By at least fourth grade, most schools offer some form of
computer use. In private schools, this may happen earlier. To
some degree, the amount of training may depend on the funds
available for equipment. When terminals are available for
everyone, there's no waiting for a turn. The content of computer
classes can vary widely, from learning to point, click and type,
to studying programming languages like LOGO. Most, however,
emphasize using the computer as a tool. During fourth or fifth
grade, children may start using junior word-processing programs
to write reports. They might be shown how to find research
information on the Internet. They'll be taught how to save,
print and correct their work. In other cases, the computer is
used for drills in subjects like math and spelling. This is done
through special software or games, which many children find less
judgmental than regular quizzes. Or, children may be given open-
ended programs, that let them experiment with drawing and music.
But beyond the curriculum, it