Web smarts

www.kidsreport.com

What: Kids Report offers a colorful online newspaper with articles written by and for children.

BEST POINTS: The site encourages youngsters ages 8 to 13 to express opinions and formulate ideas in writing. Boys and girls report on news, entertainment, sports, creativity, religion, friends, and homework. Current topics include: "Should Girls Play Football?" and "Fashion: Right or Wrong?"

Youngsters, who must first register, can earn "kredits" for participating, either through writing or rating the articles. The 10 children with the most kredits in a week can choose a small prize of Kids Report merchandise.

Parents will be happy to know that the site has the approval of SafeSurf and adheres to guidelines set by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. The editorial policy is also clearly stated.

In addition, there's a section for teachers, with suggestions for integrating Kids Report into lesson plans.

(c) Copyright 2001. The Christian Science Publishing Society