Free Typing Lessons: Kidztype Review!
Let’s be honest.
Most of us do not use the large majority of information we learned in school on an everyday basis.
Can you even remember the content of the classes you took in high school?
The math classes?
Literture classes?
Electives?
They are all a bit blurry for me now, except for two things.
I remember dropping Drama with Mr. Lewandowski on day 1 because I apparently forgot I was an introvert when I signed up for the class…and I remember typing class with Ms. Smith.
I thought typing would be an “easy A” for the semester, but it turned out to be one of the few classes that taught me a hard skill that would benefit me throughout high school, my college days, and my future career.
As a homeschool mom, I knew my kids needed typing lessons and I was so happy to discover that I could get FREE typing games and typing lessons from Kidztype.com!
I was compensated for my time in writing this review of kidzytpe.com, but as always – this is my honest opinion and experience.
Why Typing Lessons Are So Important for Kids
If you were already looking for free typing games for your kids or typing lessons – then you probably already have an idea of why typing fluency is important.
Kids need to learn typing because:
1. Typing is an expected skill in just about every job
As a registered nurse, I would have greatly struggled or been fired if I was “hunting and pecking” while trying to keep up with online charting for all my patients.
Being able to type about as fast as you could think was an expected skill for nearly everyone in the hospital.
I wasn’t surprised to find out that Indeed.com, who claims to be the #1 job site in the world, lists fluent typing as one of the top 10 best skills to put on a resume.
Speedy typing is crucial and employers across the board expect it these days.
2. Typing is nearly a mandatory life skill in 2023
Whether we like it or not, the world runs on computers.
Whether you’re trying to send an email out, do some research online, or debate someone on social media, being able to type quickly is not just convenient.
It will be essential to help your kids keep pace with the speed of life.
3. It is a time saver you can’t do without in high school and college
A typed final draft is the standard for any high school or college paper.
Hunting and pecking to type out a 5, 10, or 20 page paper can take an eternity!
Your homeschool kids will be so thankful that you equipped them with the skill to type fluently.
When Should I Start My Kid on Typing Lessons?
My oldest is about to finish 3rd grade and I had planned to start her in typing lessons when she was in middle school/high school – the same age I took them.
That all changed though when she started taking a creative writing class in our co-op.
Apparently, even in 3rd grade the standard for a final draft is a typed paper.
My daughter found out really quickly that typing just one paragraph takes a significant amount of time and effort when you don’t know how to type.
In hindsight, this writing class turned out to be such a blessing because it clearly showed my daughter that typing is a necessary skill for her future.
Going forward, I intend to start my kids in typing lessons as soon as they are fluent readers. That way they will learn in a natural, fun way – with no pressure over their head to type a school assignment out.
Here Is What I’m Loving So far About Kidztype.com:
-
It’s kid friendly to navigate, so my child is very independent with it. This frees me up for time to work with my younger kids during school time.
-
The lessons are high quality. They go step by step through “home row” keys, bottom row, and top row. Little steps at a time mean kids don’t get overwhelmed.
-
All the lessons and practices have a mini keyboard at the bottom of the screen telling your kid which key to go to next. This is a great way to keep them from getting too frustrated as they begin. The games DO NOT have the mini keyboard, which is a great incentive for kids to learn and retain their typing skills.
-
The website has a fantastic variety of games that keep my kid engaged and wanting to come back for more. The first day we started on Kidztype, my daughter actually begged me to let her keep going with the typing practice games! She was having so much fun that she didn’t even realize she was learning!
-
Did I mention it’s FREE?!
-
And even better than free – there is no need to register, sign up, or remember a password for this website. Your kid can just go to the website and get going!
Two Things To Watch Out For On Kidztype:
1. Can’t track progress
Due to the fact that there is no registration/sign up/account, there is nothing in place to track your kid’s progress.
There is also nothing telling your kids to move on to the next level. They can just keep repeating the same games and lessons over and over again.
After a few weeks of using Kidztype, I noticed that my daughter had not moved on from lesson one.
She was having so much fun – what was the point of moving on?
Easy Fix
Luckily, at the end of every lesson, game, exercise, etc., a certificate comes up on the screen that reports how many WPM (words per minute) your child typed and a percentage of how accurate they were.
Start a simple log on a piece of notebook paper and have your child record what lessons/games they did and their stats (wpm and accuracy)
Decide what is reasonable for your child (i.e. 80% accuracy) to pass a level and move onto the next lesson.
Definitely an easy work around so you can get the most out of this free curriculum.
2. Kids Might Emphasis Speed over Accuracy
My daughter was very focused on improving her WPM…but she didn’t even notice her accuracy level.
With great pride she showed me that she had improved to typing 43 WPM, but her accuracy was only about 45%.
That’s not good.
Easy Fix
You want your child to learn to type so well that it seems natural. They don’t even think about what keys they are touching – their brain and fingers just know what to do.
For that to happen, speed cannot be the goal – accuracy must be their focus.
Be sure to explain to your kids that WPM is not important when they first start typing lessons – accuracy is the thing to be proud of!
Encourage them to take their time learning to type and get those accuracy numbers high. THEN start increasing their WPM.
How to Start Free Typing Lessons Today with Kidztype.com
Well this is a pretty easy tutorial:
All you have to do is hop on over the Kidztype.com!
The homepage is laid out for pretty much any kid to understand and navigate.
I pulled it up for my daughter and she took off right away with the Dance Mat Typing game!
If you like a little more structure with your lessons, I would recommend following these guidelines:
-
For the first couple days, just let your kid explore. Judging from their interest, let them play for 10-20 minutes at a time. They will quickly learn that the games are more fun when they know how to type.
-
After a few days, introduce the toolbar items and what they mean (i.e. Lessons, Exercises, Practices, Games).
-
On your child’s notebook page log (any piece of plain notebook paper will do), write down what you want them to accomplish or check off. For example, they must complete 1 lesson, 1 exercise, and unlimited games. They also must move onto a new lesson when their accuracy reaches 80-90%. This allows your child to work independently, but still be accountable for their progress.
How to Get Even More Free Typing Lessons with TypeDojo.com!
Kidztype has a ton of games to keep your kid engaged, but they also have a sister site called Typedojo.com.
TypeDojo.com is a free typing website for kids that also offers typing lessons, typing games, WPM test, and typing tests.
It is a great option for your kids to give a little change of scenery and switch things up occasionally.
How Often Should My Kids Be Doing Their Typing Lessons?
The more your kids type, the faster they will improve.
If possible, try to make it a daily exercise for 10-20 minutes during your school day.
Whatever your schedule allows, be sure that the lessons are done regularly – consistency is always better than perfection.
As they improve, consider having them type some of their writing assignments to demonstrate how much faster and easier typing can be than handwriting.
Free Typing Lessons Recap
Fluent and speedy typing is an expectation of students and workers across the world.
There is no question that setting your kids up with this hard skill will benefit them for years to come.
Blessedly, you can get everything you need for free at Kidztype.com!
Homeschooling has so many extra expenses: co-ops, field trips, standardized testing (depending on your state), middle of the year supply restock, curriculum, curriculum, and more curriculum.
Isn’t it nice when you find something that adds value to your homeschool AND it’s free??
I hope your homeschool will enjoy Kidztype.com as much as we have!
Want to save all this info for later? No problem! Just pin it to your favorite Pintersted board and share with your friends and followers!
Read Next: