Type to Learn

Reviewer: Kathy Epps
Geneva, Switzerland
kepps@ecolint.ch
Teacher at The International School of Geneva

Type to Learn by Sunburst
CD-ROM Mac/Win
Also includes a Teacher's Guide and Reference Materials
Evaluated on: ACER laptop
Reviewed: Spring 2000
List price: $129.95 for lab pack of 10 CD's
Rating: 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, Way Cool!

Type to Learn is a keyboarding course which covers letters, numbers and punctuation keys. 22 lessons gently lead the student from "Where do I put my hands?" to steady, sure keyboarding, at his or her own pace.

This is the most universally user-friendly keyboarding program I have seen. Others may be funnier, or more game-like, but Type to Learn presents a clear, easy to interpret screen, simple audio feedback, and easy to follow directions. The phonemes and words presented for practice are also authentic English spelling patterns, so that after all that practice the keyboarder has also reinforced useful language patterns.

It is easy to interact with the program, and it is non-threatening. The program does not intimidate you, and encourages you as you become more skillful. (The game screens are beautiful, too.) Progress reports are equally easy to understand and access for the teacher and the student.

I found Type to Learn through www.ldonline.org as being a good choice for LD keyboarders, but it has been the program of choice of everyone else who has used it, too.

I think Type To Learn would be particularly good for those who have been frustrated by another more famous keyboarding program, and been "turned-off" by the idea of learning to keyboard correctly.

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