Typing program? No games please

[Staceyshoe]

My son has been using Typingweb, a free online typing instruction and game/practice program.  He's completed the lessons so just focuses on the games, but they are very distracting to him.  He spends most of his keyboarding time figuring up his points, watching graphics, etc rather than practicing his keyboarding.  I am looking for typing software that provides instruction and practice without so much flash.  Purchased or free is fine, but I do want it to track his accuracy and WPM.  (And if it teaches how to format a business letter, etc, that would be a great bonus.)  Recommendations?

[cherimoya]

Typing Club?  http://www.typingclub.com

[MomatHWTK]

Learning.com has some typing lessons in the technology section.  

[Orthodox6]

I don't know HOW many years this has been on the market, but it is to-the-point and works. "Mavis BeaconTeaches Typing".

[PeacefulChaos]

FTR, Mavis Beacon doesn't necessarily work on all computers.  I bought it for this past year, I think, only to discover that it didn't work with our new Mac.  I think it might have worked on our old one.

 

Link is using Keyboarding Made Simple.  It's a book.  Very straightforward, no frills.  Obviously WPM and such doesn't come into play, though, it's more for learning it.  

 

I'll be checking the other replies, too, for ideas for after we're done with KMS.

[Farrar]

The new Keyboarding Without Tears maybe?

[Imogen]

I used Kewala Typequick for Students when I was a child, and I am planning to use if for my son when he is a little older. I like it because the graphics are nice and simple, yet they are enough to keep children engaged; I know of teenagers who will still happily work with the program. It doesn't teach how to format various letters etc. however it does track accuracy and speed. There is an adult version of the program as well, although I haven't tried this myself.

 

http://www.typequick.com/au/products/typequick-for-students

[FairProspects]

We're using Keyboarding without Tears and it would fit this description. The biggest problem though is that all levels start with K level skills and work their way up. Granted, it is good review, but my 4th grader who is fluent at typing has been very annoyed by the amount of ridiculous busywork he has had to do to get to typing lessons at his correct level.

[Grover]

I send my DS back through the typing web lessons with a new minimum WPM goal each time he finishes them.  The games are only allowed once a week.  Just another thought in case you don't find something new.

 

[mamajag]

Mavis beacon is on the Mac App Store. That's where we got it for my kids.

[BlsdMama]

We bought Type to Learn.

[Alice]

We bought Type to Learn. It does sort of have games, but you can't really play them without typing. It's pretty focused on keyboarding, with just a little flash. :) It does track WPM and accuracy.

[Serenade]

Posting just to help me find this later. Content I follow doesn't always seem to work.

[maize]

I would love to see a tying program that would allow me to input my own texts for the kids to type, copywork fashion...

[Kidlit]

Following. . .

[Stellalarella]

Mavis Beacon's Dvorak software. Run it in bootcamp on a newer Mac :)

 

 Interesting.  Can you share instructions?

 

I have an older copy of MB that won't run on the newest OS.

[displace]

We use keyboarding without tears. There is a bit more of review than necessary but maybe you could do or for him or just require him to zip through it? I did find it has useful teaching imbedded within the fluff even at the beginning.

[hornblower]

bumping this up to ask a question:

do any of the programs allow you to do your own timed lesson & then return & pick up where you left off?

ds has been using http://www.typingweb.com/tutor/ but some of the later lessons seem really long & it doesn't save progress. He works best in small spurts & wants set a time & stop but not have to repeat that same thing the next session....

[kathy_overman]

Keyboarding without Tears has helped us tremendously.

[OneStepAtATime]

Type to Learn 4, as someone else posted, has games but they are strictly typing games and you don't accumulate points you just type to play the game.  Both kids liked it.  You are also a Secret Agent but you are typing to save information and that information is historically or scientifically based so the info is educational.  You can adjust w.p.m. and accuracy requirements.  You cannot advance to the next level until you have reached a certain success rate/passed an assessment at the previous level.  All progress is tracked, both as w.p.m. and accuracy.

 

Typing Pal is a lot more cut and dried but works and w.p.m. and accuracy requirements can also be adjusted.

 

Both of these can usually be purchased through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op for a significantly reduced rate.  Typing Pal usually gives access to not just one license but three.

 

I don't know of any typing programs where you can select your own content for them to practice since most typing programs have a system for the systematic introduction of each key but it would be great if there were that option for higher levels.  As with others I am hoping someone may have a suggestion there.

[Guest JohnOldman]

My son has been using Typingweb, a free online typing instruction and game/practice program.  He's completed the lessons so just focuses on the games, but they are very distracting to him.  He spends most of his keyboarding time figuring up his points, watching graphics, etc rather than practicing his keyboarding.  I am looking for typing software that provides instruction and practice without so much flash.  Purchased or free is fine, but I do want it to track his accuracy and WPM.  (And if it teaches how to format a business letter, etc, that would be a great bonus.)  Recommendations?

 

You can try http://www.ratatype.com/typing-test/here is also some tips how to type http://www.ratatype.com/learn/

I hope it's will be usefull for you.

[my3daughters]

Keyboarding Without Tears is working well for us.  I do love Mavis Beacon though and used it when I worked in a school district.  It is a  very solid program.

[my3daughters]

Keyboarding Without Tears is working well for us.  I do love Mavis Beacon though and used it when I worked in a school district.  It is a  very solid program.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Typing Instructor has a version "For Kids", and the regular adult version.  

The kids' version has more talking cartoons, and possibly more games between lessons, but they're short fillers, no points to rack up or things like that.  They're more like activities.  One of my kids hated the cartoony nature of it (at age 10), and liked the adult version better.  They teach the same skills, with the same tools, just more straightforward in the adult version.

 

You can set the WPM and Accuracy settings to whatever you think is good for mastery, and it won't let your student proceed until those levels are met.  It does a good job of keeping track of everything, and giving clear reports.  It is very traditional in its scope and sequence.  

 

My younger dd (9yo) got frustrated with Typing Instructor because it moved too fast for her.  It was stressful when it moved forward faster than she felt comfortable with.  I got her Keyboarding Without Tears and it is a good fit for her, but it takes FOREVER.  I got two levels, thinking she was advanced enough that she would fly through the lower level and move onto the next in this school year.  The program integrates many skills besides just keyboarding, though, and those activities take a long time to complete.  She is learning the keyboard without realizing that she's learning it, and she's not stressing about WPM.  I'm glad I got it for her, because she really enjoys it, but I wish I had only paid for one year.  We'll probably run out of time before she finishes the second year.  It's so inexpensive, though, that it won't be a huge loss.

[kathy_overman]

Keyboarding Without Tears has been great for us.  Yes, there is repetitive work, but my kids need the practice.