abacus2 Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 I just received an email about the new Keyboarding Without Tears program. I have emailed them about placement because I am not sure what level to start my older students, but it looks really cool and I am excited to have another option. http://www.hwtears.com/kwt 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twooakharborhicks Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Yeah, that looks promising Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbabe Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 I got an email too but haven't had time to look at it. I hope it's something we can use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
give_me_a_latte Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Would you share what they tell you about placement? I love the idea of the program, but I'm not sure if you'd have to start at the beginning or not. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Oooh, shiny! :drool5: And it's inexpensive, too. Yes, please share what they say about placement. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFM Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Nice, I was just discussing keyboarding with my husband. Thanks for sharing. This looks like it might do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted April 21, 2014 Author Share Posted April 21, 2014 Edited to remove quotes just in case. I think I am going to start my third grader at the second grade level. I will also have a Kindergartner, but I think I will wait until 1st grade to order for her. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess4879 Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 I am debating about this. We currently use Typing Instructor and it's been fine for my older kiddo, but my middle kiddo shuts down on the timed events and cries when she's told she wasn't fast enough and has to redo an exercise. I've tried to shut the timer off, but I can't seem to turn it off entirely and it's already at the lowest setting. :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg429 Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 This looks great and so inexpensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 My first thought was "Why in the world would a first grader need to type?!" And then I realized that we're living in 2014 and my kid learned how to use my iPhone faster than I did. :lol: Consider this added to my curriculum list for next year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Victoria~ Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Has anyone bought and tried this yet? I haven't been able to find reviews for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I'm still debating on this. I'm thinking of ordering level 1 and 2 for my 1st and 3rd graders... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Victoria~ Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I'm thinking of ordering 1 for my rising first grader. Debating between that or just doing dance mat or typing club... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnaj Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Thanks for posting. I will be adding this to my list for next year as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I think we're going to do this too. It's inexpensive and looks like fun for the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soapy Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Has anyone bought and tried this yet? I haven't been able to find reviews for it. I don't think it actually will be released until July. It seems to me somewhat like a preorder. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hands-on-mama Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I think we are going to use this as a fun extra. It would be nice for them to gently learn proper technique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Internet-based, right? Grr! Not everyone has unlimited internet access. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I ordered this last month as part of my HWT order. I also emailed about placement, and ended up getting the 1st grade level. After talking with the rep I am quite excited, as it is supposed to really be able to 'grow' with the child. Also, I was assured that if the level we ordered would not work it would be extremely simple to switch as the access is all via email:) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal_Bear Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 this is great...I was mulling over when to start this because the kiddo keeps asking about learning to use the computer on his own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Thank you for posting about this!!! I've been searching and searching for a typing program for my 10 year old. She tried Dance Mat and hated it.....I looked up Mavis Beacon and it didn't get very good reviews on Amazon....I ordered a book called Zoom Typing but it looks so dry and hard to follow. I'm so happy to see this! And for that price! We'll most definitely be trying this out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Picking up Level four for my fifth grader next year! I have tried lots of others, but this one looks like it will be a hit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Has anyone tried this yet? I think we will get it this week so we can get a head start before we start the school year. I'm not sure about placement, so I emailed them this morning. There are now samples on their site for both computer and ipad. It looks really fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scbusf Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I just got the 1st grade one for my 3rd grader. I figured it was inexpensive enough that even if he sped through it, it would be fine. He started it this morning and really likes it. I will be getting the 1st grade one for my actual first grader, too! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I just got the 1st grade one for my 3rd grader. I figured it was inexpensive enough that even if he sped through it, it would be fine. He started it this morning and really likes it. I will be getting the 1st grade one for my actual first grader, too! Can both kids use the same 1st grade program -- or do you have to buy a separate license for each child (to track progress and what not?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlktwins Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Can both kids use the same 1st grade program -- or do you have to buy a separate license for each child (to track progress and what not?) I emailed them about this a couple of months ago. I have twins and wondered the same thing. We need to buy 2 separate licenses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
displace Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Internet-based, right? Grr! Not everyone has unlimited internet access. I think you download it onto the computer and only the reports get sent to you by email? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
