Teach Your Child To Type

Teaching your children to type can be an essential part of a successful education. With computers becoming such a large part of society, the quicker they learn how to use a keyboard the better. They will be able to use a computer more comfortably which will put them in good stead for the advancement of computers in the future.

The best way for children of all ages to learn to type is for them to practice, practice, and practice! A software program appropriate for their age will give you the most successful results in teaching your child to type. Therefore I have provided you with links to free, trial and commercial software to help your children learn to use a keyboard.

Give your child at least a half an hour daily or every other day and you’ll have a child ready to type away, chatting or text messaging their friends… (are you sure you want them to learn to type?)

When purchasing the best software for your child keep in mind the age level that the game was designed for, the skills needed to complete the tasks, the size of your computer needed to run the programs, the purpose of the software (what you want the software to teach your child) and the ratings or reviews of other parents.

Preschool
Preschoolers have a great time playing on computers Although you can purchase and allow your child to play all the typing tutor software that is provided for children, there don’t seem to be any typing programs specifically for preschoolers to help you with this venture.

Many of the software programs you can purchase for this age group will have different adventures where your child will have to use the keyboard to play; they are just not directly designed to teach your child how to be a typing champion.
 

• Software for Preschoolers – http://www.softwareforkids.com

Grades K-3rd
For seven to eleven year old children there are two typing programs that are rated with five stars, they are:

• Disney’s Adventure in Typing with Timon and Pumbaa  EThey have this program available for Windows and Mac systems.
• Jumpstart Typing  EThey have this program in both Windows and Mac and can be purchased online at http://shop.knowledgeadventure.com/Products/JumpStart-Typing__20121.aspx

Grades 4th-6th
For children eleven to adult here are some programs that will get you typing fast in just a few months:

• Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing  EYou can only purchase this software for windows and can expect to pay anywhere for $19.95-$69.95  EYou can review this and other software products at the Learning Companies web site.
• Typing Instructor for Kids can only be purchased for Windows and has some kid friendly interfaces. You’ll pay around $19.95 for the software  ETyping instructors website.
• Typing tutor Gold can be purchased for either Mac or Windows and costs around $20.00.

Resources
Resources that can help you in your venture include:

• Learn 2 Type (free online typing tutor) – http://kids.learn2type.com/
• Computing with Kids (Includes reviews of all typing tutor software for children – http://www.computingwithkids.com

Posted in Education.

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