Computers and the Internet are frequent fixtures in the classroom. The Internet is full of reference materials for students to use for learning purposes. Use these online references to help your kindergarten class learn how to locate information on topics of interest to them. At this age, it isn't important to address what types of sources are credible because the kindergartners aren't likely to browse the Internet on their own. When you use the Internet with young children, it is important to monitor the children's Internet usage to ensure their safety while they are online.
Kindergartners are usually working on learning how to read throughout the school year. Books are one of the greatest sources of reference from which students can learn. Until the children are able to read for themselves, reading books to them can help them expand their skills and learn at the same time. Talk to your kindergarten class about the different types of book reference materials, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias and non-fiction books. While the students may not be able to read these books, familiarity helps encourage the use of these materials in the future.
The news is an excellent source of information for anyone, though some of the information can be unsuitable for kindergarten students. Therefore, it is important to strictly monitor the stories you share with the class. Choose a few human-interest and positive stories to share with the class and talk about them. Ask the students to identify the types of information they can obtain from this type of reference material. Magazines and other periodicals can also serve as more positive options.
After you teach your class about the various references available for their use, create a class project that you can work on together. Brainstorm projects to determine what interests your students and take a class vote to determine which topic your class wants to research. Guide the students through the research topic, helping them find websites, books, newspapers and magazines about the topic. Read about the topic and create a quiz or worksheet on the information the students have learned.