Their first computer experience came in kindergarten, with exercises on how to use a mouse and launch a program. Now, their teachers present math and reading drills on computers and use computer games as incentives for students to finish books. This fall, the boys will begin their first typing lessons. This kind of early exposure to computers is a big help for children. Hundreds of research studies in recent years have found that computers improve student performance, particularly when teachers are trained well in the technology.
Parents certainly seem to think so, but there's too little research to say for sure.
Forget whether they're useful for education. Parents perceive kids need to know about computers if they are going to be successful later in life. But just as great basketball players emerge from playgrounds and school gyms with no at-home practice, so do technically proficient students from their school's computer rooms. N.J. Even one of the broadest experiments in supplying home computers to children has yet to demonstrate that the PCs themselves make a significant difference in student performance. A 1994 study by the nonprofit group found that students in the program showed more improvement in writing skills than those whose schools weren't part of the program.