Welcome to the Family Digital Resource Center!

We believe that the materials, stories, and website links you find here will provide a starting point of valuable information gathering for the entire family.

As digital natives, today’s children and youth are conversant with computers and various other digital media. Parents and adults generally assume the role of the digital immigrant – those of us who were not born into the digital world, but have adopted some or many aspects of new technology over time.

The resources found here are aimed at information sharing and guidance for parents, children and teens, and cover topics related to education, digital technology, safe and responsible Internet use, and student achievement.

News and Research
Web Site Links and Resources

Recent News and Research

September-2010
Starting School

Every year kids start school — and every year parents wonder what to do. Whether it’s your child’s first day at preschool or the start of fifth grade, there are always new challenges.

Technology and Youth: Protecting your Child from Electronic Aggression

Electronic Aggression is any type of harassment or bullying that occurs through e-mail, a chat room, instant messaging, a website (including blogs), or text messaging.

August-2010
When Values Trump Violence

Conventional wisdom holds that bullies act out because they lack self-esteem, so effective anti-bullying programs should focus on boosting bullies’ egos. Yet research suggests something else.

Free books block 'summer slide' in low-income students

Can a $50 stack of paperback books do as much for a child's academic fortunes as a $3,000 stint in summer school?

An experimental program in seven states may help answer that question this summer as districts from Nevada to South Carolina give thousands of low-income students an armful of free books.

July-2010
Helping to Prevent Summer Reading Loss

As parents, one of our major roles is to make sure that children set aside time every day to read - to read for pleasure, for information, for the vicarious thrill of living in an imaginary world. Why is this so important?

The Risks of Parenting While Plugged In

Much of the concern about cellphones and instant messaging and Twitter has been focused on how children who incessantly use the technology are affected by it. But parents’ use of such technology — and its effect on their offspring — is now becoming an equal source of concern to some child-development researchers.

Web Site Links and Resources

Web Sites for Parents and Educators

Web Sites for Children and Youth

Family-Friendly Web Sites

Youth-Friendly Search Engines