Michigan State University's Linda Jackson, PhD, and colleagues studied 140 children from low-income families who had never had home Internet access.
The kids received home computers and free Internet access for nearly a year and a half. The researchers checked the kids' grades and test scores before and after the study.
The kids with the greatest home Internet use had higher grade-point averages and reading test scores at six months, one year, and 16 months of home access.
The opposite wasn't true. That is, the kids with the highest grades and reading scores before the study didn't use the Internet more than other children, Jackson's team writes.
The kids used the Internet for an average of 30 minutes daily, mainly surfing the web. Web sites typically have text, letting kids practice reading. Web sites don't usually involve math, and math scores didn't change in the study.
After the study, the families kept the computers and received help in finding low-cost Internet access.