Twenty years ago, typing was a skill reserved for PAs and office admins. Pen and paper ruled. Today however, the scenario is the complete opposite. If you live in the Western world, and even much of the developing world; PC skills are a must for anyone wanting to find a job or even book a flight. Words per minute is something many of us boast on CVs.

The opportunity to learn to type for kids is important. First of all, it's good to type properly and not develop any bad habits which could cause a repetitive strain injury or just sloppy typing. Secondly, being able to transcribe a 2,000 word documents quicker than the competition could land your kid a job as the junior man on the account. So here are three great website that focus on "learn to type" for kids - in a fun and educational way.

BBC Typing Game [No Longer Available]

This is a web-based flash game (although there is a non-flash alternative) that gets your kid typing in the proper manner. It starts off by asking the child to locate "˜F' and "˜J' and tells them why they must position their fingers there. It then goes on to show them how to type in the proper manner including hand movements and which finger should be used for what keys.

There are four different stages with three levels in each stage. Animals such as a goat and an octopus (I guess it's obvious why) narrate and guide your child throughout each level. As he or she progresses up through the levels, they get proportionally harder. Also, at then end of each level the little character will sing them a celebratory tune.

What I liked most about this flash game was that parents can download further challenges for their children and even print off challenges and a paper keyboard. This is really good if you want your child to practice typing but don't want them in front of a computer screen all day.

Games - Learn To Type for Kids [No Longer Available]

This site has a section on keyboarding skills for youngsters also. I recommend this site if your child wants to get their WPM higher or just brush up on what they've learned so far. Much of the flash games involve typing certain letters at the right time such as Dance Mat Typing, or Cup Stacking which asks them to type certain letters in a certain order to complete the stack of cups.

Playing video games has been proven to increase WPM, so playing video games specifically designed to increase your typing speed is a good choice to get your kid typing like an ace.

FreeTypingGame.net

This site offers a wide variety of different flash games and typing challenges that will have your kid typing efficiently in no time. The first thing that will stick out for your child are of course the games. They have loads of games such as Space Invader and Keyboard Revolution. But I suggest having your child doing the typing lessons first.

These are much like the ones on the BBC site except they are for kids around the age of twelve or so who are not so easily intrigued by talking octopuses. It introduces your child to all the different keys and how to use them. You can also set challenges for your child's WPM. Finally, they have typing tests which enable your child to see how they have progressed. A certificate can also be printed out to display your child's achievement.

Having typing skills is very important today and still will be five or ten years down the line. Almost all administration and IT jobs require good computer fluency and a certain WPM. So why not give your child a little boost with typing just as we do with reading, writing, arithmetics and so on?

Click here for information on typing websites and courses for grown ups.

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