When I was in eighth grade, we were required to take typing. I remember the teacher passed down the aisles about twice per class period, and I made sure to show that I was typing the correct way with all ten fingers. The second she passed by my desk I went back to typing my own way, the hunt and peck method, the way I still type today. Back then, I had no idea how important keyboarding would be for me in the future, creating text documents, writing lesson plans and typing my masters thesis, which by the way was the first time I was ever able to do a report on a computer. (Yes, by now you have figured out my approximate age...) To this day I wish I had paid more attention to my keyboarding skills, and it always surprises me when I come across a student who never learned how to type with all their fingers. (They're teaching them as early as first grade.) Have a student who could brush up on their skills? Try these resources:
Alphabetic Rain- type the letters as they fall from the sky
Alphabetic Rain- type the letters as they fall from the sky
Dance Mat Typing- for kids 7-11 years old
E-Learning for Kids Keyboarding- very young kids will like this site.
Free Typing Game- test online
Good Typing- typing tutorials in several languages
Keyboarding Games- lots of fun games here with sound effects and music
Keybr- take a typing speed test or practice online
Power Typing- QWERTY keyboard
Qwerty Town- 30 day trials are available; $$ pricing for schools
Rapid Typing Zone- lessons, games, online typing test
Sense-Lang.org- tutorials, typing games and tests can be found on this site.
Super Hyper Spider Typer- for young kids; great sound effects the kids will love
TuxTyping- for younger kids; download for PC or Mac
Typing Lessons Online- lessons and tutorial videos
TypingWeb- "free online typing tutor & keyboarding tutorial for typists of all skill levels".
