A-Plus Software

By Anita Hamilton

You've already bought backpacks and binders, pens and paper. You even broke down and got your kids a few stylin' pairs of cargo pants, so you don't have to look at their long faces as they sullenly contemplate another nine-month jail term of homework. But before you walk out of Target or K Mart, consider a stop in the software aisle. The latest reference and productivity packs could actually help cheer up your kids in another way--by helping them get their homework done faster and better. Here are my top picks for students in junior high and up:

If you buy only one software product for your kids this year, make it the Encarta Reference Suite 2000 ($64 with rebate), which includes an encyclopedia, atlas and dictionary. I love the detailed, virtual tours of natural wonders (like volcanoes), ancient ruins (Pompeii) and picturesque cities (Prague). When it's time to get serious, the homework helper suggests essay topics, then shows how to research and organize a report. Kids can cut and paste information onto electronic "note cards" included in the program, then export them to a word processor for editing and arranging. In addition to the basic encyclopedia entries for each topic, there are well-chosen Web links. These proved to be just what I needed for my personal research on the Dalai Lama. I subsequently skipped to the dictionary for a definition of Buddhism and then went to the atlas to pinpoint Tibet. Having all those resources in one place really helped speed up the project.

For artistic projects, Broderbund's Print Shop Deluxe, Version 10 ($50), is a smart choice. At first I was worried that the stark interface on this graphics program would mean it was for advanced users only. But when I discovered the pre-made templates for each project type, such as banners, flyers, newsletter and Web pages, I knew I was in luck. I started by making a tongue-in-cheek newsletter about my weekend, and found I could do everything from selecting photos or clip art (out of the database of 150,000 images) to experimenting with fancy text styles, without even peeking at the manual. Even better, once I finished my newsletter, I found I could apply the same techniques to banners, flyers and Web pages. Since I didn't have to learn anything new, I whizzed through my next projects. High school and college students should have little trouble getting comfortable with Print Shop, but younger kids may want some help from Mom or Dad. As for me, I felt I was a pro in less than an hour.

I wish I could say the same for Broderbund's Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, Version 10 Deluxe ($50), but the truth is, my fingers ache after each lesson. In my mind I know this is a good product, but learning to type properly is hard work. Still, Mavis' perky comments like, "Look out, world, here comes a great typist!" are reassuring--especially when I'm typing 15 words a minute. And the program adapts its lessons to tackle weak spots--in my case anything not on the home row. For a break, kids can play games like Far-off Adventure, in which typing in rhythm with accompanying music keeps a hot-air balloon afloat on the screen. The CD-ROM even has charts and graphs to track students' progress. A flexible program, it adapts the complexity of its language to the age of the budding typist, beginning at age eight. Someday I hope to become good enough to tap out a sonnet, one of the advanced options. But at the rate I'm going, let's just say I'm not holding my breath.

For Encarta, visit microsoft.com for Print Shop and Mavis Beacon, visit broderbund. com. E-mail Anita at hamilton@time.com