I am a firm believer in children learning keyboarding skills.
In our home we start in second and third grade - the goal being proficiency in typing by the time you hit the middle grades, so mom or dad don't have to type your research papers!
This summer, my youngest (8) is getting much better at his typing, thanks to Typekids, an online typing course for children.
We have tried other online (free) typing programs and while they give my children some basic keyboarding knowledge, Typekids has gotten them typing for mastery and usage in their educational careers.
*I was given this product to review and am being compensated for this post. All opinions are solely my own.
About Typekids Online Typing Lessons
Typekids is an intelligent touch typing course - the program automatically detects which letters need more practice, and then instruction is adjusted accordingly.
This means your child receives completely INDIVIDUALIZED typing instruction.
The course consists of 30 lessons, each taking approximately 25 minutes. Ideally, the course should take about 10 weeks to complete, and your child will be typing faster and more accurately by the end of those ten weeks.
Stories and games are added to the instruction to keep your student motivated, and lessons and stories can be reviewed at any time.
Your children are on a treasure hunt with Captain Forty, and these stories help maintain interest in the course.
The more lessons you complete, the more games you unlock. Games are geared to help students practice their typing in a fun way.
Instruction is given clearly through audio commands, as well as visual commands on the screen. The course thereby appeals to different learning styles.
Features of Typekids We Enjoy
- Clear instruction, with thorough lessons interspersed with stories and games.
- The lessons makes SENSE - the home row keys are learned first, and immediately after the "e" is added, which allowed my son to make words right away. He didn't feel this was a "baby" typing course!
- Progress reports mailed directly to my inbox - showing the areas he is good in and the areas where he needs work. The instruction is then TAILORED TO HIS NEEDS.
- A specific home screen which shows the stories that have been viewed, and the games that have been earned.
- It's not TOO easy - as a parent I appreciate that the program makes my child SIT and PRACTICE for at least 25 minutes at a time before there is a reward given. Typing takes hard work and I believe this program combines the right amount of instruction, story, and play. There are many online typing courses, but few are this thorough and offer an exam and diploma at the end, too.
- A variety of ages can use the course - I would recommend children ages second grade through middle school would benefit.
The Specifics of TypeKids
You can start a free trial of Typekids and find out more information on their website.
Learn more by watching this short video:
The entire course is available for $49.99 (That's $5/week if you complete the course in 10 weeks).
As you plan your curriculum for the coming year, you might want to spend a portion of your budget on online typing instruction with Typekids.