SpongeBob Squarepants Typing Win/Mac
The keyboard is replacing the pen. Connected to a computer, the keyboard may be mightier than the pen. Teach your children how to use a keyboard, an essential tool that they'll be using throughout their lives. With the help of SpongeBob Sauarepants and friends, learning how to type is lots of fun. Your kids will become more productive and work more comfortably, learning SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs and the entire cast of SpongeBob Squarepants! Tracking and progress reports help you learn and improve your skills
SpongeBob Squarepants Typing Win/Mac Accessories
 Typing Instructor For Kids - Version II [OLD VERSION]
Typing Instructor for Kids Version 3
Mavis Beacon Typing 17 (Win/Mac)
Zoombinis Logical Journey
Disney's Adventures in Typing with Timon & Pumbaa
Mia's Math Adventure: Just In Time
Crazy Machines: The Wacky Contraptions Game Win/Mac
Learning Company Kid Pix Deluxe 4 (Version 2)
SpongeBob Squarepants Typing 2008
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Deluxe 17 Win/Mac
SpongeBob Squarepants Typing Win/Mac Reviews
I do need to check on them every once in a while to be sure they're still using good posture and position, but they're making progress. SpongeBob's presence and humor, and the memorable games keep my sons interested. I ran it myself to find out what their whining was about, because at first I thought my sons were just being difficult, but no, it really is awful. Admittedly, I prefer to be a part of my child's learning anyway rather than let entertainment and someone else's education parent my children, but I was surprised at how much I was needed to help my sons get started. When they're ready, I'll let their little sisters join them.
However, once they are started and familiar with the game layout, they do pretty well on their own. But that means he needs to learn to typea year or two earlier than his peers will. And because I struggled to believe SpongeBob was compatible with education. My oldest has figured out that SpongeBob sympathetically says "Yeah, I used to make that mistake too." even if Andrew doesn't make any error. I do recommend this tutorial, but encourage parents to at least be a part of the beginning of the lessons, if you can't be there more than that, to help guide your little keyboarder. It's also easy to see, by a "map", where your children are in their progress.
The characters are undynamic and so uninteresting, and the games were unengaging as well. So his teachers and I have incorporated the use of a school-provided laptop in his IEP for his class writing so he won't fall behind. But Typing Instructor is so desperately boring that neither of my sons could stay with it. You can't just pop in the CD and walk away, though, expecting your child to be able to type in a month. This typing tutorial isn't perfect, but it addresses the needs of the student well.
It would be nice if SpongeBob had more variety to what he says there are a good number of different comments to add interest while the children are practicing home row, but every once in a while I would hear one of my sons sigh and tell SpongBob to shut up. We also bought another tutorial, Typing Instructor for Kids II, which had very high reviews, because I was concerned about this game after reading the one review above mine. Look for a used copy of Typing Instructor II from me for sell soon ;). Just because he thinks it's fun, my six-year-old son is playing with the tutorial too, and learning to type. Both of my sons get excited to see their words-per-minute scores rise steadily.
Some shortcomings of the game are that there's minimal initial direction; as a parent you must listen to the instructions, the lengthy instructions, to find where the lessons are so you can avoid the games section that your children are not ready for. While that can be annoying, the boys still laugh uncontrollably every obnoxious time SpongeBob yells "Are you ready to rock the keyboard." While I'm convinced I've heard it enough, my children can't get enough of it, and so are typing. I bought SpongeBob Typing because my autistic eight-year-old son has severe graphomotor delays, and can't keep up with his classmates when writing in the classroom.
My son was typing, using the right keys, within two weeks. Any other software would have been boring for him. He really enjoyed it because he loves Spongebob. It was easy to load. I think this product is great.
This product was worth what I paid for it, all of my children enjoy the software. I would recommend it to any parent who wants thier child to learn how to type without them loosing interest.This product delivers, Not only are the games fun but they are learning while having fun and I think that is what we all want as parents, we want our children to enjoy learning and I feel that is what this product offers; Fun Learning.
The picture of the kyeboard during the lessons really help with the touch typing and keeping the eyes off the hands. Your child needs to "play" regularly, 4-5/week. VERY IMPORTANT. It advanced my child too fast during the lessons stating she had mastered keys at 100% accuracy but she was achieving only 8-10wpm (words per minute).
It was much better, but still a bit of a struggle. We tried Typer Island (9yo kid) and being deserted on a island with a lousy typing game is child abuse. I read the reviews for SpongeBob and bought it. The drills should be built into the lessons and associate mastering with specific levels of adjusted (accounts for errors) wpm.
Have your child review the previous lesson games while they move on to more lessons.
The kids love the animation and the familiar characters. I don't have to argue with them to practice their typing. They ASK to play it. Great product.
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