Most people remember doing some kind of keyboarding or typing class during their school years. Today, it seems like that has been replaced by flashy computer games, timed quizzes, and animated characters. I actually feel that those things get in the way of teaching the skills neccesary to be a good typist.
If you are looking for a great program, there is Keyboarding for the Christian School by Leanne Beitel. I received the Elementary Version for review. This is an e-book to download and print or use electronically to teach typing skills to elementary-aged students. It is $12.95 for this e-book, and while it states that it is for K-5th students, I feel that it could be used as a remedial tool for older students. It could even be used to teach adults that have little typing skills. The ebook can be purchased with either regular sized print or large font depending on the needs of your student. You can also find the original book for grades 6 and up on the same page, along with a few other products and product bundles.
Something I love about this resource is that I can reuse it for each of my children. This makes the book a tremendous value for my family! I plan to have it printed and bound at a local office supply store so that we can use it in that manner. However, during the review period, I chose to have the book open on my laptop and had my daughter read off of that screen to type on her own computer.
While my 7 year old struggled with some of the material in the lessons (including typing words that she didn’t recognize), I know from my own experience in learning to type in computer lab back in 5th grade that the words that seem to be nonsense are the best learning tools as they are truly testing your ability to recall key placement. This is what makes typing a comfortable experience. I was taught in a very similar method to the skills in this book and type very quickly and correctly. I can type fast without looking down at all, and I feel that my kids will reach that level as well as we continue to use this resource.
The lessons provided my daughter plenty of repetition so she could achieve mastery of key placement while typing. She got a little discouraged that there was “so much!” to type, but Miss Mabel Ladybug and her sweet Bible verses at the beginning of each lesson helped encourage her to work through it.
If you are interested in trying out a few free lessons to see if this product, or others from the same author, are a good fit for you, check out the Freebies page! When you are ready to make your purchase, be sure to use coupon code SUMMER2012 (expires 8-29-12) to save 20% off of the regular purchase price!
This would be a great skill to work on during your summer break or to ease into the school year. Computer and typing skills are becoming more and more neccesary in today’s “real world”, so give your kids a fantastic head start with this inexpensive book.
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