Early years practitioners are busy people, but beware, there are many software programmes marketed for the under-fives that are not suitable for them. You will need to review as many programmes as you can before selecting one to use. Quality will be obvious when you see it, and, if you keep your selection small, it will make planning easier.
Among the programmes to avoid are ones that require inappropriately advanced reading or mathematical skills, and anything that claims to make children into geniuses or taps too much into their competitive instincts, where scoring high is the only purpose. Programmes for the under-fives must also be very simple to operate, and you must ensure that they are easy to install.
To get ideas, read the specialist press, talk to colleagues and look at catalogues such as those published by software supplier Rickitt Educational Media (R-E-M, tel: 01458 254700). You can often obtain programmes on approval, either from the suppliers or the manufacturers, and if you are in the maintained sector, you can visit your local education authority's ICT centre to see for yourself. Some companies also offer schools an approval scheme.
The best packages for nursery children are the ones that stimulate their imaginations. A child who finds it difficult to concentrate on a book will be held by a good on-screen story with a compelling narrative, good illustrations and an interactive element. And paint programmes often encourage children to be more experimental than they would be with paper and crayons or paint.
Nursery staff should choose software programmes with the same criteria that they use to choose books. Don't accept poor design, tatty presentation or technical faults just because you think that computers have something extra special to offer children. In fact, you should be more demanding when choosing software, as an educational programme is usually several times more expensive than an illustrated book.
