Another great resource for teaching technology literacy to children is the ‘Zerus and Ona: Adventures in the Binary World’ book series developed by Miriam Tocino.
Miriam is a software developer, coding teacher, illustrator and author based in Amsterdam. The inspiration for her book series came three years ago when she had her son and started thinking about how to introduce him to the world of computers.
She uses characters called Zerus and Ona which are based on binary 0s and 1s to teach young children about the digital world without the need for a screen and through the power of books. ‘Zerus gets a Virus’, the first book in the series, discusses computer security and safety. ‘Welcome to our World’, the new title coming out this autumn, introduces bits and bytes, and it’s written in the form of a poem that turns into a song. The books can be ordered directly through her site.
According to Miriam, she has spoken to many parents and teachers who find it challenging to explain how technology works to children. It especially bothers her that many girls think computers aren’t for them. Her her books are a way for her to intervene and to change girls’ perceptions about technology.
Miriam has generously offered NewTechKids’ email subscribers a free PDF with some of the stories in the ABC of Computers series to get you started teaching technology literacy to your child(ren) .
