If you are involved in selecting software, remember to plan purchases with a purpose in mind. Software can influence behaviors such as cooperation and motivation, as well as how children interact with each other. Think about the experience you want children to have, and select software carefully to encourage those types of experiences. Before and after school time is not usually planned around a specific curriculum, but is there to support a child's learning. While many of these activities are free time, such as arts, games, or sports, much learning takes place during these interactions.
Time spent with computers and other technology can also be fun.
Many software programs such as children's drawing and writing programs or visual reference materials can be active and creative. Such programs, while providing plenty of diversion from academic challenges, are well-suited to meeting the young child's educational needs. This type of software gives children the opportunity to explore, make choices, and then find out the impact of their decisions. Children learn by experiencing, and so need to be interactive with the computer. Appropriate software should help children reflect on what they already know.