Parents' Guide to Evaluating Search Engines for Kids

One way for parents, teachers and librarians to help keep kids stay safe online is to introduce them to search engines which index sites just for them. The engines avoid listing sites which may contain inappropriate material including, but not limited to drug use, gambling, hate speech, explicit sexual matters, porn sites and violence. The benefit of these "search engines" is that they contain sites selected by human beings. This means that sites with information about bullying, for example, will not just be ignored because it is about a form of violence. Filtering software, on the other hand, may eliminate it.

The other good news is that there are plenty of quality search engines and directories for kids which are free. It's not necessary to purchase a subscription to these services. The best way to test a search engine for kids is to visit the site and perform a couple of searches both on subjects they need and on material you do not want them to find, or if sites covering certain material exists it is covered in educational and informative manner.

There are a number of factors to consider when evaluating a search engine or directory.

Appropriate Content What type of content does the site exclude? Does it fit in with your moral, ethical, religious or educational beliefs? How often are the links checked? Unfortunately, it is difficult to pin down how often these sites check the content of their links.

Usefulness While weeding out the bad, are there too few sites? Will your child become bored searching and searching and finding nothing? Also consider if there are reference materials available? Are there easily browsable subjects?

Usability Is the site appealing to kids with a snappy lay out and bright colors? Online, kids like a healthy dose of visuals with their information. Is it easy to navigate? Is a search feature available on the opening page? Do the search results come up quickly?

Linking When kids click on a web site does the content load onsite or take you to another site? Does a window pop up advising you that you are leaving the site? Is it clear where the site will be taking you? Can the student easily find their way back to the home or search page after clicking on a link?

Advertising Does the site's advertising policy adhere to their editorial policy? The advertising on the site should be age-appropriate and not include any links to web rings. Is the advertising policy stated clearly on the site?

Privacy Policy Most people do not read privacy policies listed on web sites. Under the 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPA) the sites are required to list their privacy policy. Does the site collect personally identifiable information on kids? Does the site use cookies? It is perfectly reasonable for sites to use cookies and you can always remove them or turn them off if you feel the need.

Community Are there chat rooms, bulletin boards, forums, e- mail or instant messaging available on the site. If there are, be sure to discuss Internet safety tips with your kids.

Contact Is there an email address, postal address and or phone number available for the site for questions and or concerns?

Technology Can the site operate without downloading any extra software or media players? The most useful search engines for kids are pretty basic when it comes to technology. There should be a search button and a list of sites or material on site, without multimedia players needed to view content.

When it comes to evaluating search engines, use your best judgement. Try some out, see which ones you like best and bookmark them. Take the time to help your child navigate through the sites before homework time. It's the same as exploring a new dictionary, familiarize with all the parts, and homework time will not be a mad dash to the first site your child finds. By having a bookmarked list of search engines which you have already evaluated, your student is on their way to cruising through assignments and you can rest easy knowing which sites they will be using.