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This group reviews software for kids and they have a preschool section. They say they are independent and don't take advertising money from the software companies. And, it actually writes reviews that are negative.

Here's the about us link http://superkids.com/aweb/pages/aboutsks.html

I read some of the reviews and most of the software is very "drill and skill", not discovery based. I think this leads parents and teachers to think that "drill and skill" is the way to go and I am uncomfortable with that - computer-based worksheets.

Spending too much time with tech? Some "aha" moments from those who took the "Unplugged Challenge"...

Thought provoking:^)

Interesting- magazine publishers (Cricket Magazine's group) starting to make the shift to mobile computing, with the release of an app for children aged 2-6.

Site for creating artwork and images ideally for children ages 3 to 12. Anyone can access and download the application for free from the website (tuxpaint.org). The application has special features to engage children, including sound effects when tools are selected and used, and a cartoon displayed in the corner to give help and hints. The drawing tools that are available for children to use are paint brush, rubber stamp, line tool, shape tool, text tool, special effects (magic) tools, eraser, and undo. Also, teachers and children can easily open, save, and print creations.This program could be used in an early childhood setting to help children work on fine motor skills by using the mouse on the computer. It can also foster creativity because the children are allowed to create whatever they want, however they want, and there is no limit on the amount of pictures that can be created. I would use this program in centers in the early childhood setting so that children could get equal opportunity and assistance, if needed.

Children can create their own sketches and illustrations. Very simple and easy to use.

Very simple and easy. Recommend for younger, new computer users. Good practice of mouse/pointer manipulation while expressing creativity.

Picasa is a great way to organize photos into timelines and albums either on your computer or online. Picasa can be used to edit photos and add text. Movies, collages, slideshows can be made. Photos and items made from picasa can be used by parents, teachers, and children. Teachers can document the progress and activities throughout the school year. Children can use Picasa for showing off their projects or documenting their own personal progress.

This is free easy photo sharing and also works for Macs. Parents and children could conceivably use it at home to make illustrated books with captions since there is a caption writing feature.

Great site where anyone of all ages can upload pictures and create things like photo stories Picasa is free photo editing software from Google that makes your pictures look great. Sharing your best photos with friends and family is as easy as pressing a button!

Photos Story 3 is a way to combine photos, voice recordings, music, and writing . Children can bring their favorite stories to life or create their own. By creating photo stories in the class or at home, these stories can be shared to many.

that is a really great idea. That is amazing. Thanks for sharing

I actually downloaded this software recently. It was extremely easy to use and fun to play with. I created a couple of slideshows involving my siblings, and shared with my family via the email and they enjoyed it. I like how easy it is to share and how creative you can get with it. I feel that children could use this with some assistance, but they will be thrilled with the end result. Thanks for bringing this to our attention!

i was not able to download it since it states that it is for PCs and I have a Mac.

techchildren literacy

Raises some interesting questions- what is a book? Is a "digital book" on the computer a book? Is a video version of a book a book?

Dabbleboard is an online whiteboard that allows users to visualize, explore, communicate, create, and share their work. Users can chose from two ways of drawing: freehand or computer-recognized shapes. Either way, users can create a multitude of pieces. Dabbleboard can be especially helpful for students. They can create flow charts, organizational charts, or mind maps to process school topics. As well, they can create comic strips, mark on uploaded pictures, or freehand drawings to accompany an original story. There is also a collaborative feature, that allows users to voice and video chate, share with or browse the public library, or send the link of their creation via the web. There are endless possibilities for students to express their creativity using Dabbleboard.

This can be a great graphic organizer to help students study for tests and communicate while doing projects.

Tikatok is a website where you can create your own book using your own pictures scanned into the computer. You can order a copy of your completed book so that you can have a hard copy of what you or your children have created. This is a great tool for teachers or parents to inspire a child's imagination to create a story with both words and pictures.

I really like this site and would definitely use it if I had children. It makes it so easy to make a story and actually get a hard copy of it. I reviewed Storybird, which is another site that allows you to create stories, but it doesn't have the option of ordering it. I think this is a step up from Storybird!