Discovery Channel launches homework help Web site

LOS ANGELES: A new Discovery Channel homework Web site aims to remind parents whose math and history knowledge has gotten rusty how to help their children with the very things they have forgotten.

Cosmeo, a new online subscription site from Discovery Communications, offers a range of tools from a WebMath equation solver to educational videos and subject-specific Brain Games.

Launched on Monday, the site targets Web-savvy children from kindergarten through 12th grade. It also gives parents and other caretakers a way to be more involved in the learning process while refreshing their own knowledge, said Judith McHale, president and chief executive of Discovery Communications.

"Finally, you can look smart in front of your child," she joked. Cosmeo costs $9.95 per month or $99 per year. Other features include interactive quizzes, a digital encyclopedia and a digital photo library.

The service is built on Discovery's united streaming, an educational video streaming service used in more than 70,000 schools. Cosmeo's search functions serve up age- or grade-appropriate content, which is also tailored to match state curriculum requirements.