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If you're a student (or the parent or teacher of one), we've got great news: the following eight learning-oriented apps are not only free, they're really, really good. And because we know budgets are tight all over, in addition to the free educational software we've found, we also put together a list of academic discounts on several pieces of pricey software for use at home or in schools, as well as a helpful free e-book. Whether you're the parent of a pre-schooler or a college student, you should find some useful stuff on this list.

Some of the programs listed (those from independent developers) include donation links on their Web sites; if you find a particular program useful, please consider making a donation. Also, the discount software offers (and the free Amazon Student membership) have eligibility requirements, such as attending a specific/accredited school or having a .edu e-mail address, so see the individual links for specific rules.

Free Software

1. Microsoft Mathematics (Windows)

A graphing calculator is de rigueur for many college and high school math and science classes, but they can cost upwards of $100 or more. Microsoft Mathematics, on the other hand, is essentially a graphing calc in software form. It can compute functions, solve equations, convert measurements, plot 2D and 3D graphics, and more. You can also customize the look of the on-screen calculator with skins and color schemes. A Microsoft Mathematics add-in module integrates the software with the company's Word and OneNote applications.

2. Microsoft Small Basic (Windows)

Microsoft Small Basic is an excellent way to discover the basics of computer programming. It features a simplified learning environment that's makes fundamental programming concepts easy to grasp for kids 10 to 16 (but it's suitable for adults too). Handy companion resources include an easy-to-understand user guide (in PDF format) called Introducing Small Basic, as well as a complete curriculum in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. If and when you're ready to move beyond Small Basic, you can export the programs you created to Microsoft's more advanced Visual Basic language.

3. GCompris (Windows)

GCompris (rhymes with "free") sports a pretty lengthy roster of fun and educational activities (there are 86 in all) geared toward young children. They cover a wide variety of educational areas ranging from numbers--counting, calculation, telling time--to reading and memorization, to identifying colors and sounds. Puzzles and educational strategy games are also included--there's even one to help little ones get the hang of using a keyboard and mouse. (One caveat--audio instructions are delivered in French-accented English, which some kids may have difficulty understanding.)

4. Geogebra (Windows or Mac)

Math software Geogebra has some features in common with Microsoft Mathematics, but unlike the latter, it's written in Java so it runs on either Windows or Mac systems. There's also an option to run it directly within a Web browser, so you can access it on any system you happen to be using without having to install it first.

5. OOO4Kids (Windows or Mac)

OOO4Kids is based on the same OpenOffice.org productivity software suite that some older students (and plenty of adults) use as a no-cost alternative to Microsoft Office, but its designed especially for kids from 7 to 12. Although OOO4Kids includes most of the same pieces you'll find in the regular version (a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and drawing programs), it provides a greatly simplified interface--with a limited number of large toolbar buttons for accessing commonly-used features--so young people can get the hang of the programs without drowning in complexity.

6. Scratch (Windows or Mac)

Developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab, Scratch is a programming language that offers kids between 8 and 16 years old a way to create projects, such as interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art. Scratch projects can also be posted online and shared with the world (as of this writing, there are over 1.7 million projects available for download).

7. Kodu Game Lab (Windows)

Microsoft's Kodu Game Lab is a visual programming language for kids that's specifically designed for creating games. The interface, which is completely icon-based (i.e. point and click, so no typing required) gives kids an easy way to create characters, landscapes, and define the game rules. There's also a version for Microsoft's Xbox 360 game console, though it's not quite free; the price is 400 Microsoft points ($5). Teachers and parents: check out the Kodu Classroom Kit for lessons and activities.

8. Tux4 Kids (Windows and Mac)

Tux is the familiar (to techies, anyway) mascot of the Linux operating system, and he's the star of a trio of free programs available from Tux4Kids. There's TuxPaint, a drawing program for ages 3 to 12, TuxTyping, a typing tutor, and TuxMath, a game that helps teach basic arithmetic.

More Free Stuff

Own Your Space (e-book)

The Internet can be a dangerous place for a kid, but a free e-book offered by Microsoft called "Own Your Space" by Linda McCarthy offers teens, parents, and teachers information on how to stay safe online. The book addresses numerous topics, ranging from malware and spam to phishing, cyberbullying, and using social networking sites. (You can download the entire 16 chapter, 250+ page book as a single PDF file, or just grab individual chapters that interest you.)

Amazon Student

Students are almost always buying something, be it textbooks or somewhat less academic fare, and Amazon.com makes doing so a bit more convenient via a free membership to Amazon Student. That membership, in turn, includes a year of free access to Amazon Prime, which provides free two-day shipping on many items, along with upgrades to overnight shipping for $3.99 per item.

Student Software Discounts

Windows 7 Professional Upgrade

If you have a reasonably recent desktop or laptop PC that's running the outdated and unloved Windows Vista operating system, you can bring it up-to-date with an upgrade to Windows 7 Professional. Although the upgrade normally carries a price tag of around $200, Microsoft's student discount cuts that down to a mere $29.99.

Office Professional Academic 2010

If you can't get by with a free Microsoft Office alternative like OpenOffice.org, there's always Microsoft Office Professional Academic 2010. It includes copies of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access, and qualified college/university students can pick up a copy for $79.95, a steep discount off the retail version's $499 price tag. If you're a Mac user, there's a discounted, albeit slightly pricier ($99.95), version for you too.

Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac

Speaking of Mac users, if you're one that frequently needs to use Windows programs, Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac ($39.99 for students, a 50% discount off the MSRP) is a more convenient alternative to Mac OS X's built-in Boot Camp feature, since it lets you run Mac and Windows apps side-by-side instead of having to choosing one operating system or the other when starting up.

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