displace Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Has anyone downloaded it yet? My computer virus software keeps giving me a big fat unknown company warning so I stop just short of overriding it to download. I'm sure it will be fine but I'm nervous to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaMary Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 I downloaded and started using KWT with my two boys (7 and 9) two days ago. So far, so great! I ordered Grade 4 for both, and was pleased to find that they really do start with the basics and work up from there. Apparently, by the end of Grade 4, the kids will be typing paragraphs, but in the early lessons, they are still practicing their finger positions. So, if you haven't done much keyboarding yet, but are working with older kids, you can feel confident in placing them at their proper grade level. I will also say that - so far at least - it seems that this is a very well thought out program that works a lot on building muscle memory. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Well I purchased it but can't get it to install. The installation program assumes you are an administrator of a computer lab and you need to activate workstations. Completely not user friendly. It accepted my account and password for the first part but now won't accept them anymore. It let me change passwords but won't accept the new password. I installed the software on my son's computer but when it got to the activation screen it says it is about to add " " classes to the workstation (it is blank). For those of you who got this to work, did you encounter any of these problems? It doesn't seem like the program is ready for use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howie4 Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Sounds like a neat new program I should check out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Ok, I got it to work. The email address is case sensitive on the login page. If you are on an ipad it automatically capitalizes the first character, making the email register as incorrect. Hopefully this can save someone else some frustration. I still think the installation procedure is very unintuitive as it is aimed at large installations instead of home use. I predict their technical service reps are going to be very busy. We purchased grade 2 and I was pleased to see that it started with the beginning games that the samples listed as K. So ds got to do the Matman shape game and the puzzle piece drag game before it jumped into the one where you hold down a key with one hand while typing letters with the other hand. It is hard for little fingers to get used to doing that one! Ds was relieved when he finally got through it and then upset when it showed up again after only one other game in between. We almost had Keyboarding WITH Tears. I told him he had done enough today and we could try it again tomorrow. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenDaisies Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Has anyone else found a way to go back and repeat an exercise? My daughter completed the first exercise and I wanted to go back and take a look at the program, but I am finding that I can only move forward. There appears to be no way for me to get a good look at the program and see what it contains - all I can do is go to the next lesson, and I don't want to do that if she can't repeat it. Not to mention, this doesn't allow for additional practice. My daughter is in 5th grade, but has little keyboarding experience so we started in grade 3. And while the price is very low, I wonder how long it will take her to complete the program. Will I need to purchase additional grades for her this year? Not that it would be too expensive, but I wonder if I am going to buy multiple levels if I shouldn't just purchase something that includes all grades. Based on the limited amount of the actual program i have seen, I wonder if maybe this isn't better started in the early grades as an incremental approach. We are needing more of a crash course to get dd ready for an online course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hands-on-mama Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 We still haven't got ours to work. I set everything up and try to login. It won't let me hit continue. The button doesn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librarymama Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 We still haven't got ours to work. I set everything up and try to login. It won't let me hit continue. The button doesn't work. I was having a similar problem. In my case, it was asking me to chose a class, which I hadn't created yet. I went back to my account online and created a class and student, then logged back into the software and it worked. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I bought grades 2 and 3 for my 4th grader. I figure she will fly through the early level, especially since she did some Typing Instructor for Kids last year. I had some of the issues others have had, but got through them. Don't worry about the source warning. They are a trusted source, and they aren't going to sneak bad stuff on your computer. You do need to set up a Class, then add your student to that class. I had to go back and change the student names to dcname2 and dcname3 in order to distinguish which level we were opening. The case sensitivity got me once, too. But, I got it all worked through. Oh, and the fields got mixed up when I was entering the data (grade level, course name, etc) on the Add Student page, but it all worked correctly on the confirmation page. I don't like that I have to log in to the program from square one every time we get on. I would like to be able to just send dd to do it on her own. I'm sure after a few days, she will figure it out. She loves the lessons. She started in super easy stuff, beginning of grade 2, but she's looking forward to getting to the tasks in the samples she did. I like that it's not timed, and doesn't grade her. It just lets her work and gives a gentle click when she misses something. It is much gentler than TI4K. I expect that she will work super fast at first, and then slow down as things get more difficult. I didn't want to start her in the upper level because she was slow and frustrated when she did them on the sample lessons. It's so inexpensive, that it's worth it to me for her to get the extra practice and confidence of working up to her level. She is familiar with the look of the program because she did printing and cursive with HWT, so that helps her feel comfortable. I like that it teaches keyboarding in the context of real writing. It's not just about speed and accuracy. It's about putting words, sentences, and paragraphs down on paper correctly, with proper punctuation and capitalization and format. So far, we really like this program. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radish4ever Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I keep looking at this and trying to decide if it is worth it... It looks like it would be great for my 2nd and 4th graders. We're currently using Typing Pal for the 4th grader and Dance Mat Typing for my 2nd grader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenDaisies Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I keep looking at this and trying to decide if it is worth it... It looks like it would be great for my 2nd and 4th graders. We're currently using Typing Pal for the 4th grader and Dance Mat Typing for my 2nd grader. Do you like Typing Pal? I think I will use KWT for my 1st and 2nd graders, but I need to get my 5th grader up to speed a bit quicker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenDaisies Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Has anyone else found a way to go back and repeat an exercise? My daughter completed the first exercise and I wanted to go back and take a look at the program, but I am finding that I can only move forward. There appears to be no way for me to get a good look at the program and see what it contains - all I can do is go to the next lesson, and I don't want to do that if she can't repeat it. Not to mention, this doesn't allow for additional practice. My daughter is in 5th grade, but has little keyboarding experience so we started in grade 3. And while the price is very low, I wonder how long it will take her to complete the program. Will I need to purchase additional grades for her this year? Not that it would be too expensive, but I wonder if I am going to buy multiple levels if I shouldn't just purchase something that includes all grades. Based on the limited amount of the actual program i have seen, I wonder if maybe this isn't better started in the early grades as an incremental approach. We are needing more of a crash course to get dd ready for an online course. I did speak with customer service and she confirmed that once a lesson is complete there is no going back. They did it so that people would not reuse a license for another kid. I explained that because I could not go back or forward, I had no idea what my child was doing. Others had already expressed to customer service that they felt they had little knowledge of what the kids were doing in the program, so they will be addressing that issue. For now, they do have some documentation that they have promised to email. