Any suggestions for touch typing program?

[crazeelaydee]

My Ds is 8 (AS poss Dyspraxia) and has expressed an interest in learning to type, I want to grab this with both hands in the hope that it will help with his English and self esteem. Can anyone suggest a good typing program for him to use? and if it was any help? I really don't mind paying for something that he is eager to learn.

TIA

The best touch typing program I've ever used (and I've tried a few) is 'Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing' - it has a mix of exercises, games and practice passages (sound can also be turned off if annoying). It's comprehensive and can be set either fr QWERTY keyboards or the split ones (can't remember the name, but the keyboard is in 2 distinct chunks IYKWIM). User friendly interface (imo) and the language is very much positive reinforcement.

For a child, this one comes recommended from my DS's specialist dyslexia tutor (DS hasn't tried it yet but he loves the other Nessy programs) Nessy Fingers

Nessy fingers has been recommended to me too. Have only tried a sample with Dd3 but she loved it.

Having taught myself and 2 kids with sen (including dyslexia, dyspraxia, learning difficulties, SPD) to type and used MB, Nessy fingers and EnglishType Junior...

would say ETJnr is by far the best... not the most exciting but in terms of progression and logical typing being taught - it starts with the home row, then the top, then the bottom then shift keys. Nothing onscreen moving about to distract...

Nessy - games by far more exciting - but in sensory terms too many noises, bings and pings to distract and the way it teaches the keys although logical in alphabetical order, is harder to master as lots of 'stretches' from the start where as with ET - they are all 'under the fingers' to start with.

MB I found frustrating as crashed a lot and especially once into shift keys was using an american keyboard placement and also the american spellings not helpful from a dyslexia point of view.

BBC type mat is similar in progression to et junior (free on BBC website) but drove me crazy and very slow as every time you play you have to go through some pretty inane animations!!!

hope that helps - has really helped my dyspraxic / dyslexic child who is a fully time typer now in high school rather than writing!

Thanks for the responses everyone. wow mamaabc it's good to hear positives about using typing rather than writing, well done.

I have had a look at Nessy fingers...looks good will let Ds have a go on the trial run later see what he thinks.

Also had a look at Dance mat typing and might of had a little go....very nearly got my fingers in a tangle but looks ok, but must agree with you about the pangs and pings mamaabc.

Will have a look at English type junior in a momento.

And I will definately avoid the MB, I would rather not see my laptop splat against the wall!

We have English Type Senior and would recommend it.

Hi, well I had a look at the English type junior and it looks really really good.

I haven't had chance to look at Mavis beacon yet Andro but will when I have five.

I decided to let Ds have a go on the Nessy fingers demo and he thought it was great....said it hurt his fingers quite quickly into the lesson and panicked a lot little when he realized his boat was sinking so felt the pressure. When he saw he had typed 3 words per minute at the end he was over the moon considering he had taken almost a minute to type 'bob' as his name to begin with I was gob smacked TBH.

Tried redirecting him towards Dance mat typing...the look on his face said it all!!....so went back to Nessy fingers. I have bought Nessy fingers to see how he gets on, then I think I will move him onto the ETJ when his confidence has grown a bit more.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, just hope he isn't interested in the Nessy fingers because he just wants to do the 'kung-fu fingers' exercises!

Nessy Fingers :)