What makes a stock price move? News, of course! Sometimes it's news about the company, sometimes it's news about its customers or its products. News about the economy can affect a stock. So can news that investors expected to hear but wasn't announced at all. While it's un-Foolish to worry about what's going on every second with your stocks, a good investor will always keep an eye out for information that might have an impact on an investment.

How do you teach your kids to recognize how events affect the value of a company? Do you know how to do that for your own stocks? The Family Fool put together this collection to help you learn together to sift through news and analyze its effect on your stocks.

Information can come from a variety of sources -- newspapers, magazines, and TV are a few of the more obvious ones. (Click on the listbox on the right for a quick rundown of people, events, and numbers that influence the market -- and your stocks.) But you'll also hear useful information from friends or acquaintances who use the products and services provided by the companies in which you invest. Kids, especially, have a knack for knowing what's happening with products that are targeted at them.

My niece was on the cutting edge of market wisdom when she announced that everyone in her class wanted a Tickle Me Elmo long before I heard about it on CNN. Her 10-year-old brother didn't need a graduate degree to figure out that the 55-cent Big Mac deal was too confusing. "What do I have to get again? Just get me a Happy Meal." I started watching McDonald's margins the next day.

When your kids, grandkids, or your neighbor's kids talk about a toy that they want or an ad they think is funny, find out who makes it and send away for information on the company. Then sit down together and go through the information. McDonald's investors kit comes in a big red folder that looks like a french fry box. Archer Daniels Midland ("Supermarket to the World" and an advertiser for a TV show that comes on before the Sunday football games) sends a box with pictures of farms from all over the world and samples of the products they make. My nephew Daniel and I made the veggie burgers while we watched football. We talked about who might buy veggie burgers and whether or not this would be a good company to invest in.

Once kids are hooked on a couple of companies, they'll want to keep up-to-date on news that will make the stock of "their company" go up or down.

Also point out that sometimes news that doesn't mention the name of their stock can affect their company. For example, a drought in California will affect food costs that may impact Wendy'sprofitability.

A good investor is also a good observer. You don't need to be a news junky (though it doesn't hurt!) to keep up on changes that might help you and your family make money.

--Trudy Hoyden (TMF Hoyden)