Homeschooling for 3

In this age of typing software programs I was quite curious how effective an e-book on typing would be. I learned how to type using a typing course book, but that was back in the dark ages of typewriters. Could it really be an effective way to teach kids how to type on a computer?  And of course the answer is “yes.” It may not be as exciting as the video typing games for kids, but it does get the job done and done well.

While electronic typing programs have more flash, music and animation, Keyboarding for the Christian School does make the children focus on what’s right in front of them. There’s nothing to distract their minds from the task at hand because they’re not anticipating dancing bears or exploding asteroids to appear after the complete their exercises. For my children, at least, this is a big plus. However, it did make getting them to practice a bit harder because they found that portion “boring.”

While the keyboarding instruction at the beginning of the manual was pretty standard, what really impressed me was the way that the author introduced the word processing components to the lessons. As a virtual assistant I am very proficient with many programs, but was a little at a loss of the best way to teach the girls. After working with a product for so long I  sometimes find it difficult to explain the basics in an easily digestible manner. But this book really does a great job.

This course covers everything from the basic keyboarding positions to how to create MLA and APA reports, proofreading marks and their usage, timed writings, personal letters and envelopes as well as how to create proper cover pages, works cited and bibliographies. These are skills that are needed in the academic and business world. My husband and I cringe before poorly formatted word processing documents, so we were quite pleased to see emphasis put on properly constructing a document by using tabs and tables effectively.

This is an excellent introduction to the world of keyboarding and it’s practical applications. However, secular homeschoolers may have some difficulty with the practice material since, with the exception of the business letter section, sample text is taken  from the Bible. Also, the MLA and APA reports are Christian viewpoint essays.

The Keyboarding for the Christian Homeschool is available for immediate download for only $15.95. There are free samples available on the parent site which is www.ChristianKeyboarding.com.

Khalid Family Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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