Help your child learn English - British Council

help your child



		The internet and choosing sites


		Internet safety

CBBC Stay safe

These pages about safe surfing and mobile safety are aimed at children. There is a cartoon to watch, and rules and a certificate to print.

the cyber cafe

Visit the Cyber Cafe with your child and learn about chatting online, email, and searching the web. Cyber Cafe is an activity created by Gridclub.

kidsmart

Kidsmart is a practical guide to using the internet for young people, schools and parents. Children will find advice about using mobiles, surfing, chat and file-sharing. Parents will also find advice about talking to children about safety.

know it all

Know IT All is a set of award-winning resources developed by children’s internet charity Childnet International to help educate young people, parents and teachers about safe and positive use of the internet. It contains a guide for parents giving advice on how to cover the issues of using the internet and mobiles. It is available in Arabic, Mandarin, Polish, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali and Urdu.

get safe online

Get Safe Online is sponsored the UK's government and leading businesses and offers free, objective advice. There is a section on young people and the internet, and you'll find lots of information about protecting your PC and your privacy.

	help your child learn english


	Using the internet

USING COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET SAFELY
Kim Ashmore, British Council, United Kingdom

Many parents are worried about letting their child use the internet. Below you will find some tips to help your child use computers and the internet safely.

If you would like some help with finding sites suitable for children, have a look at the links section of this site.

			Keep your computer in a family room or an open space where you can watch what your child is doing, and can control how long your child is on the computer.
			Spending a long time on the computer may cause headaches, eyestrain or other physical problems. Make sure that your child spends only one or two hours a day in front of a computer screen.
			If you or your child comes across unsuitable material in an email, advert or website, then contact your Internet Service Provider.
			Make sure that your child does not give personal information over the web (name, age, address, telephone number). Teach your child to ask you first. Check that sites have privacy policies if you do send details.
			Make sure that your child asks your permission before entering any competitions or downloading any materials.
			Make sure that your child does not post any photos of himself/herself on the web.
			Teach your child not to click on links in emails, unless they know who the email is from.
			If your child wants to use a chatroom, make sure that you have a look at it first. Be around when your child is chatting.
			Teach your child not to make arrangements to meet anyone that they have met on the web. If they do meet somebody, an adult should be with them and the meeting should be in a public place.
			Make sure that your child keeps their internet passwords a secret.
			Teach your child to tell you if they see anything that they think is suspicious or that they don't like.
			Write a list of rules and guidelines for using the computer and internet. Show them to your child, and make sure your child understands why there are rules. Stick the rules up next to the computer.