Children Can Excel, or Teaching Spreadsheets to Kids

Why in the world should a child learn to use a spreadsheet?

Why should they learn to use calculators? Or a phone? Or a fork and knife (OK, that's my son's argument.)

We use tools to make life easier. The spreadsheet, simply, is a tool, like a calculator or a slide rule. As our children get more and more into computing, I feel very strongly about them learning how to use different computing tools, more than just learning how to insert a CD or surf the Internet.

Spreadsheets are about math and doing computations--but don't freak! Come on back and sit down. Math is your friend--really, he likes you. Seriously, many children and adults back away from math as fast as they can and there are many reasons for math anxiety, enough for a 100 more hubs. However, those of us with kids or who teach them know, a child picks up information if it is fun.

Introducing children to spreadsheets can be, stay with me, a low-key, entertaining way to play with numbers. And this kind of play increases your child's comfort with spreadsheets and math. Try it out. I have found that a lot of kids find it fun to manipulate numbers and formulas, see what will happen if they do this or that, and get excited when they discover combinations and patterns. As long as it is low-key, no-stress, no-deadline play.

Third grade and up is a completely appropriate time to start you child investigating a spreadsheet. Children at this age usually have the basic concepts of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, enough to work with spreadsheets. Even if you only know the very basics of using a spreadsheet, that's enough to start to show your kid the basics.

A very simple way of introducing spreadsheet to younger students (say ages 9 to 11) is practicing math facts. This actually accomplishes a couple of things. First, the point of this hub, you are showing your kid how spreadsheets work. But, additionally, you can drill your child on math areas where they may be weak.

OK, but don't actually "drill", just let them play. You child will learn and retain because they are using their hands to create formulas, they are entering formulas repeatedly, and they are being creative as they try new formulas.

Here's some dialogue to start with to practice addition facts of 9. Here, you are showing your child how to enter numbers and formulas.

Let's look at numbers in a different way, in a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet will compute the numbers but we still have to tell it what to do.

Let open the spreadsheet program. Move to the the first cell, A1. Use the cursor or arrow keys on your keyboard to move. When you are in the cell you want, the cell will be outlined with a dark black box. Then type the number 9 and hit the Enter key.

Move to the cell A2 using the cursor keys. Type a plus sign (hold down the Shift key and hit the key the equal key), then hit Enter.

Move to cell A3, enter the number 1. Hit Enter.

Skip a cell and go to cell A4. We are going to type in a formula that adds these numbers. Now spreadsheets are a little funny, they want the equal sign in the beginning of the formula. Actually, we do this so the program knows that a formula is coming up and that the spreadsheet needs to do some math.

In cell A4, type =9+1 and hit Enter.

Now go in and fill in the other cells. Start in A2. Try doing the problem 9 + 2 in the same way. Keep going until you get to 9+10

MORE PRACTICE

If you want to practice subtraction formulas, use a minus sign (-) in the formula instead of the plus sign. For multiplication, use the asterisk (*), the character above the 8.

A couple of notes for parents:

• If you want an equal sign in cell A4, then enter an apostrophe and an equal sign like this '=. This tells Excel to show just the equal sign, but there will not be a formula following.
• If it is bugging you that the numbers are aligned on the left side of the cell, you can center all the numbers. Right-click exactly on the A at the top of the column. Select Format, Alignment, Center. Do this for each column.

This exercise just an intro. When they get bored, the next thing to try is using cell addresses in the formulas and let you little one play with combinations. Give it a try!