Keyboard Classroom

When we launched Keyboard Classroom nearly a year ago, it was after testing the product in a classroom environment for over a decade.  Parents of children with and without learning disabilities embraced it as a way to complement what their children were doing in school.  Now it appears, educators have caught the KC bug as well.

A three year old school in North Carolina recently created a new typing curriculum completely around Keyboard Classroom.  The school, built on a philosophy of inclusion, brings children with special needs, children with average abilities, and children who are academically gifted, together in a friendly and charitable environment.

One of the school’s teachers wrote to us.  ”I was drawn to your program because of its specialization for helping children with special needs, and was interested to learn about the Ben Bronz Academy.  Besides Autism, we also have children with ADD and serious handwriting difficulties.  There are other disabilities our children have, and we’d like to be able to accept them with any level of difficulty.  We understand that in developing their writing skills, they need the tools to conquer their physical limitations.”

The school purchased a 25-site license and has installed it on their computer network.  We look forward to hearing about some wonderful first semester results!

We just returned from the MassHope Homeschooler Convention in Worcester, MA where we received the warmest of welcomes.  While Keyboard Classroom was designed for children to learn typing in a home environment, we’ve always said that the key to long term success is the involvement of a parent.  Mom or Dad should act as a coach, insuring proper finger placement and practice at first, then encouraging success as the child advances.  HomeSchool parents do this anyway.

Carrie repeatedly demonstrated the software, using dozens of children who had either never typed before, or who had long ago given up on the more “popular” learn to type programs on the market.  Without exception, they took to Keyboard Classroom immediately, passing levels and having their fingers dance across the keyboard in astounding fashion.  Parents were amazed and we were thrilled with the response.

We’ll be ratcheting up our appearances at HomeSchool conventions around the country.  Keep an eye out.

Steve

Today, we launched our first update to Keyboard Classroom since we introduced the software in late 2008.  We’ve eliminated the need to download it and will now distribute the program on CD.  This allows us to respond to a number of your inquiries regarding the need to have more than one child use it.  Single, dual, five, and twenty-five user licenses are now available.

Keyboard Classroom automatically customizes itself for each student. If you have more than one child who wants to use the program, they each must have their own ID, so a multiple user license is necessary. The 25 site license can be installed on a local area network (LAN) for use in schools. 

Steve

As Keyboard Classroom spreads across the country and Canada, we’ve received dozens of requests from parents about making the program available to more than one child in the same household.  I’m proud to announce that version 2.0 is in final testing and will be available by the end of April.  Multiple user licenses will be available and we have eliminated the need to download the software (KC will be distributed on CD).  This will also allow for us to introduce a multi-user version for schools, making Keyboard Classroom suitable for placement on a local area network.  We’ve made some other improvements to our web site as well and hope you like them.  

Thanks to all of you who have told your friends and family about Keyboard Classroom.  We’re excited to be a part of the MassHOPE Homeschooler’s Convention April 24th and 25th in Worcester, MA.  If you’re around, please stop and say hello!

Steve

A recent survey of Keyboard Classroom users showed a certain percentage of students practicing just five minutes a day.  Like anything else, just a little more time would make a world of difference.  Our studies show that fifteen minutes a day is the optimal practice time.  A few minutes in the morning and then an equal amount of time at night begins to create the muscle memory necessary to show marked improvement  Fifteen minutes a day for six months can result in typing proficiency of 35 words per minute.   Encourage your child to work just a little longer and they’ll take pride in their results.

Sometimes the best inventions are the most simple and straightforward.  Teaching a learning disabled child how to type, teaching anyone how to type, can be only as effective as the student’s desire “keep from looking at the keys.”  It’s only natural and in our case , it’s OK at first.  But we wanted a way to insure that they would also use the proper finger placement and not resort to hunting and pecking with their index fingers.

So we invented these simple plastic finger guides.  You attach them with velcro strips to a typical keyboard, placing them diagonally between the “W” and the “E” on the left side, and the “I” and the “O” on the right.  By placing the middle and ring fingers on either side of each guide, hands are guaranteed to stay in the correct position.

We’ll ship you a free set of finger guides with every purchase of Keyboard Classroom.

It’s just that simple.

Steve

“What are you crazy,” said a good friend the other day when the stock market took a 800 point hit.  Why would anyone want to launch a new business venture in an economy such as this?

The answer is, why not?  If you believe in the quality of your product, understand that there is a need for something truly unique, and realize that it is priced fairly and provides amazing value, you go for it.  Keyboard Classroom, when it becomes available next month, will be the only learn-to-type program on the market specifically designed and tested by students with learning disabilities.  We have nearly two decades worth of data showing that with dedication and commitment by both student and parent, it turns kids with ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc. into touch typists who can excel in the classroom.

So is launching a new business during an econimic downturn a risky venture?  You bet.  But as my favorite baseball team (that shall go nameless) used to say, “Ya Gotta Believe.”

Steve Shaw

The Keyboard Classroom product site is coming along and we should have a beta version of the software available for testing soon. It teaches typing skills in fast in one-minute sprints, quickly developing speed and accuracy. As I said in my previous post, when a child with a learning disability like Attention Deficit Disorder or ADHD, Dyslexia, Asperger Syndrome or other forms of Autism, can type fast without thinking about where their fingers are, they can concentrate on the words they will use to express their thoughts. It’s a life-long learning skill.

There are five fluencies in the Keyboard Classroom learning system. Each is designed for students to master certain sub-skills before advancing to the next level of difficulty. As they advance, they earn points, “redeemable” for playing a series of games built into the program as incentives.

To guarantee success, parents act as coaches, ensuring that children practice their fluencies every day, using our patented finger guides to place their hands in proper keyboarding position.

With a dedicated commitment by the student and parent/coach, our studies show the average student can become a basic touch typist in just 6 to 10 months, practicing just 15 minutes a day! It really works. We’ve been watching kids use the original software developed at the Ben Bronz Academy and it is amazing to see their progress. And best of all, they love doing their fluencies. Passing levels of difficulty is like a badge of honor, and they wear it proudly. I can’t wait for everyone to see our product.

Steve Shaw