Disclosure: I received the Keyboard Classroom software to facilitate my review. Regardless, all opinions are my own and those of my family.

Our children are still young with our oldest being seven years old. Something that is different now than when I was seven is the fact that he can not only use the computer, but he can do his homeschool work on the computer independently as well. I just have to get him started, and he’s all set to go. Our six year old is fairly proficient with the computer as well! This is wonderful in that it gives me one on one time with one of the children that is not on the computer at the time but something that worried me is some of the programs were already asking them to type.
Young children that begin to type on their own will use the “one finger” method, and this can develop bad habits. In fact, my husband had never learned to type correctly and still has a hard time typing proficiently because of this. I knew that if our children were going to start typing on the computer they needed to learn to type correctly!
Keyboard Classroom is a typing program that was developed by educators to help children between the ages of 7 and 12 learn to type correctly and proficiently (35 WPM) within 6 months. The software uses games and challenges as incentives and short, one-minute drills that teach muscle memory. As the child progresses through the drills and completes more of the letters in the sequence with limited mistakes they have the chance to advance in rank. After they complete lessons they are given tokens they can use to play games.
Keyboard Classroom also comes with their patent pending Finger Guides that attach to the keyboard with velcro so you can easily take them off when not in use. They help assist in making sure their fingers are in the correct place while typing.

Our son is definitely motivated by rewards, so the reward based approach was very helpful. The Finger Guides were also very helpful because he had already used the computer enough that his hands were not where they needed to be at all. They have really helped him to keep his hands where they need to be. I worried that they might be a distraction, but they have been necessary to remind him to keep his hands in place.
One feature I appreciated most about Keyboard Classroom is the visual aspect. He is a very visual learner. The program highlights the letters and fingers he needs to use in different colors, which has been particularly helpful for him. In fact, he understood it better by seeing the visual examples highlighted on the screen versus when I tried to explain it! I probably should have known that! 😉
We have been really happy with Keyboard Classroom, and as children are using the computer so frequently I think it is so important to teach them to type correctly. It’s really an important skill that will save a lot of frustration!
You can purchase a Single User License for Keyboard Classroom for $39.95 and a Family License with FREE Finger Guides is just $49.95 that allows you to have up to FIVE users simultaneously! All software purchases include the Finger Guides. Finger Guides can also be purchased separately for $15.00.

For More Information:

Visit the Keyboard Classroom Website
Connect with Keyboard Classroom on Facebook and Pinterest

Disclosure: I received the product mentioned to facilitate my review. Regardless, I only recommend products I feel would be good for my readers. All opinions are my own and those of my family.

You may remember not too long ago we had the chance to review the French Learning Songs CD from Whistlefritz. We have been loving it and added it into our regular homeschool curriculum! We were really excited to find a French Educational Resource that is perfect for our kids’ age ranges (they are 3, 5, and 7)! When we learned that they had also released a French DVD we jumped at the opportunity to check it out!

“Dedans et Dehors” (Inside and Out) is an adorable DVD that brings some of the songs we have already been singing to life! The kids were SO excited to actually visualize the songs we have been singing, and all three of them were up dancing and singing along every time one of the songs from the CD came on! Of course, the DVD is much more than just the songs from the CD. It’s all about Fritzi! Ou est Fritzi? (Where is Fritzi?) It’s a fun adventure trying to find Fritzi!
While looking for Fritzi we are taken all over the house, and because Whistlefritz uses “immersion” everything was in French – including subtitles. Although I mentioned it in my previous review, I think it’s such an important point, I want to stress it again: Whistlefritz uses the latest research on teaching children languages. They have won various awards. Their methods are effective and fun! They share tips for ensuring second language learning success for kids. It was definitely interesting to see this in the DVD!
“Dedans et Dehors” kept all three of our children so engaged during the entire DVD which is approximately 35 minutes. I was surprised they were already repeating some of the words within the first few minutes! I definitely saw the importance of the repetition! “Dedans et Dehors” encourages them to repeat the words and answer questions with simple answers like oui or non (yes or no), so it really gets them involved and not just watching it passively like a movie. Plus, of course, the songs got them up and moving and singing along, which definitely got them involved, too!
What I love most about “Dedans et Dehors” is that it has made a great addition to our homeschool curriculum. It is educational, but at the same time the kids are laughing and having a good time together, so it’s so nice knowing they are learning and having fun at the same time!
“Dedans et Dehors” has an easy-to-use translation guide available if you aren’t familiar with French, so it’s great for parents (or teachers) that don’t know French themselves as well! It is recommended for ages 2-7. Although we are a homeschooling family, I feel “Dedans et Dehors” could be used by any family that would like their children to learn French!

For More Information:

Visit the Whistlefritz Website
Connect with Whistlefritz on Facebook