The best way for your children to learn software

If your local library has copies of CD- or DVD-based software tutorials, great. If not, a great tool is the Lynda web site. for $25 a month, your kids - third grade and older - can access hundreds of professional video tutorials on hundreds of different software programs on several subjects, from business (MS Office, Google Apps) to design, photography, video editing, 3D, web design, art, and more.

The videos range from 1 hour up to 23+ hour long, and go from basic to intermediate and advanced, broken down in chapters and segments. Each segment is a manageable few minutes long.

Most of the presenters are engaging and knowledgeable. I've watched five or more different courses, from Google Apps to Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver, even an Apple Server Implementation course. They were all great, much better than reading even the best book on the same topic.

If your children start watching three courses a year in third grade, by the time they finish high school, they will have gained mastery of many of the best software programs on the planet.