Typing program or "free style"?

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  • July 19, 2013 at 6:55 pm
    MariePowell
    Participant

       We need to move on to written narrations this year, but we will be using the computer for my son so he can type.  Penmenship is a nightmare for him.  Do most of you use a formal “typing” program for your kids?  I took typing in the tenth grade… hated it! It was all about speed and accuracy, two things my son struggles with!  I will say, I made it through college and many written assignments just fine with my own, self-taught method.  At first, it was a more or less a primitive ” hunt and peck style”, but in time I got pretty good! Would it be wrong to simply let him teach himself to use the keyboard in whatever way, shape, or form works best for him? 

    July 19, 2013 at 7:42 pm
    momto2blessings
    Participant

    My kids used the BBC’s free online typing program “Dancemat.” It was fun, not time-consuiming, and did the trick. I own Mavis Beacon and Typing Instructor for kids but never felt motivated to make it more difficult. My kids speed then really took off once they started e-mailing and texting friends:) 

    July 19, 2013 at 8:06 pm
    Karen
    Participant

    I bought an old-fashioned typing book!  That way, my 4th grade daughter can learn to type on our old laptop – no internet.  We’re happy with it.  She goes at her own speed, we’re working for accuracy, not speed.  I firmly believe speed will come later.

     

     

    July 20, 2013 at 1:39 am
    MariePowell
    Participant

    Ok! Will  check these out; he may be a quick learner, won”t know unless I try.  Thanks for the ideas!  Maybe I could learn with him and refine my “pecking’ skills ha!

    July 25, 2013 at 8:04 pm
    Al.C.Bradley
    Member

    Maybe it would be worth it to try free online games that involve typing to make it fun? I would add that to a formal program of course. IMO you gotta keep some entertainment in education! I agree though that when you’re just starting out it’s not about speed. That’s always been a crazy notion to me. But accuracy I think deserves some importance; not too much pressure on it though! Just get him comfortable with the keyboard, where the keys are, etc.

    Here’s just a few links to look into, I’m sorry I wish I had more to offer you.

    http://typing-for-kids-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

    http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/keyboarding_games.html

    http://www.typekids.com/ (This one might be for when he’s more proficient because it tries to emphazise “blind typing” aka not looking at the keyboard. But even I need to do that sometimes!)

     

    That Dancemat typing website looks cool!

    July 27, 2013 at 4:55 pm
    MariePowell
    Participant

    Thanks for the links!  We will try these out tonight; I’m so hopeful the keyboard will open new doors this year for a kid who hates writing.

    July 27, 2013 at 6:03 pm
    Rebekahy
    Participant

    We really like Typing Instructor for kids – it has 6 or so different programs and also gives you reports of where your child is, their accuracy and their speed.  It’s not free, but at less than $20 for the software it’s well worth the price.  I’m going to have my five year old start it this year with just the home row (she wants to) and my older girls (7 and 9) are typing 20 and 30 wpm after using it for a year.  Makes me feel a little better that we still cannot successfully write in cursive – sigh…

     

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