Keyboard Training

[kempomama]

Which is the best program for keyboard training? I have heard of Mavis Beacon and Ainsworth? Any preferences or other good programs?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Andrew Green]

Mavis Beacon is really good and is a good price, I'd reccomend it fully. That said, I have no experience with the other....

 

[michaeledward]

AOL Instant Messenger ....

While my kids have no idea how to type, they do seem to get the letters out of the keyboard pretty quickly. What they need now is a spelling and grammar program.

When I was in High School, I took a typing class. It was fifteen years later when I got my first computer. I can't tell you how happy I am/was, that I took that stupid typing class.

We have Mavis Beacon. It works pretty good. But after a couple of weeks, my daughter just stopped working at it. She will never be able to type more than, oh, maybe 25 - 30 words per minute. But, she moves around sufficiently for most purposes.

 

[kempomama]

My child's school requires him to pound out 55 wpm with 3 or fewer errors. I never get that much even on my best day.

Anyone tried Ainsworth?

sheryl

 

[OUMoose]

Not sure about a program, but I'll tell you what finally broke me of hunt-and-peck typing. Buy one of the "natural" keyboards. I got one because I thought they might help a little with wrist strain, but it also forces you to keep your hands where they're suppsoed to be on the keyboard. Pretty soon, I was typing (albeit with a bunch of backspacing) without looking at the keyboard. At that point, it's just practice.

Just my 2cp.

 

[arnisador]

I still hunt-and-peck. I need to learn how to type.

We use Mavis Beacon for our kids and it works OK. They're learning and they use these skills on their own when they do their e-mail etc.

 

[Cthulhu]

I learned to type from a militant 8th grade typing teacher in junior high.

*shudder*

I can't complain too much...it's the only thing I actually took with me from junior high, and I can type almost 100 words a minute on a good day.

Cthulhu

 

[mantis]

mavis beacon and instant messaging you will pick it up as fast as in a couple of days but my adivce for you is not to learn to type properly because you will develop tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. i wish i can go back to 1-finger typing style watch your wrists good luck

 

[Cthulhu]

I learned to type properly and have been doing so for nearly 20 years, and haven't had a hint of carpal tunnel syndrome. If you were training and type improperly, meaning you relax your wrists, having them bent and resting on the desk or keyboard, then I think you'd be more likely to develop problems.

Cthulhu

mavis beacon and instant messaging you will pick it up as fast as in a couple of days but my adivce for you is not to learn to type properly because you will develop tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. i wish i can go back to 1-finger typing style watch your wrists good luck

 

[mantis]

I learned to type properly and have been doing so for nearly 20 years, and haven't had a hint of carpal tunnel syndrome. If you were training and type improperly, meaning you relax your wrists, having them bent and resting on the desk or keyboard, then I think you'd be more likely to develop problems.

Cthulhu

yep.. youre right.
sometimes you cant really follow the rules. especially when you work with the mouse, and work on a laptop for long hours, and other factors.
i even took a Human-computer Interaction which covered all the IO devices that help with that problem, and i tried all instructions they had along with stretching, relaxing, watching the wrists and every other thing but it happened anyway!
in fact, i have 4 cousins and a brother who are suffering from the same situation. One of my cousins cannot hold a piece of paper anymore. he's considered to have the most advanced carpal tunnel case.
all im saying here that working on a computer could be really 'dangerous' although we dont realize it.

 

[shesulsa]

I also learned how to type properly on an old, manual typewriter from a very boring man in high school. He emphasized finger placement, body position, rhythm and practice. I'd recommend a good old-fashioned typing/keyboarding class anyday - even over Mavis Beacon, though her program is excellent. Haven't tried Ainsworth, sorry.