TypeKids.com Review: Typing program for kids

If you are looking for a new typing program for your kids, read below for our TypeKids review.

I’m happy to review TypeKids.com today. My 10-year-old daughter has been using the program for the last few weeks. I’m really happy with it!

In HOME, kids can choose between Exercises, Review, Story, Games, and Messages. I like the Review section where it tells the kids how well they are doing–which keys they are great with and which ones need more work. Here is how they describe it: “The program detects which letters require more practice and changes the exercises accordingly. This way the typing course automatically adapts itself to the needs of each student.” It’s an intelligent typing course!

Kids earn coins after completing a lesson. There are 30 lessons total (about 15 hours). Then they can play a game that fits the theme such as Shark Attack (the sharks are attacking the ship. You have to type the letter that’s on each shark before it gets there), Hammer Game, Keyboard Jumper, etc. They unlock games by finding the treasure chest throughout the course.

The graphics of the sea, pirates, etc. are very appealing to the kids. They also include some animation to show how the fingers are to move over the keys.

There are instructions for how to use the course (spoken aloud with animation) and how to place the hands on base position. I like their encouragement to say the letter out loud when first learning to type it. They teach good posture (ergonomics)–how to sit correctly in your seat and how to position the chair, keyboard, and monitor. After finishing the course, they estimate that kids who finish it will increase their typing speed up to 5 times!

There is a fun story of Jack joining a pirate ship and the adventures he experiences. The kids can hear more chapters of the exciting story as they complete lessons. I would only wish they had more “pictures” in the online book that’s being read aloud to them.

Kids earn special badges by accomplishing different things (like typing fast, finishing the first lesson, doing three exercises in one week, etc.). The badges can be shared on Facebook. Just another way to encourage and reward the kids for doing well!

Overall, I really like TypeKids.com. We have 2 other programs to compare it to. One was free but had very annoying sounds and graphics, and certainly wasn’t “intelligent”. TypeKids.com is fun and kid-friendly, but not annoying to kids–and helps kids know exactly how well they are doing and what needs more work. The other online program we tried was very dry and boring. It would be fine for adults wanting to improve their typing skills, but wouldn’t motivate kids to learn. So, I highly recommend TypeKids and plan to use it for my kids who haven’t learned to type yet!