Read, Write & Type review

When I was a kid (you know, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth), typing wasn't taught until high school.  Nowadays, there's no escaping that we live in the computer age.  Kids need to know how to type.  With that in mind, I agreed to review Read, Write & Type, an online program from Talking Fingers Inc.

Read, Write & Type can be used by just about any child!  It includes voice overs in several different languages for ESL students.  Super helpful for parents adopting older kids!  There are also special features for students with learning disabilities.  It's designed to work on not just typing skills, but also reading, phonics, and spelling.

I chose to have Jack and Hannah both work on this review.  Jack is in 6th grade and Hannah is in 3rd.  The program is designed for kids in grades K-2, but I felt both kids could benefit from some typing instruction.  Up to this point, they have mainly used the computer for math or games.

The program teachers correct finger placement on the keyboard.  This is fine for Jack, since he has 2 full hands.  But what about Hannah?  Well, in getting her set up, I told her that she would need to figure out a way that works for her.  She could do all her typing with her right hand if she felt most comfortable with that, or she could use her "xiao hand" (the small hand on her shorter left arm) for some letters if she preferred.

We got started with the program in March.  There are teacher reports, so I can log in and see what level each child is at, and how they're doing on various areas.

As students progress, they earn certificates of merit.  This shows Hannah's first certificate, including the date that it was earned, but you can see that there are ribbons for the first 9 certificates, indicating that she's earned those, as well.

During our 6 week review period, Jack and Hannah worked on the program an average of 4 days a week.  Both students were able to complete the entire program.

Hannah did just fine with the program.  She did not get frustrated or feel like it was too hard.

She's still figuring out what the best way for her to type is, and I'm fine with that.  What Read, Write & Type has done for her is provide a basic foundational understanding of what correct typing is supposed to look like in typically limbed persons.  Hannah will need to forge her own path in this, and I feel that she's well on her way to doing so.

When the time comes for Katie (who has 2 hands, but not 10 fingers) to learn to type, Read, Write & Type will be a good way to give her a similar start to finding her own way of typing, too.


This screenshot shows the colorful and engaging home screen of the program.  Kids can easily see which hand is responsible for which keys on the keyboard.  Users navigate to various places within the program from this screen.  The little green glob in the center is Vextor, a sort of "bad guy" character that they race against.

When asked for a quote about Read, Write & Type, Jack said, "It's better than _____________," naming another program I regularly have him work on.  His favorite part is the keyboarding practice at the start of each session.

I feel like Jack and Hannah are both ready to move on to Wordy Qwerty, Talking Fingers' program for kids in grades 2-4.  Two years ago, we were able to review Talking Shapes, their beginner program for kids in preschool and kindergarten.  (My goodness, Katie was so little then!)

You can connect with Talking Fingers Inc. on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.  To read what other Crew families have to say about Read, Write & Type, please click the box below.



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