Press Release from CSP
I Did It On the Computer: Book Reports

Summer 2001

If standard homework projects were arranged like the food pyramid, then book reports would definitely be their own food group. Over the years they have become staples on the basic buffet menu of projects offered to elementary and middle school students.

So what's wrong with staples? Nothing - except they can quickly become stale. Tasteless for students who have to submit a book report in the same standard style every 6 weeks. Flat for teachers who have to assign and grade them. Dreaded by parents who have to nag their children to actually read the book and then cajole them into writing a description that's at least a few words different than the one already on the back cover. Solutions? There's lots of talk about integrating computers into standard school work, and surveys of parents still name homework as the number one reason for buying their child a computer. So how might technology add a little zest to this predicament?

Voila! Enter the new 24-page booklet I Did It On the Computer: Book Reports by Dr. Merle Marsh and Diane Kendall. It's full of juicy tidbits for kids on everything from finding a book using online resources to presenting a book report in a style sure to catch a teacher's eye. The brochure reveals the secret of creating just the right shopping list to look for while reading the book by crafting a pre-outline to guide the note-taking process. It even includes free samples of different kinds of outlines for kids to copy or download from the Children's Software Press site (www.childsoftpress.com), so there's no excuse for not trying this method of organization straight away! Ideas for streamlining the editing process using tools found in every word-processing application are also suggested. Recommendations for how to talk about a book with parents, siblings, or classmates are a unique feature of this publication as well.

For those allowed a bit more gourmet flare in their report, ideas for presenting a book report in a variety of different styles are showcased. Suggestions include everything from doing a book report like the front page of a newspaper or as a poster advertising a book to directing a computer movie or video. Another exclusive feature are the wide range of samples of real world book report projects to peruse in the booklet or on our website.

Whimsically illustrated by Joyce Jabbour and written in a clear and straightforward manner, I Did It On the Computer: Book Reports, the latest publication in the Brochure Series, is a must have for students in grades four to eight. Unlike any other publication, its practical approach can help students recognize how the computer can be of use in a book report project from start to finish. At $5 a copy, this booklet is truly a bargain for students who are increasingly expected to take advantage of what the computer can offer the homework process as they progress through school. A four page Teacher/Parent guide is also available for $2 for an individual copy, or available free with a purchase of 30 copies or more of the student brochure. A classroom set of 30 copies of the student brochure is only $75.