. They can also help students getting graduate or doctorate degrees. Online reference books can also be used to research topics at home. Many homes use to own their own set of encyclopedias. If the need for knowledge has changed at all it has increased. However, the internet has become available in the past few decades and allowed home owners to find information from a different format. The only problem surrounding information off of the internet is that it is not always accurate. There are many web pages that are made by individuals who are not qualified to teach or give information on a certain topic, and you may not even be aware of this. Finding a website such as this could provide you with completely false information on an important topic that you or your family is interested in. To find accurate and reliable information use an online reference book. They are written and produced by experts who are qualified to provide knowledge. Make finding information easier and more convenient for you and your family through out the many stages of life. Buy an online reference book and be informed.

Books are expensive, particularly reference and text books. However, there are ways for you to find cheaper reference books. One of these is to use online reference books. Online reference books are significantly more affordable because you are given only an online or digital copy. Nevertheless they are the same in terms of content, especially if you buy the same title and author. The problem is finding the right reference book online, especially if you do not know where to look. So to help you find reference books online, here are the best places that offer them. First, you can find online reference books from Google books. Google books has extensive collection of online reference books, fiction, nonfiction and other types of books. When it comes to online reference books, you can even find all types of reference books, from medical books, to accounting and finance books, to astronomy books and whatever else that you need. Some online reference books from Google can be fully viewed. This means you can read the entire book if you want to. Some of the more recently published books however can only be previewed. This means that you can only find sections or parts of the book. The others are restricted, so that you will buy the book. Hopefully the online reference book that you are looking for is available in full view or at least the chapter that you need do not belong to the restricted pages. Second, there are many good sites that offer free online books, depending on the type of online books that you need. For example, if you want Christian reference books, there are Christian websites that offer them. There are also other websites that are sponsored by organizations, such as business organizations, that offer free books online. Scientific references and materials, including online reference books on science, are also available on the different websites. Some of them simply require registration. Again, like Google, some of the books are for sale while others are free. Another good source of online reference books is your public library. This is one of the best sources of online reference books but one which many do not take advantage of. Many fail to realize that they can actually borrow the online copy of the books that they need from their public library. All they need is to have a library ID and they can borrow the books online. The best thing about this is that many of the public libraries today are linked to other libraries, such public institutions. You can therefore have access to these books without needing to go to those libraries. You can just log in to your local library and get the books from there. Conversely, there are also other private and public libraries that will allow you to use your library registration or ID to access their books. You might therefore want to use your library to find the books that your need.

Traditionally, if someone had to do research, they would have to head to the library and take out a bunch of books or magazines in order to find the information that they needed. However, with the growth and development of the internet, all they usually have to do is hop online to do so. By using reference books online, individuals will be able to do all of the research they need without having to leave the comfort of their own home. Much of the power is derived from the fact that it makes it easy for people to learn about all types of subjects, and there is likely to be a reference book online about even the most obscure topic. So reference books online are a great resource for anybody who wants to learn all about a new topic without having to do so much as get off the couch and put on pants. In order to get through college, most individuals will have to write research papers. While some will have to write them about historical events, others might have to find some research about the writers they read in English class. Whatever the case may be, using reference books online is a great way to make the process easier. By simply finding some great reference books online, individuals will be able to learn all about the topic they need without having to spend an entire weekend at the library. That makes online reference books a valuable tool for students who would rather be anywhere but the library during their free time away from the classroom. At times, individuals will have projects at work about a topic or subject that they have no experience working with. If that happens, then they will likely need to do some research in order to make sure that they do their job as well as possible. If they do not want to waste time on that research, they should consider finding some reference books online. Using reference books online will allow them to do all their research right from their desk, and could go a long way towards helping them complete their project efficiently. Though they are helpful, finding the best reference books online is not always easy for individuals. In order to locate them, they might have to, ironically, actually do a bit of research. While some will do so by just asking a friend or teacher for a recommendation, others will use search engines in order to quickly find and compare multiple reference books online. Though this might be a bit time consuming, in the long run, locating reference books online can be a very worthwhile process.

A reference book online is one of the best ways that people can process information in a short period of time. Online reference books like Wikipedia often have a problem when it comes to reliability. Nonetheless, they should be utilized, if nothing else, to orient people toward the right sources which are sometimes available at the bottom of the page. People should keep in mind, though, that in spite of some editorial standards, reference books online can be of problematic for people in many different situations. A reference book online can, for instance, be edited by almost anyone, depending on who it is open to. Typically, there will be some sort of central editorial board who is responsible for editing and monitoring the new information that is added, but this can be problematic for a number of reasons. A reference book online is not the only way that people can get the information that they need, and ultimately, if they want to do a thorough job, it probably should not be the only source that people will use. Nonetheless, people should consider that a reference book online can be a good start. The use of the phrase “a good start” is selected carefully, because using a reference book online is the start of a critical examination. It is not the end of it. It is for this reason that people will probably continue to look for the services the sources that work best for them, whether they are doing something that requires only superficial research or something which requires more in depth research. How deep they need to go depends on the scope of the project. For now, suffice to say that a reference book online is the surface beneath which everyone must scratch eventually.

