Website for helping ds learn to type?

[crl]

Ds is ten and says he will have a typing test set school soon. He doesn't get much chance to type at home because he has an iPad. But we can set him up with a laptop to practice. Any suggestions for a good website?

Thanks!
Catherine

[BunnyBee]

BBC Dance Mat is fun and free.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

[elektra]

BBC Dance Mat is fun and free.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

This is what DD uses at her school.

[crl]

Thanks! I'll set him up to practice tonight.

Catherine

[crl]

Ds liked it. Yay!
Thanks,
Catherine

[maydaymommy]

wow! that sight seems really good.

I am going to have to remember it for when I need to introduce keyboarding to DS1.

Just curious -- when did your kids / when do most kids learn this?
I didn't learn until high school, but those were the olden days. :D

This summer ds1 will be 7, heading into 2nd grade, and I was thinking it might be a fun thing for him to work on during the summer, when he needs some downtime.
Is this too soon, or does it sound right? If it matters, I think it will be a while before he has school work that challenges him, so I think he'd like learning something new. I don't want to try to have him do it though, if it's not appropriate developmentally, or his hands are too small, or something like that.

[brittone2]

We've used BBC Dance Mat, and I recently purchased Mavis Beacon typing for them. It was under $10 at Rainbow Resource. I want to say it was closer to 7.xx.

[elektra]

wow! that sight seems really good.

I am going to have to remember it for when I need to introduce keyboarding to DS1.

Just curious -- when did your kids / when do most kids learn this?
I didn't learn until high school, but those were the olden days. :D

This summer ds1 will be 7, heading into 2nd grade, and I was thinking it might be a fun thing for him to work on during the summer, when he needs some downtime.
Is this too soon, or does it sound right? If it matters, I think it will be a while before he has school work that challenges him, so I think he'd like learning something new. I don't want to try to have him do it though, if it's not appropriate developmentally, or his hands are too small, or something like that.


I don't think that is too early at all.
I know that DD loves trying the typing. They do it once a week at school. She scolded me the other day for not keeping my fingers on the home row! ;)
A teacher friend told me it is part of the common core ( the early keyboarding). They will need to be proficient because some of the later testing (like high school) will be done all on the computer with typing.

[egoldber]

The Spongebob typing program is also actually pretty good. Older DD mainly learned with the dance mat site though.

The problem for younger kids is that until their hands are large enough, it can be hard for them to span the keyboard properly. And if their hands are too small they may get frustrated or learn poor habits.

[crl]

The Spongebob typing program is also actually pretty good. Older DD mainly learned with the dance mat site though.

The problem for younger kids is that until their hands are large enough, it can be hard for them to span the keyboard properly. And if their hands are too small they may get frustrated or learn poor habits.


I know you were responding to a different poster who has a younger child than mine. I just thought it was funny because my ten year old ds has bigger hands than I do! (Bigger feet for over a year now--he's up to a size nine men's shoe!)

Anyway, back on topic, ds liked dance mat so much he asked me this morning if he can do it again after he gets his homework done. Apparently it is so much fun it is a reward. :) Total score! Thank you!

Catherine