The big ideaA few good words beat a whole sentence. Pick the key words and type those.
How it works
Searching is always done with a grown-up near.
Some words carry the meaning, and those are the key words. A whole sentence brings a messy pile, but key words bring a neat list.
The words you choose decide what comes back.
If the list is not what you wanted, do not add more words. Change one word and try again: try, look, change.
Key words and extras in: What do baby penguins eat?
Example 1: Ruby's giraffe
The question is: how tall can a giraffe grow?
The key words are giraffe and tall.
Please, very and the are just extras.
Type giraffe tall, and a short, neat list comes back.
Ruby's search box, with only the key words.
Example 2: Theo's frogs
Theo wants to know where frogs lay their eggs.
Frogs and eggs are his key words. Where is an extra.
He types frog eggs, and up comes a neat list.
Example 3: Cut the extras
A long sentence: please tell me all about the moon and its shapes.
Too many extras bury the key words.
Moon phases says the same and keeps it neat.
Example 4: Try, look, change
Type your key words, such as frog eggs.
Look at the list. Is it what you wanted?
If not, change one word, for example tadpole growth, and try again.
Do not type a longer sentence, because that only adds extras.
Words to know
key words
The words that carry the meaning of your question.
extra words
Words like please, very and the, which do not carry the meaning.
search
Typing words to find pages about them, with a grown-up near.
the loop
Try, look, change one word, and try again.
Watch out
A long sentence brings a messy pile, because most of its words are extras.
Please, very and the are extras. They do not carry the meaning.
If the list is not right, adding more words is not the fix. Change one word.
Search with a grown-up near. A gecko is a fine friend, but a grown-up must be near too.
Try it
In what do baby penguins eat, which words are key words?
Which is the better search: bees honey or how do the bees make the honey please tell me?
The list is not what you wanted. Do you type a longer sentence or change one word?
Who is near you when you search?
Answers: 1. baby, penguins and eat · 2. bees honey · 3. Change one word · 4. A grown-up
Try at homeSit with a grown-up. Think of a question you wonder about, and pick its key words. Type just those words, look at the list, and change one word if you need to. Show your grown-up what you found.
For grown-upsSit beside your child and let them think of a question they wonder about, pick the key words and type just those; if the list is not what they wanted, ask them to change one word rather than add more.
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