Education
Finding Homework Help For Teens
By
Sep 7, 2005, 20:05

(NAPSI)-Teens are using computers in nearly every aspect of their lives. In fact, nearly one-third of 8- to 18-year-olds have a computer in their bedroom ("Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8−18-Year-Olds," (#7251), The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, March 2005). However, not everyone says computers alone make the grade when it comes to homework help.

Many students report feeling frustrated because they can't find the assistance they need online or elsewhere to get their homework done. In addition, parents often feel unable to lend support because they have been out of school for many years. In fact, a recent survey commissioned by Microsoft Corp. found that less than a third of parents reported they feel prepared to help their middle- and high-school students with homework. Perhaps this is why over half of the parents surveyed also said homework is a source of tension in their household (MSI-ITM Homework Study, May 2005).

Where can students turn for help with homework?

To help answer this question, Microsoft has developed Microsoft Student 2006, a comprehensive software product that helps middle- and high-school students efficiently produce high-quality homework assignments. Microsoft Student includes tools that help teens achieve academic success in a variety of subjects, from history and English to physics and trigonometry.

Speaking of trigonometry, students most frequently ask for help with math homework, but less than a third of parents say they feel prepared to help with this subject (MSI-ITM Homework Study, May 2005). Microsoft Student 2006 comes with a variety of tools to help students and parents break down even the most complex math and science barriers. Graphing Calculator software complements the handheld devices required for most high-school math courses and helps students visualize math concepts with full-color 2-D and 3-D graphing capabilities. Online Math Homework Help provides step-by-step instructions and hints for solving complex math problems.

Many home and school PCs are equipped with Microsoft Office, and that is one of the first places students turn when they have homework. Microsoft Student provides templates and tutorials that enhance any edition of Microsoft Office XP or 2003 for homework-specific tasks. With this assistance, teens can get beyond the blank page and start producing high-quality writing assignments, research papers, essays, presentations, foreign-language reports, term papers and more in Microsoft Office Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

Teens use the Internet for everything from downloading music and shopping to communicating with friends and family via e-mail and community chat rooms. It's no surprise they instinctively go to the Web when presented with a research assignment. However, nearly two-thirds of parents said their child doesn't always find what he or she needs on the Internet (MSI-ITM Homework Study, May 2005). Microsoft Student 2006 helps students sift through the fire hose of information the Internet presents by surfacing accurate, trusted content from Encarta alongside online search-engine results. Students spend less time sorting through information and feel confident about the accuracy of their research results.

With Microsoft Student 2006 and any edition of Microsoft Office XP or 2003, teens have the necessary foundation for starting and completing successful homework assignments all year long.

For more information, visit http://www.microsoft.com/student.

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