At the same time, funds limit the number of software programs you can purchase, so you must decide which programs will give the most for the money. Fortunately, like story books and other preschool materials, software has a variety of classroom uses. While software can be used to introduce a new curricular topic to the children, it can also expand a curricular theme.
Software plays many roles in the early childhood curriculum.
Useful software titles contain several activities that can be used for varying purposes to meet different children's needs. For example, Thinkin' Things contains comparison and problem solving activities, pattern and sequence activities, as well as creative activities and activities to develop critical thinking skills. Off-computer activities complement the information the software presents. Characters, activities, themes, and concepts introduced in software can be expanded to encourage knowledge and skill transfer and generalization to other areas. Macomb Projects' demonstration and research site classrooms' teachers have created many curriculum integration ideas based on children's software.