Selecting Software: Avoiding Stereotypes

Many software programs for young children have been designed to avoid cultural stereotypes Nevertheless, teachers have to make sure programs, possibly offered by parents or other community members, do not inadvertently bring racial, gender and cultural stereotypes into the early childhood classroom. This is no different from pre-screening books. Teachers should not put an unscreened program on the computer any more than they would put an unscreened book on their bookshelf.

The most likely form of cultural stereotyping consists of presenting only a single "typical" representation of a cultural group, thereby creating the impression that all the people belonging to that group are alike.

To explore another Web site that deals with this issue, please visit:

• Children's Software Revue
  This is the site of a magazine for teachers and parents that reviews software. To get their software reviews, you have to subscribe (and pay), but this site includes some free software reviews, a free search page to find software according to title, age, publisher or topic, and links to other software review sites, some of which are free.