TOS Review ~ Keyboard Pals

Keyboard Town Pals is a NO Stress typing program for kids. There is no testing, scoring or racing against a clock. There is however a lot of repetition. The premise of the program is that these cute (although somewhat childish) puppets teach proper finger-placement through cute little stories. There are eight (6-7 minute) mini-lessons that comprise the program. Repeating the lessons builds typing fluency.The Details:~$39.95~Web and CD versions available~Ages 7+ (can be used for younger children if they know their letters and have fairly good fine-motor control)~Excellent for Special Needs Children~Go at your own pace~Repeat lessons until typing is fluent~Stories help students remember finger-placement~Mistakes not shown~Not timed~No tests~No scores~Available in English, French and Spanish~There is also a Virtual Journal built in to the online version where student can practice what they are learning by "e-mailing" the puppets jokes, riddles, poems, etc. The e-mails are built into the system and are answered by Keyboard Town Pals staff.~Other Products
Our Thoughts:~Ladybug (5.5 years old) really liked the puppets and the stories. However, she is petite and her hands just barely fit the keyboard. She has excellent fine-motor skills so she did fine but she would do better if her hands were just a bit bigger.~Unicorn (almost 12) didn't mind the program. While she thought the puppets we a little "babyish" she liked how the stories helped her remember where the letters are. She completed a typing program last year and was already typing decently but she has refined her typing skills with Keyboard Town Pals.~Before purchasing this program I would have the child try the demo. I would watch them and make sure that their hands are big enough to move around the keyboard properly and I would ask them what they think of the puppets. Older children may be put off by the "babyish" puppets but they may also see the value of looking past the puppets to become better at typing. If your children love puppet shows (watching them or putting on their own) they may really like this program. The method is effective if your child can get past the "babyishness" of the puppets.
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{Disclaimer: I received a 6 week trial of Keyboard Town Pals in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and all opinions are my own.}