Kids Writing For The Internet

A great way to encourage children to write – about their hobbies, sports, interests is for them to build a website on which they can post their essays. Not only does this use technology which they are eager to embrace, but it also gives them an automatic ‘readership’ for their work.

It seems that just about everyone and every business has an internet presence nowadays. One of the fastest growing markets is destined to be parent-supervised websites built by young people. Kids see opportunities their elders never dreamed of, and have the enthusiasm and adaptability to do something about it. Young people are not daunted by new technology, in fact they have a thirst for it.

However there can be pitfalls, and parental-supervision is a key component in ensuring that children’s internet experience is a safe and ethical one. So while the kids are keen to tackle the technology, many guardians can be daunted by it.

It is important that you research website building software before purchase, and then gain a working knowledge of it before your children publish their sites. Avoid purchasing a really elementary software package -- take into consideration how quickly kids’ skills develop, and that they will become bored with a simplistic approach to website building. Choose one that has the ability to grow and develop with the user.

Having basic computer knowledge is really all you need to get going. There should be no need for any html skills if you purchase the right software, as all of your data should be entered just as you would in a word processing program.

The beauty of purchasing a versatile software program is that the whole family can use it. Writing for the internet is a fantastic way to earn extra income, or to be the basis of a work from home job. Once you have purchased your software you can set up as many sites as you want – one for your new writing business perhaps! Website owners are always looking for content for their sites, and you might just have the expertise they are looking for.

With the childen’s websites, the creation and management of any Contacts page is a prime example of where adult supervision is imperative, and by learning how the contacts page is set up will enable you to monitor messages coming through the website.

Having completed the software’s tutorial, with your new skills in website building, you can work collaboratively with your kids on their site construction, and in no time they will have a site with information about their hobby, pets, holiday or prom.

But note - for kids, it is extremely important to not publish their full names, addresses or phone numbers. They should be counselled not to give this information to anyone online, and to advise you when such information is requested of them.