"Pica Method" for teaching touch typing. Anyone heard of it?

[miljee]

DS came home with a flyer in his bookbag re the above- this doesn't mean the school have endorsed it in particular, I know (we also get Team Elite sports coaching ones!). Does anyone know anything about Pica? And surely it's the school's job to get them up to speed at the keyboard? It's a state junior and in most ways, excellent.

Dd did it in about Y5 - never finished it though because she got pretty competent at typing. It certainly worked for her. They send you sheets one at a time so I've offered it to dd2 now. I'm sure lots of other systems work just as well for less money - Mavis Beacon (Bright Minds website) is pretty popular.
Primary schools don't do touch typing - lots of dd's classmates in Y9 are still quite slow apparently. It's definitely helped her with schoolwork to be able to type quickly.

Thanks, and bump?

www.picatraining.co.uk/website/Read.php?PageID=775

They cover the keys with stickers to show which finger to use (and of course the child can't then see what the letter is so it develops true touch typing).

Mavis Beacon is a brilliant programme - both DS and DD learned to type using it. DS when he was 6, DD when she was 8.

There are also free touch typing programs on the internet.

Anyone had a dc complete the course?

Not quite what you're asking, but I did a Pica course at school and it was pretty good. At my fastest I could do 140wpm thanks to Pica. Still can't type while looking at the keyboard, have to touch type. And that's 20 years after I did the course.

Flamingtoaster, can I butt in and ask about the free ones? Do you mean ones for children or adults? Do you have any idea how I would find them?

Op, sorry to gatecrash, I have not heard of Pica but none of my dc have been taught to type at primary or secondary and I am sure it could really help them! I hope you don't mind?

Thanks HeadFairy. A friend of ds (11) did it and he really liked it - ds says he's very fast now. His parents were keen and impressed with the course - said learning to touch type was the most useful thing they learnt at college. I was just interested to hear if any others had experience too before we sign up.

Hi my 7 and 8 year old daughters are on week 14 of this course and have the keyboard totally covered in stickers so they cannot see the letters and both are doing brilliantly. It takes them around 20 minutes 5 times a week and are only now needing a bit more encouragement but the end is in sight and they are looking forward to finishing. My eldest daughter has been elected school secretary as she is so fast!:)

NCbirdy - obviously too late for you now but just seen your post asking about the free ones. For the sake of completeness - google "free typing lessons" and lots come up e.g. adult/older children ones

www.goodtyping.com/

www.typeonline.co.uk/

Best one for kids is probably:

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

But there are others e.g.

e-learningforkids.org/Courses/EN/K0001/index.html

www.learninggamesforkids.com/keyboarding_games.html

140 wpm? typing. omg.

I was really good at typing when I went to college and got my RSA III 50 wpm certificate (on one of those old fashioned sit up and beg typewriters). Can't imagine 140 wpm typing.

Just out of interest HeadFairy, is that with 100% accuracy? I'm seriously impressed. I used to be able to type extremely fast, but had to slow down as my accuracy was affected. I didn't realise it was humanly possible to type faster than about 80-90 wpm! Wow.

I wondered, does anybody still have the Pica training learn to type exercise booklets? I don't think the company exists anymore and I'm trying to find a copy to help somebody I know to learn to type.