touch typing yr3

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

I am planning to get Touch type read and spell for my yr6 and yr8 to learn to type in Sept. They both have handwriting and spelling issues due to Irlens syndrome. Being able to type without looking up and down will help them. Having just completed yr7 my oldest also says that she would really like to be able to touch type as increasingly homework is typed. My dilemma is whether to try to get ds (nearly 8) to learn at the same time (cheaper) or wait until he is older. He is hypermobile but doesn't have the same issues with handwriting or spelling. Also the older two are both pianists so I imagine it might be easier for them and I don't want him getting frustrated. Alternatively they are technophobes whereas he is a technophile. Any experience teaching younger children to type, will it take him longer? Is it worth waiting until he is older?

[GuestWW]

I don't sorry, but do wonder why we don't teach our children to touch type. I learned at Sixth Form and it was one of the most useful skills I picked up.

[TwitterQueen1]

As Guest says, no advice except do it ASAP. I learned after uni and it's probably one of the most useful skills I've ever learned.

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

I agree. Even if not at primary I think that if every yr7 child spent some time at the beginning of the year it would speed up everything else. Even if it was just set as homework but assessed.

[Monkeymonstermum]

Watching with interest to hear what the educationalists think. As a life skill I think it's a fantastic thing to learn. Would have saved me hours (days?!) at uni. Also would be so much more efficient in my current job if I could touch type.

[Ferguson2]

GOSH!! It's rather expensive!

I've been a touch typist since 1958 - was taught in RAF National Service!

I taught Yr2 children in lunchtime activity.

Try this before you spend any money:

www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z3c6tfr

[burntoutmum]

Following with interest as the intention is that DS will be taught to touch type next year ( yr 4) as he's struggling with hand writing due to visual impairment

[SlowRiver]

Have you tried Dance Mat Typing? (Its free)

[StarUtopia]

Best £700 I ever spent. Used my student loan 25+ years ago!

A true life skill.

[user789653241]

My ds learned to type very early in primary(around yr1?), using various free sites. He learned mainly for coding , writing stories and strategy guides. I think they can learn quicker if they have purpose.

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

Yes they have tried dance mat but TTRS seems to be recommended for those who struggle with spelling. It is a bit annoying for them too although ds might enjoy it.

[HemiDemiSemiquaver]

TTRS has advantages in that it does work on spelling/phonics, and it also uses a variety of skills like listening to the words and translating that into finger movements, copying words where you can see the fingers on screen, copying words where you can't see the fingers, and so on. It is the listening bit that I think makes it different from many others, and perhaps more useful in terms of what children (particularly those who struggle with spelling) actually have to do. It is also broken up into many many levels, with lots of charts and achievements, and lots of repetition - the words are learned via spelling patterns, rather than just teaching where the letters are.

Its downsides are that it takes a very long time, because of the many levels and lots of repetition! Some children get bored and don't complete the program. It's not 'fun' like dance mat or some of the other games that teach keyboarding skills alone. It's expensive.

It is the sort of program that takes a dedicated 5-10 min a day over a couple of years. I've not used it myself but know pupils who have and I've seen them using it.

It's the sort of thing that could be started in Yr4 or 5, to give lots of time to get through it at a slow pace. For a child in Year 7 who needs to get on with touch typing to use computers to do homework, then a faster keyboarding course would probably be more helpful. On the other hand, the biggest factor of all is motivation. If children want to learn, and are disciplined about using the correct fingers every time they sit down to type, then it doesn't have to take long to learn, whatever program you use.

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

Both of the older ones struggle with spelling so it sounds as if it might be more useful for them. The yr 7/8 writes most homework at the moment, still very much a pen and paper school. We are hoping though that dd2 might be able to use a laptop as her handwriting is poor as well as her spelling. Touch typing long term will help them both but isn't required instantly. It sounds as if ds who has no problem with spelling would be better with a more fun program.

[user789653241]

My ds who doesn't have any spelling problem learned typing here and there, he just logged on to typing sites and practiced when he felt like it.
Only down side is now he wants to type rather than write physically.
I think it really helps to learn to touch type, but how you do it depend on how much you really need the skill.
Since started in yr1, my ds hasn't done any proper lesson. Just done it along side other things he does on computer. But his typing speed these days is just amazing. And if he made spelling mistakes, it's easier to correct because it's just delete and type again, and he can actually read what he has written clearly. (and can have red line under spelling mistakes!)

[goingmadinthecountry]

Dd1 learnt in about Y4/5 from Pica. Did her good - she even got some audio typing temping in university holidays. Dd2 learnt from dd1's notes. Dds1 and 2 both write/wrote lots of essays so very useful.

Ds did TTRS - he's dyslexic. He used to go along to weekly sessions in Y5 or 6. Can't say it helped him hugely - we bought the program but it remained largely unused.