Ask HN: Are there any good educational computers for children that aren't toys?
My nieces are 6 years old and they're going to start primary school soon.
They're pretty smart and I'd like to know if there are any good educational computers that allows them to learn at their own pace, things like maths, geography, programming, etc.
They will be educated in Basque/Spanish/English but their English is not very good yet so it should be available at least in Basque or Spanish.
Thank you!
All kids have the instinct to learn, but it's not a set-and-forget dynamic where you can just leave them with a computer/gadget. Their interests and curiousity feed off of those around them. Having access to "true play" and playmates are critical [1]. For example, you can introduce them to Scratch [2], make a small game together, and let them propose new games to make. Get their friends involved too.
But's not going to be spontaneous until you create the right environment, which includes not just physical things like books/etc, but the social support structures. It takes a lot of work and care.
[1] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15843125-free-to-learn
[2] https://scratch.mit.edu/
Loving to read books off screen is the most important intellectual thing they can do.
Vanishingly few kids have the mythical "learn at their own pace" gene- kids who do are usually spectrum. Nearly all kids learn best from and with people. Nearly all device software are gamifying/fighting for attention/addiction. LLM/AIs as a new entrant to the space offer incredible capabilities including nuanced conversations even at the toddler level but the safety guardrails are zero and the risks of cognitive offloading and debt are very real.
Loving reading books on paper supports concentration, focus, cognitive capacity, creativity- only good things.
Pick excellent challenging books and commit emotional energy to engaging/reading with them.