Technology can help them to quench this thirst for knowledge.
* There are lots of fun information books available on the computer for young children. The words can be read to the children and they may also include exciting animations and film clips. Try the younger Dorling Kindersley range such as My First Dictionary or Become a World Explorer or the 'Learners Library' series from Neptune (www.neptunect.co.uk).
* Use programmable robot Pixies and remote-control cars to explore small worlds. Here are some examples:
* Take photos of local shops. Print them out and stick them to cereal boxes to create a mini local town for the remote-control cars and Pixies to explore.
* Use a large map poster to program the Pixie to travel around the world.
Have a look at: www.hitchams.suffolk.sch.uk/ foundation/pixie/pixie_world_maps.htm
* Stick some sheets of sugar paper together, find some photos of planets, and glue them on to make a large space playmat for Pixies or cars. For the Pixie, a grid could be drawn out to help the children work out how to get from one place to another. Have a look at: www.hitchams.suffolk.sch.uk/foundation/ pixie/pixie_space_race.htm
* Make a jungle out of Lego and use the programmable robots to explore it.
* Go on a visit or invite a visitor in. Use technology to record the event: digital cameras, video cameras, tape recorders and so on. These could subsequently further the children's understanding. Photographs could be sequenced or used in PowerPoint or Word to make electronic or paper-based books. Tape recordings could be played in the listening corner - add some photos or artefacts to look at while listening.
* Use Storymaker (from Spa Software, www.spasoft.co.uk) to create stories based around your topic. Storymaker comes with lots of subject areas, such as farms, pirates, underwater and fairy tales. You can also import photographs as a background and place Storymaker characters on top.
Children can then add speech bubbles, sound effects and even animation to the story.
* Lego Loco software (www.hitchams.suffolk.sch.uk/foundation/ lego_loco.htm) is easy to use for topics about homes or transport, and the Granada Learning 'At the...' series (www.hitchams.suffolk.sch.uk/foundation/ at_the_vets.htm) is great for doctors, vets or cafes.
By Andrew Trythall, ICT co-ordinator and Year One teacher at Sir Robert Hitcham's CEVAP School, Suffolk (www.hitchams.suffolk.sch.uk)
