FAKE NEWS? TIPS TO HELP YOUR CHILD RESEARCH AND FILTER INFORMATION

Teach Them How To Skim And Scan

There’s no time to be reading chapter after chapter in every journal online, so being able to skim and scan the page will help to determine if the information is a good fit.

Skim the page first and identify the title, caption, headings and subheadings. Read the first and the last sentences of each paragraph. Once you’ve done this and feel the article is suitable, scan it for the information you want. Scan the document for nouns and verbs related to the needed information. Keep an eye out for bolded words and lists.

Skimming and scanning is a skill that takes practice but can be very beneficial in high school and beyond.

Teach Them How To Assess Content

Millions of articles are published on the internet each day; many are based on fact, and many are well-referenced and written by reputable and expert professionals in their field. On the other hand, there are equally as many articles claiming facts with no reference. Fake news abounds, too.

So how on earth does a young student determine the difference? Here are a few steps you can teach your child:

• Is it

a brand, education or government website

Before Googling information on any topic, your first visit should be to brand, education or government websites. Websites where you’re guaranteed reliable content like The State Library of Queensland, Australian Geographic, National Geographic, ABC or use Google Scholar.

• Who wrote the article

It’s crucial to check the expert status of the person who is writing the article. Authors should be experts on the topic, and their information should be validated on many websites. Remember that everyone can share their opinion on a subject, so it’s essential to determine whether it is opinion or fact. Often facts will be backed up with research.

• Plagiarism

It’s so easy for information to be cut and pasted into an assignment these days; sadly, it’s pretty common. Communicating plagerism to our kids can be simple. If a couple of great sentences explain the point perfectly, all the student has to do is use the sentences in their assignment and include the name of the author and the website URL where the information came from. It’s always a good idea to ask their teacher exactly how they’d like information referenced.

Where To Find Reliable Information Other Than The Internet

Of course, it’s easy to jump online and Google a search term, but don’t forget that there are plenty of high-quality information sources at your local library. Best of all, everything is free with a library card, and you can research in air-conditioned comfort.

Sunshine Coast Libraries have books for assignments and research and online access to encyclopaedias. In addition to reference material, Sunshine Coast Libraries has many magazines, books, music, films and audiobooks in their eLibrary. So if you’re looking for music scores or documentaries to complete an assignment, there’s loads of information here.

Research creates confident consumers of information and well-developed critical thinking skills, skills that will take your children beyond high school, TAFE or University right through to their lives as working adults.

To get started, challenge your kids to the ABC’s Real, LOLZ, oops or fake quiz! It’s not only lots fun but a great way to start the conversation of the importance of being able to spot fake or real news in your family. Visit: games.abc.net.au/res/media-literacy/ fake-news/index.html

Snopes (snopes.com) is another useful resource to check social media content.

By Karen Gawen, Young People’s Services Supervisor from Sunshine Coast Council. Visit

Sunshine Coast Libraries at Stand 24, and don’t miss their Storytime session at 10.30am in the Central Activity Space.