ED477607 2003-12-00 Evaluating and

Selecting Online Magazines for Children.

ERIC Digest.

ERIC Development Team

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Evaluating and Selecting Online Magazines for Children. ERIC Digest.. 1

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE POPULARITY OF CHILDREN'S

E-ZINES.................................................................... 2

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING CHILDREN'S E-ZINES..................3

A PLATTER OF QUALITY E-ZINES FOR CHILDREN................... 5

REFERENCES.................................................................. 8

ERIC Identifier: ED477607

Publication Date: 2003-12-00

Author: Lu, Mei-Yu

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading English and Communication Bloomington IN.

Evaluating and Selecting Online Magazines for

Children. ERIC Digest.

THIS DIGEST WAS CREATED BY ERIC, THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

INFORMATION CENTER. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ERIC, CONTACT

ACCESS ERIC 1-800-LET-ERIC

The introduction and growing use of the World Wide Web since the early 1990s has

enabled readers to gain immediate access to great quantities of information. This, in

turn, has prompted many businesses to exploit the internet as a medium through which

ED477607 2003-12-00 Evaluating and Selecting Online Magazines for Children. ERIC

Digest.

Page 1 of 10
to promote their products and services (Brody, 1997; Clyde, 1998). Publishing for

children, especially online magazines (i.e., e-zines), is no exception (Johnson, 2002).

The purpose of this Digest is to provide an overview of children's e-zines. It begins with

a brief review of factors that contribute to the popularity of these publications, followed

by a list of criteria for selecting high-quality online magazines for children. Samples of

high-quality children's e-zines are also included in this Digest.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE

POPULARITY OF CHILDREN'S E-ZINES

Compared to printed magazines, e-zines can be vastly superior in terms of each of the

following factors:

"Cost": Both publishers and readers benefit monetarily from electronic publishing

(Boone & Higgins, 1998; Freeman, 1996). For a publisher, an e-zine reduces the

production cost. Also, readers do not pay shipping.

"Accessibility": Online magazines provide readers immediate and wide access to

information (Boone & Higgins, 1998; Freeman, 1996). Readers with internet access can

directly download or read information online without geographical restrictions.

"Timeliness": The online nature of e-zines helps ease the publishing process. Editors

and authors are able to change, add, or delete materials readily (Boone & Higgins,

1998; Brody, 1997) in order to ensure the authenticity, accuracy, and currency of the

information.

"Content": Unlike printed magazines, which often present information in a linear fashion,

e-zines offer hyperlinks which allow readers to "wander around" paths related to the

main idea and go beyond the materials covered in a particular article. Thus, e-zines

broaden and enrich the scope of topics addressed (Boone & Higgins, 1998; Brody,

1997; Johnson, 2002).

"Interactivity and Reader Participation": A key feature of e-zines is the opportunity they

provide for interactivity between readers, between authors and readers, and between

readers and the text (Brody, 1997; Freeman, 1996; Johnson, 2002). Many popular

children's e-zines now invite readers to be part of the production process, both by filling

out surveys and by submitting their own work for publication in the e-zine. In addition,

children's online magazines are able to develop and organize various activities that

permit their readers to create artwork, play games, "ask an expert," and meet other

readers online.

"Modes of Media Presented": E-zines make use of the internet's multimedia capacity

(Boone & Higgins, 1998; Brody, 1997; Freeman, 1996). In addition to the written texts,

tables, charts, and images traditionally used in printed magazines, e-zines expand

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Digest.
offerings to audio, animation, video clips, and other modes of presentation. The author

is able to select the most appropriate media to represent his/her idea or to use multiple

media to help deepen readers' understanding and enjoyment of a particular topic.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING CHILDREN'S

E-ZINES

While there are many e-zines available for children, their quality, content, and

usefulness vary. The following criteria were developed based on recommendations from

various sources (Abdullah, 1998; Agosto, D., 2003; ALSC Children and Technology

Committee, 1997) in order to help educators and parents evaluate and select

appropriate e-zines for children.

"Content"

* Information provided needs to be accurate, current, and relevant to the purpose of the

magazine.

* Information should be age and developmentally appropriate.

* Information should encourage, inspire, and stimulate children's learning and

imagination.

* Materials that promote particular biases should be rejected or reviewed critically.

"Functionality and Stability"

* The purpose of the magazine should be clearly stated.

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ED477607 2003-12-00 Evaluating and Selecting Online Magazines for Children. ERIC

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* Advertising should be reduced to a minimum and be relevant to the purpose of the

magazine.

* Navigational functions should be clearly explained and easy to use.

* The site should load in a reasonable period of time, usually within 10-20 seconds.

* Language used for instruction in the site should be appropriate for the intended

readers.

* When possible, magazines should include features for special populations, such as

visually or hearing impaired readers.

* The magazine should only include relevant, current, accurate, and high-quality links.

"Authorship/Sponsorship"

* The authors/sponsoring organizations should be properly identified.

*The editor's contact information should be available so readers can send comments or

ask questions.

* Sites that violate copyright statutes should not be included.

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Digest.
"Design"

* The overall design should be attractive and conducive to the reading of the text.

* Graphics and images should be easy to read.

* Audio and video components should be high quality and clear.

* The font size, appearance, and color of text should be easy to read and view.

* Games and activities should be accompanied by clear, well-written instructions.

* A site should never request any personal information.

