Alicia64 Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 The free ones I've looked at don't seem that great. Do your kids use one that they've really liked? Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abba12 Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 We had a terrible time trying to find a typing program that actually interested us as kids. But we did finally find one we had a lot of success with, called TTAPS. Only thing is it is Australian, which is fine for me because I am too! But I don't know how you would go about obtaining it outside Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Did you try the BBC Dance Mat typing? I have only heard good things about it but don't have experience with it myself yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cam112198 Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librarymama Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I would also like to hear suggestions. I tried Typing Instructor for Kids (Platinum) with my 5 year old and it was a total bust. It is way too hard and boring; you start out with a huge paragraph of 8 keys to type over and over rather than ease into it a couple of letters at a time, so my son quickly got frustrated and gave up. It might work for an older, more patient child though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Jo Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 2 of the 2 children here who have started typing love BBC Dance Mat. The eldest finished, so we've been doing some typed dictation. (First we practiced capital letters, new lines, and punctuation by typing a few lists, short sentences, his name, and his address.) Warning: try to buy a headset first - the encouragement and audio feedback get annoying, at least to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lee mike Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I have not used this myself because my typing speed is already good , but I've read through the reviews and the description and this does seem like the best thing available. I should add that of all the courses I took high school, typing was the one that has proven the most beneficial by far. It's an essential skill that everyone should learn, and I don't think it's too late for your older "students". it's typing master I sure that you can prove your typing speed through it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nansk Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I would also like to hear suggestions. I tried Typing Instructor for Kids (Platinum) with my 5 year old and it was a total bust. It is way too hard and boring; you start out with a huge paragraph of 8 keys to type over and over rather than ease into it a couple of letters at a time, so my son quickly got frustrated and gave up. It might work for an older, more patient child though. Garfield's Typing Pal (and the generic Typing Pal version) adds just 2 letters in each lesson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ednkirstin Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I have to say our experience with Typing Instructor has been great! All of my older kids have loved it, especially the games. Maybe the poor experience from the other poster was just trying it out too young (5). I haven't had much success with teaching really young ones to type. Mine usually start in the 8-10 range. That's just us though. If others have been successful with younger kids using something else, I'd love to hear about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Typing web. Dance mat typing is fine for beginners, but that is as far as it goes. Typing web goes to much more advanced levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 My DS used BBC's Dance Mat Typing, Typing Instructor for Kids Platinum, and Mavis Beacon for variety. DS practiced 20 min per day, 5 days per week. We set a timer, and DS took a breather after 10 minutes of practice. He was 11 yo at that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Did you try the BBC Dance Mat typing? I have only heard good things about it but don't have experience with it myself yet. We use this one too. DS13 thinks it's a little quirky but in a way in which he can laugh at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librarymama Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I do think my 5 year old was just too young, which is sad because he really wants to learn. My main complaint about Typing Instructor for Kids is there was no introduction to the keys at all, your first task is a screen of probably 100 letters to type. Even for older kids I cannot imagine that being a big hit, but wdik? When I learned to type 20 years ago it was a program that was much slower and introduced the home row only a couple of keys (and maybe 1 line of typing) at a time. ETA: It does have great reviews on Amazon, but after we decided it would not work for us I saw that the few negative reviews had the same complaint as me, even though it does work for a lot of people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ednkirstin Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 When I learned to type 20 years ago it was a program that was much slower and introduced the home row only a couple of keys (and maybe 1 line of typing) at a time.When I learned to type 20 years ago it was with a book and a typewriter...hahaha. I bought a similar book for DH shortly after we got married because he didn't know how to type. I FINALLY was able to acknowledge it was antiquated and let it go...this year. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I do think my 5 year old was just too young, which is sad because he really wants to learn. My main complaint about Typing Instructor for Kids is there was no introduction to the keys at all, your first task is a screen of probably 100 letters to type. Even for older kids I cannot imagine that being a big hit, but wdik? When I learned to type 20 years ago it was a program that was much slower and introduced the home row only a couple of keys (and maybe 1 line of typing) at a time. ETA: It does have great reviews on Amazon, but after we decided it would not work for us I saw that the few negative reviews had the same complaint as me, even though it does work for a lot of people. I just looked at my TyperIsland software. The first lesson introduces dfjk and a picture of the keyboard is visible. If the child knows to feel the bumps on the f and j key, they should be able to line their hands up on the home row without looking at their fingers as they type. I set the difficulty to easy with a typing speed of 5 WPM, I also purchased an ergonomic keyboard. We spent almost all our time on Explorer Isle, where DS could repeat the lessons and challenges for as many times as he needed. I spent a great deal of time ensuring correct posture and ergonomics too. There is free online typing software that introduces 2 keys at a time. When first learning to type, my DS struggled mightily with this program and it is the reason I sought other typing options. All kids learn and respond differently. Do what works best for your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I like Typing Instructor. It introduces the letters gradually and encourages the child to type while looking at the screen. My ds9 enjoys the levels and traveling to the different countries. I can also track his accuracy and WPM. I would have started him when he was 8, but I didn't find a program I liked until I found a deal on Typing Instructor. I think it would be difficult to teach typing to younger ages (less than 8). Their fingers need to be long enough to reach the keys without losing the starter position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 We are on our second summer using Typing Instructor for Kids, and dd7 loves it. It was a bit of a struggle last year, but this year, she is just the right age. She is a little more patient, and her speed was immediately twice as fast as last year without any practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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