Jennifer N. Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I've been perusing the boards. Does anyone have a typing program to recommend for the 8-9 year old? I have seen recs for Type/Learn/Read (something like that) and it looks like a great program but is it more geared to a young reader? I need my older two to learn how to touch type. Homeschool Buyer's Coop has a deal this week on Type to Learn 4. Is that any good? We have tried Typer Island bought through Amazon and it's not really working out for us. Not sure why it's not working, but I don't sit down with them for typing like I do with other things. I need something they can do on their own and that's fun and motivating and can be completed in a summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 My boys loved Type To Learn 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Lurking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMJ Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 following! :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smudge Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courtney_Ostaff Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 For the younger kids (ages 7-11) http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ I've been known to get out an old school typing book for older students: http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Computer-Typing-Revised-Edition/dp/0547333196 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverFamily Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I agree with Pink and Green Mom, Type to Learn 4 is fun at that age. You are a secret agent. Usually it is on sale through Homeschool Buyer's Coop....and you can adjust w.p.m. and accuracy requirements through HSBC which I recommend at first so they aren't focusing on speed but accuracy. Get finger position and body position and accuracy of fingers while typing reinforced from the beginning. Work for speed later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef03 Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 My DS used Dance Mat Typing, it's free & he really enjoyed it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer N. Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 For those who are using Type to Learn 4, did you buy the home version on cd-rom from a place like Amazon or did you buy the web-based version through HSBC? I am looking on Amazon and the reviews are poor for the installation process (tho' some seem to have gotten it to work)... I am just wondering are the programs so different. I am just downloading my trial version online...linked there from HSBC. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckens Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Another vote for DanceMat (linked at least twice already in this thread). It gave us success where we had had tears before. Since then, we have moved on to other typing programs with great enthusiasm and success. Here is the pathway of our typing this past year. Dd was in 1st grade, so I had NO expectations, and I would have been okay shelving typing until she was much older.1) Mavis Beacon: tears 2) Dance Mat: joy and success, often working extra on her own 3) Mavis Beacon: success, but disillusioned when the computer/software ate her data and wanted her to start again from the beginning of lessons. 4) Dance Mat again: Wow! She really zoomed through the lessons this time! 5) Really old Disney typing program with Timon and Pumba: success. At this point, she types between 6-12 words/minute. *brag, brag, brag*Disclaimer: dd has had several years of piano lessons, so she has good finger coordination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 BBC Dance Mat Typing and then NitroType (both free online). My 9 year-old spent 10-15 minutes on typing about 3x per week over the last school year and now types 33 WPM. She will transition to typing her own IEW papers this year (she did one successfully at the end of the year). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer N. Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 Now that Dance Mat has been mentioned again, I did look at it but I wasn't sure how to track the levels a child has completed. Is it set up so you can go in and select which lesson to do? I was looking more at the other programs because you log in with an account and the program tracks the child's progress. Thanks for your feedback! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Type to Learn 4 has worked well here. Dance Mat and Typing Instructor for Kids both were not successful for my hard to teach typing child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Now that Dance Mat has been mentioned again, I did look at it but I wasn't sure how to track the levels a child has completed. Is it set up so you can go in and select which lesson to do? I was looking more at the other programs because you log in with an account and the program tracks the child's progress. Thanks for your feedback! No, unfortunately you have to write down/remember which level you've completed. My daughter would write it down when checking it off her planner. It wasn't a big deal for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 For the younger kids (ages 7-11) http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ ] My kids loved this. We then moved on to an another online freebie as they got older. Typing web, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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