Feature
Online educational tools for kids
[Sept. 10, 2008/ Manila] - Raising a child is a tough job, especially for single parents who have to struggle with work and home life on their own. But for those who are not afraid to put a little faith in technology, the Internet, when used properly, can be a very helpful tool in educating kids. Through their daily online adventures, Rita M. Santos and her four-year-old son Ezra Mari have discovered rich learning resources.
"Being a single mom has made me budget-conscious," shares Rita. "Life is never easy and expenses can be difficult to manage. I did a lot of thinking before I got a broadband Internet subscription." One of the things that made her finally decide to subscribe to Smart Bro was that it could help her "enhance Ezra's skills and intelligence."
Since her son was then barely three years old, Rita thought that he would only want to play games on the Internet. "But day after day, he also learned something new—from the pronunciation of a letter to the spelling of simple words, and even how to sing songs."
As a working mother, Rita has to divide her time between the office and her home. "I work at a call center and most of the time I work nights. So I make sure that I wake up in the middle of the day, everyday, to spend time with Ezra."
Aside from going out together to watch a movie or eat at Jollibee, they also spend quality time at home. Rita says this includes reading to her son, and watching educational DVDs and cartoons together. "We also take turns playing games on the computer while he sits on my lap."
Following the advice of her aunt who is an educator, Rita will enroll Ezra in school when he turns 5 or 6 years old. Meanwhile, she searches the Internet for games that would teach Ezra how to read and count. "I found out that he is a quick learner. He can read simple words on the computer screen."
Ezra's favorite website is noggin.com, which offers preschoolers educational, curriculum-driven entertainment. Mother and son also go to pbskids.org for fun and educational games as well as online books. They also frequent kidspsych.org/oochy2.html where children between the ages of 1 and 5 can find activities and games.
But Ezra does not spend unlimited time on the Internet. Rita says he usually spends three hours online and always has time to play outdoors.
"I knew I made the right decision and that Smart Bro would help me hone and develop my son's skills," she shares.
Smart Bro is the high-speed broadband Internet service provided by Smart Broadband Inc., a subsidiary of Smart. Smart Bro uses SMART’s nationwide network to connect a computer to the World Wide Web wirelessly, that is, even where there is no phone line.
Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART), which advocates Internet for all, offers a variety of Internet packages including the first of its kind Smart Bro Prepaid with affordable sachet pricing, nationwide coverage and easy loading. It makes use of a small USB-type wireless modem called Smart Bro Plug-It that can be hooked into a desktop PC or laptop to connect the user to SMART’s nationwide wireless broadband network.
Rita, who has been a Smart Bro subscriber since December 2006, says: "Every day, I look forward to going home. I know that I would find Ezra in front of the computer learning something new and useful. It's when I get home that we get to play together… online." @