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 For the price, I can't complain. It's in the style of the workbooks which we've when learning handwriting, how cute! My 9 year old (4th grade) has been typing for years, but I just couldn't resist a typing program from our old HWT curriculum. So I purchased the 3rd and 4th grade programs and started in on 3rd grade, knowing full well it was below her skill level. It's super easy for her, but I'd love to zoom through that year with my daughter and move on to the 4th/5th grade lessons. To spice it up, it looks like they incorporate actual concepts in other subjects. It's a good start from what I've been able to see so far... which isn't much. For me, the parent, the reporting feature is way too simple. I get a Days Count and Activity Count, both of which are simple bars which give me a number. I can't even see the skills she's worked on. I also have a hard time finding out how to get in the website to see the progress reports they do give. I've honestly spent several minutes each day I try to find that login again. Better feedback, a list of skills worked on, wpm data, and a more prominent Parent/Teacher login would make it a bit more valuable to me. I have no idea what I purchased, what she's learning or how she's doing - unless I sit right next to her and watch her do it all. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlessedMom Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Joliet, Thanks for sharing what they had to say about not being able to go back. I will be interested to see if they offer that feature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenDaisies Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Joliet, Thanks for sharing what they had to say about not being able to go back. I will be interested to see if they offer that feature. I didn't get the impression they were going to allow you to go back once an exercise was completed. It sounded more like they were going to address the issue of being completely unaware of what your child was doing unless you were watching over their shoulder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlessedMom Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Joliet, Thank you for the clarification. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radish4ever Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Do you like Typing Pal? I think I will use KWT for my 1st and 2nd graders, but I need to get my 5th grader up to speed a bit quicker. My 4th grader likes it pretty well! I got it from Homeschool Buyer's Co-Op with my Smart Points. The lessons are quick, and she likes seeing that she can type a little faster and with fewer mistakes than the target. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hands-on-mama Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 I was having a similar problem. In my case, it was asking me to chose a class, which I hadn't created yet. I went back to my account online and created a class and student, then logged back into the software and it worked. I created my class and students before ever trying to log in. Their rep actually walked me through it. The stupid continue he button is just not working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librarymama Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Well, now I cannot find the 3 digit code so my son can log in. I cannot even find where a parent can log in now. Is there a link or something I am missing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librarymama Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Right after I posed that I clicked on the link in the OP and navigated my way to the code. Doh! :001_rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caedmyn Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 This has got to be the most un-user-friendly program out there. There's no obvious way to get to the page where you actually access the program. Once I find the page through googling, it won't accept my password. Sent for a new password, and it wouldn't accept that either. The next day it finally accepted it, and I changed the password, and today it won't accept that one either. And when I tried to actually set it up so DD could use it yesterday, it wouldn't allow me to put in a code (and I'm not even sure what I have is a code), and says there are no licenses available when yes, I did purchase one. Thinking maybe I should just consider that $6.50 a loss and move on to something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 This has got to be the most un-user-friendly program out there. There's no obvious way to get to the page where you actually access the program. Once I find the page through googling, it won't accept my password. Sent for a new password, and it wouldn't accept that either. The next day it finally accepted it, and I changed the password, and today it won't accept that one either. And when I tried to actually set it up so DD could use it yesterday, it wouldn't allow me to put in a code (and I'm not even sure what I have is a code), and says there are no licenses available when yes, I did purchase one. Thinking maybe I should just consider that $6.50 a loss and move on to something else. You just encapsulated my Wednesday evening. I am calling on Monday. As far as I can tell, they have a terrible interface, but once you finally break through then it is rather smooth sailing. I am hoping that is the case. I battled with Rosetta Stone forever and do not want a repeat. My son was so excited about the little bits that he did, so I want to make it work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weddell Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 This has got to be the most un-user-friendly program out there. There's no obvious way to get to the page where you actually access the program. Once I find the page through googling, it won't accept my password. Sent for a new password, and it wouldn't accept that either. The next day it finally accepted it, and I changed the password, and today it won't accept that one either. And when I tried to actually set it up so DD could use it yesterday, it wouldn't allow me to put in a code (and I'm not even sure what I have is a code), and says there are no licenses available when yes, I did purchase one. Thinking maybe I should just consider that $6.50 a loss and move on to something else. I don't think that once you have everything installed and set-up that you are supposed to access the program through the web. When you did the initial set-up it should have put an icon on your desktop, or other way to start it from your computer. You open it through that and then the program opens in a webpage. If you haven't done the initial set-up, you need to download the program (I think there is a link in the email with the license code) and run the set-up. You have to add a class and students even if you only have one kid working on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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