When it comes to finding reference books online, the internet has a lot of resources to offer to people who are looking for information on any number of issues. But this does not mean that the internet is an entirely unqualified blessing. Because people have more reference books online and more information access than ever before, it is also possible that they do not appreciate information nearly as much as they should. It is for this reason that online reference books are often the information sources that people need but do not ever use. Also, a reference book online needs to be checked against other sources. It does not always have as extensive peer review as other sources. And it is for this reason that reference books online will probably continue to be considered controversial. Anyone can put pretty much anything online. And it is for this reason that reference books online should be checked against various sources when they are used online. Reference books online can be difficult to objectively assess, because one reference might be from an authoritative source while another reference might not be. Nonetheless, people will probably continue to use reference books online in the future. Reference books online characterize the needs of many different people and they will probably continue to be an important resource for people who are looking to reach more people with more information. Online reference books have a relatively brief history. Nonetheless, they are becoming better every year and they are, furthermore, leading to the gradual diminution of the print encyclopedia industry. Print encyclopedias are expensive and will probably begin to fold as the demand of individuals consumers decreases. The future belongs to websites like Wikipedia which are self correcting. And it is for this reason that reference books online are so important. Online references might not always be authoritative, but they will always have a great deal of influence.

You may automatically think that an online reference book is not the same as one found in a library or in a bookstore, but it actually in many instances is the exact same thing. So rather than spend your time visiting these places, consult with an online reference book to find your answers. Here is how and when you should use one. First, use an online reference book to round out your studies. If your work is currently on a research paper and you have been to the library countless times to look up information, avoid your next visit and instead use online reference books to guide you. The library can be a busy place that is loaded with tons of information that is helpful, but it sometimes can get overwhelming too. Stay in the confines of your own home or apartment by looking up this information online. Second, use an online reference book to further your research in your chosen field. Perhaps you are involved with scientific research or with health care. Whatever the subject, there are reference books online that exist to accommodate. They usually have the same types of information in them as do the print copies of reference books found in libraries and bookstores across America, but here you avoid having to leave your space. You just look up the reference book online and then compare that to your current research, all without getting up out of your chair. Third, use an online reference book to find answers to things. Maybe you are not involved in any way with furthering your education or with completing a research paper for work. Perhaps there is something that has been nagging at you and you must understand the answer to convey it to others or to have the simple satisfaction of finally knowing the answer. With an online reference book, you can easily accomplish this. Simply look up whatever has been pestering you and find your answer in a well researched and well documented book that just happens to exist online. The greatest thing about these books is that they are so simple to access. There usually are no logins or passwords required for you to obtain this information. So what you get is a free online service that essentially answers your questions for you, that aids in your research paper or school project, and that is proved to be just as useful as its print counterpart.

Why are reference books online becoming so popular today? They do many things, including saving you time, saving you the trouble of driving to a library and saving you headaches. Plus, many reference books that are located online are widely accepted as viable resources by educational institutions. Here are more specifics on why researching in this way helps you. One, discovering reference books online lets you avoid having to visit your local library. Whether you currently are a student or you are working full time and are attending school at night and need to research papers to complete your studies, visiting your local library is probably not the first item of business that you hope to get out of the way each day. The time consuming nature of researching information in libraries makes for lost time anyway, so discover online reference books to make life easier. Two, discovering reference books online allows you to grab the same kind of information that would be found in a library, only the process for finding this information would be done without you leaving your home or apartment. You research pretty much everything else that you do online anyway, so why not use an online reference book? The same information exists online as does in a library anyway, only here you get to do everything from the comfort of your living room or your bed. Three, discovering reference books online saves you a tremendous amount of time, which could cause your research paper or project to be completed much faster too. This includes not only library visits but also making copies while at the library or elsewhere. By researching via a reference book online, you save lots of time by easily referencing a trusted website using just the URL too and not a laundry list of reference materials. This saves you time, as does the actual act of getting into your vehicle and driving to the library. Four, discovering reference books online affords you the same level of information. Plus, institutions across the globe are more readily allowing for this kind of referencing, so it is not like you will be turned away or given a lesser grade for using online based reference material. The material is almost exactly the same if not exactly the same as the material that could be discovered in a library anyway, and you show savvy by showing your professors that you have the knowledge of researching this information online, which is much faster to do.