A PLATTER OF QUALITY E-ZINES FOR

CHILDREN

The following is a sample of high-quality e-zines selected on the basis of the criteria

above.

"Title: EEK: Environmental Education for Kids"

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/index.htm By Wisconsin Dept. of Natural

Resources; Monthly; for ages 9-14, parents, and educators.

Focus: environmental, nature, and outdoor education.

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ED477607 2003-12-00 Evaluating and Selecting Online Magazines for Children. ERIC

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Features: resources for educators; career information related to environmental

sciences; activities, stories, riddles, and informational articles.

"Title: MidLink Magazine"

http://www.cs.ucf.edu/~MidLink/ By SAS inSchool, North Carolina State University and

the University of Central Florida; Quarterly; for ages 8-18.

Focus: all subjects, as well as current issues.

Features: cooperative classroom projects that link learners from around the world;

resources for educators; Web sites of schools around the globe.

"Title: Parents and Children Together Online"

http://eric.indiana.edu/pcto.html By ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and

Communication; Quarterly; for ages 5-14 and parents.

Focus: reading, literacy, and information articles focus on sciences and social sciences.

Features: fiction, poetry, and information articles for children; resources for parents and

educators.

"Title: Stone Soup Magazine"

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Digest.
http://www.stonesoup.com/index.html

By Stone Soup Publisher; Bimonthly; for ages 8-13.

Focus: literature and art.

Features: accepts children's art and writing work; pen pal program; teacher resources;

archived sample stories, poems, artwork from past issues.

Frequency: 6 times per year.

"Title: Scholastic News"

http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/

By Scholastic, Inc.; Weekly (top stories change daily); for ages 8-14, parents, and

educators.

Focus: current news and events, arts and entertainment.

Features: news stories, polls, games, quizzes, and news radio for children; resources

for educators and parents.

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ED477607 2003-12-00 Evaluating and Selecting Online Magazines for Children. ERIC

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"Title: Wanna Bet"

http://www.wannabet.org/

By North American Training Institute; 2-4 issues per year; for ages 8-14.

Focus: youth gambling prevention and education.

Features: accepts reader submissions; research based materials; ask the expert

column

"Title: WireTap"

http://www.wiretapmag.org/

By AlterNet.org and the Independent Media Institute; funded by The Open Society

Institute, Surdna Foundation, and the Richard & Rhoda Goldman Foundation; Weekly;

for ages 14 and up, educators, and parents.

Focus: social issues and social activism.

Features: independent information source by and for socially conscious youth; accepts

reader submissions; online forum; book reviews, movies, and albums.

REFERENCES

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Digest.
Abdullah, M. H. (1998). "Guidelines for evaluating Web sites". Bloomington, IN: ERIC

Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication. [ED 426 440]

Agosto, D. (2003). "Questions to ask when evaluating Web sites for children and young

adults". Retrieved on August 20, 2003, from

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~dea22/print.html

ALSC Children and Technology Committee. (1997). "Great Web sites for kids selection

criteria". Chicago: American Library Association. Retrieved on August 20, 2003, from

http://www.ala.org/Content/NavigationMenu/ALSC/Great_Web_Sites_for_K ids/

Great_Web_Sites_for_Kids.htm

Boone, R. & Higgins, K. (1998). Digital publishing. "Teaching Exceptional Children",

30(5), 4-5. [EJ 565 219] Brody, H. (1997). Clicking onto Webzines. "Technology

Review", 100(4), 38-47. [EJ 544 700]

Clyde, L. A. (1998, August 19). "Internet resources for reading promotion". Paper

presented at the 64th IFLA General Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Retrieved

August 20, 2003, from http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla64/010-131e.htm

Freeman, A. (1996). Potential uses of the net for children's literature in schools. In L.

Hay & J. Henri. (Eds.), "Proceedings of the ITEC Virtual Conference: A Meeting of the

Minds 1" (pp. 44-47). Belconnen, Australia: School Library Association of Australia. [ED

417 756]

Johnson, D. (2002, September). Online magazines for children and teens. "Reading

Online", 6(2). Retrieved August 20, 2003, from

http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?HREF=webwatch /magazi

nes/index.html

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Digest #180 is EDO-CS-03-01 and was published in September 2003 by the ERIC

Clearinghouse on Reading, English and Communication, 2805 E 10th St. #140,

Bloomington, IN 47408, 1-800-759-4723. Full text at: http://eric.indiana.edu. ERIC

Digests are in the public domain and may be freely reproduced. This project is funded at

least in part with Federal funds from the US Dept. of Education under contract

ED-99-CO-0028. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views

or policies of the US Department of Education nor does mention of trade names,

commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the US Government.

Title: Evaluating and Selecting Online Magazines for Children. ERIC Digest.

Note: ERIC/REC Digest number 180.

Document Type: Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs)

(071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073);

ERIC Resource Center www.eric.ed.gov

ED477607 2003-12-00 Evaluating and Selecting Online Magazines for Children. ERIC

Digest.

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Available From: ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English and Communication, 2805

E. 10th St. #140, Bloomington, IN 47408-2698. Web site: http://eric.indiana.edu; Tel:

800-759-4723 (Toll Free).

Descriptors: Electronic Journals, Electronic Publishing, Electronic Text, Elementary

Education, Periodicals, Reading Material Selection

Identifiers: ERIC Digests

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