Geek Girlfriends

I have two smart little geek tweens who are living proof that this is a great time to be a kid. When I was their age and wondered why the sky was blue, I might ask someone. I might even get an answer. But I would have no way of knowing if that answer was true or complete or just something a harried parent made up because she was too busy to look up the answer. And the only resource in the house to check those answers against was a dictionary and (outdated) encyclopedia.

My kids, though, can have answers to whatever question flits through their brains in a matter of seconds and I don’t have to do much about it. When they were smaller, I sat them down and showed them where to find answers (and evaluate a source) online but now they are pretty independent. They just dial up Google or one of the tools they love to get instant, authoritative, and entertaining answers. They never had to learn to stop asking questions because they always get satisfying answers. And the answers they get are much better than two paragraphs and (maybe) a photo. The result? At 10 and 12, they are both packed full of information. Sometimes I ask my kids questions when I’m wondering why the sky is blue or how big space is and, most of the time, I get fascinating answers. (Much better than I ever got when I was the kid.)

Here are three of our favorite online tools for getting our questions answered:

BrainPop. ($99 a year or $9.95 a month.) Funny, entertaining, and educational, Brainpop may be my favorite online educational tool. Kids watch short animation on science, social studies, math, technology, English, health, arts, and music and can test their knowledge at the end with a multiple choice quiz. More than once, I have turned homework time into a two-hour learning festival where my kids are having a blast. In fact, it can be as difficult to get a kid away from Brainpop as it is to get them away from the morning cartoons but when I do get them away, they are full of knowledge. In fact, I have lost a few hours to Brainpop myself. Doubt me? Register for a free trial and see for yourself.

Cosmeo. ($9.95 a month) You middle schooler turns to you, expecting you to help her with her match homework. But it’s been 20 years since you thought about the Pythagorean Theorem. Turn to Cosmeo’s Math Solver’s for a quick reminder on how to solve that problem. Or let you kid watch a teacher explain – over and over again if necessary – a troubling topic. Trouble with the times tables? Get him playing a video games that requires he master them to move to the next level. Fourth grader writing a paper on Madagascar? Wouldn’t it be nice to dial up every documentary the Discovery Channel has ever made on the subject? Need photos, data, or video she can use in her school project? Done. Done. And done. Check out the 30-day free trial.

Shmoop (free) helps middle school, high school, and college students get papers their written. It gives them resources to help them evaluate books, and think about themes in literature, poetry, and history. The content is written by PH.D students and it can help your student study more efficiently by providing study questions, links to audio and video content and writing guides. Is your tween staring at a blank piece of paper with a book-report deadline looming? Schmoop will help her break it down into an outline, add notes in, and guide her toward a finished paper while inspiring her with relevant quotes along the way.

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