A Parenting & kids forum. ParentingBanter.com

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » ParentingBanter.com forum » misc.kids » General (moderated)
Site Map Home Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Learning to keyboard (type) - recommend software for older kids



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old July 4th 04, 07:53 PM
Kevin Karplus
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Learning to keyboard (type) - recommend software for older kids

In article , toto wrote:
On Sat, 3 Jul 2004 20:04:47 EDT, Clisby
wrote:

Are there still books available on teaching yourself to type? I would
think that would be just as good as a software program. I taught
myself to type as a teenager (using a typewriter), but I could have used
the same method with a keyboard.


The software works better, imo. And Mavis Beacon has games
to increase the speed for kids as well as the teaching component.


I agree. In addition to the speed games, the software can check the
accuracy of the typing. Also possible (but I don't know if it is
implemented in any commercial software), is to write diagnostics based
on key timing and offer focused exercises to help improve those
motions that are most in need of improvement.


--
Kevin Karplus http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/~karplus
life member (LAB, Adventure Cycling, American Youth Hostels)
Effective Cycling Instructor #218-ck (lapsed)
Professor of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz
Undergraduate and Graduate Director, Bioinformatics
Affiliations for identification only.

  #12  
Old July 5th 04, 01:20 AM
Karen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Learning to keyboard (type) - recommend software for older kids

Banty wrote in message ...
One of the summer assignments (from me) for my 11 year old son going into 7th
grade next year is that he learn to keyboard. It would help him with
assignments, now that some can be turned in typed (his handwriting is
atrocious), and he's falling into a hunt-and-peck two-finger habit when he does
type which I don't want to set in.

What is a good software program for this? Windoze98.

Thanks,
Banty


My 11 yo dd and 9 yo ds use Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, the regular
version. They both like it, especially dd. She is almost to 20 wpm
which isn't bad for a child, I think. It has your typical drill plus
games. You can change the preferences to include more games or less or
none, change the music in the background, change fonts, size, color,
target specific weaknesses, timed tests etc......

I think it is definitely worth the $20 or so it costs. I was able to
get it for $14.95 but I run a Mac and it was on closeout.

Karen

  #13  
Old July 5th 04, 11:18 AM
animzmirot
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Learning to keyboard (type) - recommend software for older kids

And if you'd like a copy of this very cheap and pretty much never used,
email me. I've got one sitting around. My kids learned how to type without
it. They had a required typing class for one term in 4th grade and voila,
they type!

Marjorie

My son just bought Mavis Bacon Teaches Typing, and it seems pretty good.
I've noticed that they have one titled "Mavis Bacon Teaches Typing for
Kids"; don't know if it's better than the "regular" one or not -- I
suspect that it may be more game like and have readings that would more
appeal to kids.

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care



  #14  
Old July 5th 04, 02:56 PM
dragonlady
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Learning to keyboard (type) - recommend software for older kids

In article ,
Kevin Karplus wrote:

In article ,
dragonlady wrote:
In article ,
Banty wrote:
One of the summer assignments (from me) for my 11 year old son going into
7th
grade next year is that he learn to keyboard. It would help him with
assignments, now that some can be turned in typed (his handwriting is
atrocious), and he's falling into a hunt-and-peck two-finger habit when he
does type which I don't want to set in.

What is a good software program for this? Windoze98.


My son just bought Mavis Bacon Teaches Typing, and it seems pretty good.
I've noticed that they have one titled "Mavis Bacon Teaches Typing for
Kids"; don't know if it's better than the "regular" one or not -- I
suspect that it may be more game like and have readings that would more
appeal to kids.


We bought Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing for Kids and it wouldn't run on
our Mac, despite clearly saying that it was both Windows and Mac
compatible on the package and on the CD-ROM itself. Luckily the store
allowed us to exchange it for "Read, Write, and Type," which our son
does like to play. It is aimed at a younger audience than 11
though---more like 8 year olds.



Hmm -- the regular Mavis Bacon works fine on our Mac; I wonder what the
problem was? (My son is 18, so the one for kids wasn't what he wanted.)

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

  #15  
Old July 10th 04, 12:45 AM
dejablues
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Learning to keyboard (type) - recommend software for older kids


"dejablues" wrote in message
...



"Banty" wrote in message
...
One of the summer assignments (from me) for my 11 year old son going

into
7th
grade next year is that he learn to keyboard. It would help him with
assignments, now that some can be turned in typed (his handwriting is
atrocious), and he's falling into a hunt-and-peck two-finger habit when

he
does
type which I don't want to set in.

What is a good software program for this? Windoze98.

Thanks,
Banty



Our kids' school uses something called Type to Learn. Our 15 and 11 year
olds can type very well, so I guess it worked.
I hear the Mavis Beacon programs are good too. Again, Google (and local
CompUSA) are very helpful. :-)



I might add that Type to Learn is by Scholastic, and they have a free trial
download on their website:
http://www.scholastic.com/downloads2go



  #16  
Old July 15th 04, 09:44 PM
Robyn Kozierok
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Learning to keyboard (type) - recommend software for older kids

In article ,
Banty wrote:
One of the summer assignments (from me) for my 11 year old son going into 7th
grade next year is that he learn to keyboard. It would help him with
assignments, now that some can be turned in typed (his handwriting is
atrocious), and he's falling into a hunt-and-peck two-finger habit when he does
type which I don't want to set in.

What is a good software program for this? Windoze98.


We picked up an older version of Mavis Beacon on ebay. I had to go back
a few versions to get one compatible with the old kid computer My
10yo likes it but hasn't had much chance to use it, so I can't comment
too much on effectiveness. But I do think that for an 11yo you want
a "real" typing program and not a kiddie one. the MB does have enough
games to keep my son quite interested. He used Type to Learn at school
a few years back and didn't like that as well.

--Robyn

  #18  
Old March 22nd 05, 02:51 AM
toto
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 10:51:35 EST, "Anon E. Mouse"
wrote:

What is a good software program for this? Windoze98.


Missed the OP. I recommend Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits

  #19  
Old March 23rd 05, 08:53 AM
Tom & Sandy Farley Tom & Sandy Farley is offline
Junior Member
 
First recorded activity by ParentingBanter: Jan 2005
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 7
Default

Our son was motivated to type faster and more accurately by the demands of on-line gaming. He is now a video game and on-line game tester at EA.

Tom
  #20  
Old March 23rd 05, 04:08 PM
Banty
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article . com, Tom & Sandy
Farley says...


Our son was motivated to type faster and more accurately by the demands
of on-line gaming. He is now a video game and on-line game tester at
EA.


Shhhhh.....!

If every kid I know thinks copious practice will get them a job like that!

Banty

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Learning to keyboard (type) - recommend software for older kids Banty General 15 March 22nd 05 02:51 AM
Fighting Over Kids Stepdad1963 General 8 May 5th 04 07:15 PM
WSJ: How to Give Your Child A Longer Life Jean B. General 0 December 9th 03 07:10 PM
Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school? Vicki General 215 November 1st 03 10:07 PM
FWD bad judgement or abuse Trunk kids begged to ride Kane General 2 August 5th 03 05:54 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:18 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 ParentingBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.