Web-savvy kids boost their brains online

WASHINGTON - 'Tis the season for tutors, summer break and parents trying to give their kids an edge going into the next school year.

Behold there is a less expensive alternative to tutors -- online interactive education.

Now, parents can put away the X-Box and turn on the DreamBox, an online educational program that uses interactive games to teach math. A child's progress is tracked with each lesson, and future lessons are designed based on the child's answering speed. The Wall Street Journal reports the program was launched this year and subscriptions run $59.95 for six months.

Another option is SmartyCard, which offers games to teach kids writing, social studies and math. Starting at $10, parents can purchase a SmartyCard, full of rewards points for kids to play such "entertainment" games as Club Penguin, Webkinz and Nintendo Wii. But here's the educational catch: They must complete lessons to unlock the points. This incentive-laden approach launched in March and has 200,000 registered users.

For older students, there's SAT, ACT and GMAT prep. Grockit.com offers peer-to-peer learning for the GMAT and SAT, where students complete practice tests and discuss each question with their peers. A premium account costs $49.95 and lasts for a year.

BrightStorm.com offers SAT and ACT prep, as well as help with AP biology, calculus, U.S. government and U.S. history. A full course will run you $99.

There's even a site to teach your kids Spanish. GoGoLingo.com is targeted to kids ages 3 to 7 and uses animation and games to start teaching that Spanish vocabulary. It runs $9.95 a month.

The Wall Street Journal reports many of these educational programs are created by teams of accredited teachers and reviewed by advisory teams of college education professors.

Parents pay for the programs by subscriptions, which are relatively cheap and occasionally include free trials.

For more, visit The Wall Street Journal online.

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