Would you like to save your students the frustration of Hunt and Peck typing?

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Keyboard Town PALS stands in stark contrast to traditional methods and achieves unprecedented results because its philosophy and methodology  profoundly differs from the more common and traditional approaches that, although modernized over the years, are still based on fundamental principles that have remained largely unchanged for generations. These methods have subjected students to repetitive boring exercises. The sad result is that this approach is slow and frustrating taking months and sometimes years to teach. Many students have trouble completing these programs and lose their desire to learn it altogether.

Keyboard Town PALS digital product teaches children the location of the 30 letters and symbols.  After one hour children will be typing real words using proper technique and keeping their eyes on the screen. The program has a wide range of flexibility and may be taught in two- ½ hour lessons or smaller time-segments such as eight mini 6-7 minute lessons. This flexibility in the program is especially helpful to children with learning differences.

• Keyboard Town PALS bolsters academic skills, and liberates creative expression offering every child a greater possibility of success in school and life. In effect, Keyboard Town PALS becomes the "missing link" between the child's intellectual capabilities, and the technological world around him or her.  There is nothing on the market which even comes close to Keyboard Town PALS.
• Keyboard Town PALS eliminates grading and time-testing. Therefore, children learn in a relaxed atmosphere. The child's natural desire and curiosity to learn is piqued. In this playful environment there is no need to hover over or monitor every move or action that is performed.  It made sense to de-activated the delete and backspace function in the program since we do not dwell on mistakes. We believe that mistakes and forgetfulness are part of the learning process.
• Keyboard Town PALS is a stress-free approach has proven to be a great strength of the program.  It allows all types of learners to participate and move at their own pace without fear or shame of being compared to another's performance. This non-competitive approach is further enhanced by the use of puppets, humor and music as learning tools. In addition, students of all ages are pleasantly surprised to be able to type real words after only 2 minutes of viewing the program and this in-turn stimulates a natural inclination to attempt to explore more. The power of self-motivation can't be beat!

Download a PDF summary of the five key points to successful keyboarding with Keyboard Town PALS

Do you remember feeling stress and the tension in typing class?

Q. Why should students learn proper technique?

A . Students will spend their time expressing ideas rather than searching for the correct keys to strike. Students will avoid hand strain caused by hunting and pecking. Teachers will not waste valuable class time trying to get students to unlearn poor habits.

Q. Why doesn't KEYBOARD TOWN PALS use games to teach keyboarding?

A . Games are used to DRILL a repetitive action. Since all other typing programs are based on the 90 year old stenographic method, games are the tool used to cement instruction which can take up to one year to complete. Keyboard Town PALS system of association does not rely on game playing to teach keyboarding but accelerates the learning process with multiple memory techniques. The result is learning to keyboard in an hour without using repetitive games. Keyboard Town PALS puppets, music and humor has successfully replaced games and drilling.

Q. What is revolutionary about this program?

A . Students will learn a life-long skill in only 1 hour as they proceed at their own pace. They will no longer fear making mistakes or worry about typing too slowly. There is no racing against the clock since there is no need to test, grade and score in our quick program thus eliminating performance anxiety. Students can easily follow this entertaining, stand alone program.

Q. What is the best age to learn to type?

A . It is a student’s mental age, not their physical age, which will determine whether or not he or she is ready to learn to type. Once a child can distinguish the configuration of letters, then proper placement of the fingers can be taught.

Q. Will all kinds of learners be successful?

A . Keyboard Town PALS has been successful with children who have learning issues. Students with short attention spans will find the program captivating. The chapters can easily be taught in flexible time segments. The program has a built-in down-time between the left and right hand instruction. The left hand material is revisited before moving on to the right hand. Colors can sometimes have a soothing effect for students with certain disabilities. Therefore, Keyboard Town PALS offers a choice of background screen colors.

Download a PowerPoint overview of the Keyboard Town PALS program

Parents and educators agree that it is a challenge to get children to express themselves creatively through writing.

Once the fingers have become tools, the student's mind is freed to focus on the creative process of writing as opposed to the mechanical process of typing. Keyboard Town PALS VIRTUAL JOURNAL Page  is an excellent  tool to  stimulate creative writing.

Article: Help Your Child Learn Writing Skills (external link)

VIRTUAL JOURNAL

Keyboard Town PALS decided to build a tool that would assist in developing creative expression but yet continue to reflect the unique Keyboard Town PALS philosophy and approach. This new tool, the VIRTUAL JOURNAL Page, allows students to use their newly acquired typing skill on a fun, safe, and secure site. The Virtual Journal may only be accessed from the drop-down file menu on the CD-ROM or the web based program. Upon completing the instruction in our interactive video, your students may link to the VIRTUAL JOURNAL Page. Here they will find several options to explore and begin using their new skill in real-life applications.

The 8 home key street puppets that your students met in the fictional town have all been given their own email addresses! Your students may, therefore, communicate with their favorite puppet. Jokes and riddles may be exchanged. Each puppet has had a poem written specifically for that puppet which reflects its personality and will stimulate questions for discussion.  This VIRTUAL JOURNAL Page is a secure, private venue and one in which your students will feel comfortable expressing themselves  creatively.

INDEPENDENT ACTIVITIES

Teachers can direct their students take advantage of the free Independent Activity Book available only via the “Virtual Keyboard” item in the drop down tool bar on the CD-ROM and the “Virtual Journal” button in the web based program.  The Keyboard Town PALS Independent Activity Book brings the typing course from the Video to your students in 8 lessons – one for each of the home key street puppets. These lessons reinforce the memory techniques learned on the video. Your students will have additional fun when choosing a different font for each activity.

Download the Teacher's Instruction Manual (PDF)