It is important for young children to learn how to use computers for educational purposes as early as possible. Nearly all of their formal education at schools, colleges and universities will require computer competencies.

CICC has just become aware of a great way of introducing children as young as three years of age to use and enjoy computers for educational purposes: the innovative, CD-ROM/Workbook Learning Series from the Best Practices Network.

The CD-ROM and Workbooks of this age-related Learning Series engages young children and their parents in a wide range of enjoyable and interactive activities that teach the skills that underlie all academic progress, such as letter and word recognition skills, phonic skills, science concepts, color and shape recognition, and vocabulary skills.

The CD-ROM part of the series offers a menu of interactive educational games that kids and parents can play together on computers, or which children can play on their own. Each game acknowledges and reinforces progress with a certificate that can be printed out.

Because children and parents can play these games in languages like Spanish and French as well as in English, these CD-ROMs also can provide opportunities to learn other languages.

The CD-ROM is included within the very handsome Workbooks of the Learning Series. Each of these workbooks contains several learning tasks that are very attractively illustrated. Children respond by answering questions, finding embedded figures and shapes, and by writing or coloring in their answers.

Both the CD-ROMs and the Workbooks feature that rascal, Garfield the Cat, a character that many of today’s children, and many of their parents, have learned to love.

As you can tell, the CD/Workbooks teach different kinds of skills and are age-related. The cost is only $9.95 per CD/Workbook set.

They make excellent additions to a child’s early education experiences, provide practice in using computers, and are good vehicles over which children, parents, grandparents and other adults can relate and have fun.

In addition to being fine gifts for parents to give to their children, and for grandparents to give to their grandchildren, the CD-ROMS and Workbooks can be used productively in preschools, child care centers, Head Start agencies, family child care homes and in kindergarten and first grade classes.

Another feature that you may want to consider in obtaining these educational items is that the Best Practices Network is donating 30% of the sales of these items to CICC as a way of helping support all of CICC’s efforts to promote effective parenting.

Thus, a portion of what you spend on obtaining these educational products will be used to enable CICC to continue to publish these Effective Parenting newsletters and promote efforts like the National Effective Parenting Initiative.

We know you will find the Garfield Learning Series to be of assistance to your families and to the families you educate and help.

With warmest regards,


Kerby T. Alvy, Ph.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Center for the Improvement of Child Caring

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