views on touch typing aged 8

[selfesteem]

Any views on an 8 year old learning touch typing? If successful can you recommend a fun programme to teach it.

[Elibean]

Ferguson, you are right - far too hot to pay attention. You may put me on blue/yellow with a sad face.

[follygirl]

I have bought nessy fingers which is a dvd for my dd aged 9. She likes it much more than dance mat and has improved a lot since doing it.

However my ds 7 didn't like it and prefers dance mat.

[gazzalw]

I actually feel that it's something that should actively be taught somewhere in the National Curriculum - at what age, I'm not sure....

[youcouldnevermakeitup]

I think you can learn at 8, even with 'short fingers', it is just when I compare DS with myself (I touch type) he seems to look at the keys because his fingers have to move much more than mine do. As adults we can easily cover all the keys without looking.

[PastSellByDate]

Hi:

We have had good success with BBC Dancemat : www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ - and it is age appropriate for an 8 year old.

Our girls found a cheap Sponge Bob Typing video game at PC world (in the sales DVD bin) which was great. info here: www.amazon.co.uk/Typing-Learn-Type-SpongeBob-way/dp/B0007LDI5Q?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 - seems really expensive here - I'm sure we only paid £3 for it - so have a look at PC World or similar/ or see if you can download on-line (although I don't know which sites are reliable).

The other game we've come across is TuxType - this is open source software which is based on asteroids format (so letters come down the screen and you have to type the letter to make it disappear) - this gradually builds up memory of where letters are located. Info here: tux4kids.alioth.debian.org/tuxtype/index.php

HTH

[Ferguson]

At the risk of being accused of monopolizing this 'thread', I have now come across some info I sent to someone last year, about the 'mechanics' of touch typing, which may be useful to some of you :

QUOTE :

I am using an 'office' computer, not a laptop. A laptop will make touch typing much more difficult, as the keys do not have the proper 'feel', nor the natural 'slope' of a separate keyboard. Also the touch-pad means the letters are a bit further away, which means further to reach for a child. So, if possible use an 'ordinary' computer, rather than a laptop for learning to touch type.

Learn the 'home keys' first, keeping the index fingers on F and J, which should have a raised 'pip' that you can feel, so if fingers get 'lost' try and 'feel' your way back (without looking) via F and J.

Left hand home keys: A S D F G

Right hand home keys: H J K L ;

Try to keep the fingers over the Home Keys all the time, except when a finger is moving up, down, or across to reach a letter.

Keep a slow but even speed, and it can help to 'say' each letter, either in your head, or out loud if no one objects! Keeping a chart of the key layout nearby is better than having to look down at the keys.

When first learning T Y U B N then you can look, and practise the 'feel' of reaching for the more distant letters.

It does not matter how slowly you go at first, but try and let your fingers 'learn' where letters are. If you work through the first words in a lesson 'in order', your fingers soon get used to the 'pattern' of words. Early ones include things like :

SAD DAD HAD A SALAD etc.

Take your time, don't be tempted to rush or cheat. It isn't easy, I admit, but it is worth persevering.

I hope this makes sense, and if you have specific questions let me know and I'll try to help.

UNQUOTE

Good luck folks!

[PastSellByDate]

Just to add - all three things I recommended start with home keys and build more or less how I learned on an old fashioned IBM typewriter. Oh yes, I'm that old. Ribbons, Correcting tape, ah those were the days....

[gazzalw]

Interestingly, DS seems able to touch type without ever having been taught.....

I do think it is an essential skill and one which should be taught at some stage within the National Curriculum. It's so obvious that it should be there and yet no-one can see it...

DW learned when she was a teenager -on a really old-fashioned type-writer - the little finger keys were really stiff and she says that they used to bruise her fingers terribly! She recently threw out an 'electronic' typewriter that was scarcely used - got it about three years before computers became viral!

[mrsbaffled]

Nessy Fingers is superb x My 8yo used it. He has fine motor problems, so needed to learn for school for using his Alphasmart.

[sashh]

Don't forget to cover the hands with a tea towel or similar so that there is no cheating.

OP if your child is small then maybe a netbook with its smaller keyboard would be better to start with.

[selfesteem]

How does nessy fingers work? I have looked but I cant really understand how you learn touch typing without home keys then rows and I don't want to pay if he isn't going to use it. thanks

[mrsbaffled]

Nessy Fingers has home keys "Go (G) Home (H)"
It teaches all the finger positions (by rows) then reinforces through really fun games.

[Scribblegirl]

Better than a teatowel - get a shoebox, take off the lid and cut out one side. Voila - No peeking!

[ReadytoOrderSir]

Nessy Fingers is the one recommend at my school for several dyslexic and/or dyspraxic children who are typing rather than writing.

[etubrute]

Nessy fingers, Ds has just turned 8 and he loves it. He did it every day until he broke his arm and he can't wait to get back on when his cast comes off sadly the school would rather he sits and stares at a blank work book all day rather than let him use his newly aquired typing skills . Got the hang really quickly we just need to cover the keys now so he does it without the occasional peak! Its really good because it also covers spelling lists from his weekly spelling sheet sent from school.

[AllyW1984]

I purchased the family edition from kaz-type.com and me and my oldest daughter (9 yo) have learned to touch type properly! The great thing about KAZ is you can learn the full skill of typing in literally 90 mins and I can't recommend this enough for school children! It really helps with my blogging and my daughter also commented how it has made her homework less stressful.

[Lara53]

Nessy Fingers can be done online. Lots of games/ races/ nuggets for doing well that you can ‘spend’ in the shop to get stuff for your monkey character. Small monthly cost, but my kids at school love it.

[ilovesushi]

nessy fingers is good.

[Madcats]

DD is now 12. Messaging friends on a (parent supervised) Minecraft server when she was 8/9 seemed to speed her up to about my geriatric typing speed.

Yep she did try dancemat and it was a real chore. Admittedly she is a bit sporty, but it all seems to be about (subconscious) muscle memory for those that never learned to type.

[Pennyxk]

I've recently used Kaz type for myself and my two teenagers and have to say it's fab. I'm a teacher and my school are now looking into getting it as a lunch time club activity.

[ilovesushi]

Nessy does a really good one called 'Nessy Fingers'. Lots of fun games, nice animations and graphics. Really helps spelling too. Both my kids prefered it to BBC dance mat.

[mumsthewurd]

I learnt on Mavis Beacon (110wpm) and my daughter learnt at 9 on the BBC site (fast but not as fast as me). But then she still does it "her way" and not the official touch typing way.

[Moominmammacat]

Used Mavis Beacon for dyspraxic 8 year. Useful but not perfect, ie, he probably didn't persevere.