It’s been some time since I’ve found keyboarding lessons that look good, really focus on touch typing, and are as enjoyable as typing lessons can ever be when a youngster has to develop a visual memory of the keyboard. However, here’s a keyboarding site — discovered a few days ago in a Twitter feed — that just may fit the bill.
I think that Typing Web may be a find — lessons that can help kids master keyboarding without lots of distractions and violent games. It’s web-based — a web 2.0 interactive site — so kids can use it at home or teachers can introduce it to a class at school. The site includes plenty of lessons and and good games (some of them made me laugh). A related site, Fun to Type, has more games.
Typing Web requires users to register, and right after signing up the site offers a program upgrade (one small payment). This upgrade is not required to use the program or for record keeping. Special lessons, additional games, and no advertising come with the upgrade, and if a user wants to take advantage of the offer after using Typing Web for a bit, it costs a couple of dollars more than it would have right after registration. Either way it the it’s inexpensive.
I’ve played around with the program and enjoyed both the lessons and the games. A preferences link offers several user options — turning off sound, adding more spaces between sentences, and increasing words-per-minute. TypingWeb also learns the most troublesome keys as a user progresses and then generates lessons expressly set up for practicing any problem keys. A regularly updated Typing Web blog keeps users up-to-date with program tips and content information.
I’m impressed. This is definitely a program for parents and teachers to try, and I’ll be working through a few lessons myself seeking to learn more about the program.
If your child uses Typing Web, please let me know how it’s going.
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