Kids

The Kentucky Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would count computer programming classes toward fulfilling foreign-language requirements in public schools. The goal is to enhance programming skills, enabling more Kentucky students to land high-paying jobs in the growing computer industry, said Sen. David Givens, the bill’s sponsor. “Those opportunities are there,” the Greensburg Republican said, Continue Reading →

The leap in reading comprehension difficulty from Elementary to Middle School can be daunting for some students. These five mobile apps, curated for use by Middle and High School students, assist in refining reading skills. From the transition of learning how to read to being critical thinkers to spelling new vocabulary words and understanding literary Continue Reading →

The Netflix monthly subscription model is a hit for movies and TV, and is spreading to music with paid versions of services like Pandora and Spotify. In 2014, it looks like the model could finally catch on for e-books. On Tuesday, a company called Epic launched a service that offers children a monthly library of Continue Reading →

Middle and High School astronomy courses rely on visualization, particularly when it comes to seeing the “images” in constellations and orbital trajectories. This five app bunch is perfect for students who want to more clearly see the planets and stars, as well as learn the history, present and future of space programs. Gravity App ($7.99 iPad) Continue Reading →

The federal government on Wednesday said Apple has agreed to pay at least $32.5 million in refunds to parents who didn’t authorize hefty purchases racked up by their children on their iPhones and iPads. The Federal Trade Commission’s settlement with Apple is the first punishment handed to a major tech company over the handling of Continue Reading →

The most crowded area of Intel’s CES booth? Not the phone section, not tablets, not even two-in-ones. Nope, everyone’s huddled around a desk with coffee mugs. That, and a plastic baby doll lying face-up in a carrier. Just like Intel CEO Brian Krzanich hinted, the company is going all-in on wearables this year. Except the Continue Reading →

DreamWorks Animation first captivated children in movie theaters. Then it branched into TV, piping cartoons based on hits like “Madagascar” and “How to Train Your Dragon” into homes through outlets like Nickelodeon and Netflix. Now DreamWorks has partnered with a technology company, Fuhu, on an even more immediate way to reach itty-bitty eyeballs, a highly Continue Reading →

What better way to celebrate the next batch of competitors for the Scripps National Spelling Bee than with mobile applications and games designed to prepare Elementary to Middle School students for spelling quizzes and tests? These apps (most vetted by educational experts) can help students spell, expand their vocabularies and use words in the correct context. Continue Reading →

It’s never too soon for your child to play with a tablet, and if you think they’re ready for a tablet of their very own, here are some of my favorites available today. LeapFrog’s LeapPad 2 costs less than a hundred bucks and works with all cartridge apps and games from the first LeapPad, giving Continue Reading →

I’m a cool aunt. Or so I tell myself. It is this hubris that led to a $50 charge on my iTunes account, after I so willingly handed over my iPad mini to my young niece the other night. Parental controls! Don’t you know about parental controls? Well, I didn’t. (FYI, I called iTunes support Continue Reading →