Schools to teach reading with Yahoo and geography with Google Earth

Children will use Google Earth to study geography and learn to read by searching the internet under major reforms to primary education unveiled today.

Information technology will become as important as reading and writing, according to the proposed curriculum.

But the Government is expected to tone down its targets after an outcry from childcare experts. The changes form part of the biggest shake-up of the primary curriculum for 10 years, proposed by former Ofsted director of inspection Sir Jim Rose.

Ministers are expected to accept a recommendation that information and communication technology should be a "core skill". Sir Jim is expected to say teachers should be trained to help them stay ahead of "computer-savvy" pupils.

Teachers could use video conferencing to connect with pupils in other countries during language lessons and children will develop reading through search engines such as Yahoo.

Becta, the Government's technology agency, said if ICT is not built into the curriculum there is a risk that a "digital underclass" will emerge and a gap will appear between the "digital haves and have-nots".

Becta chief executive Stephen Crowne said: "We must recognise there is a wealth of technology which can complement traditional skills."