Keyboard Classroom

We asked for your feedback and we got it!  Our email has been flooded recently with suggestions on how to spread the word about Keyboard Classroom and the remarkable results it’s having on children across the country.  We’re happy to announce some new products and improvements that should make things easier for families to incorporate Keyboard Classroom into their home learning environments.

1.     A new 3-user version is available for those families with more than two young typists, but who can’t afford the more expensive 5-site license.

2.     Finger Guides can now be purchased separately for just $15.00 each.

3.     And we’re proud to introduce a free demo trial version of Keyboard Classroom.  Just click on the button in the upper right corner of the home page to download.

Keep those email suggestions coming!

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!

When we say that Keyboard Classroom is the fastest growing learn-to-type program in America, we’re not kidding.  The learning disabled community has embraced us and most recently, we’ve seen a tremendous surge in interest from parents who home school their children.

Home School families are among the most demanding because they require curricula that can capture a child’s attention, provide a benefit across a variety of subject areas, and do so at an affordable price.  As we’ve traveled to Home School conventions , we hear the same comments over and over again.  ”There are so many great software products on the market today,” said one mother of four.  ”But the software doesn’t do much good if they can’t type!”

Parents have embraced Keyboard Classroom’s back-to-basics approach to learning to type.  They like that the program is structured, guaranteeing that a child must master a skill before moving on to something more complicated.  And they marvel at the simplicity but amazing functionality of our unique finger guides, that keep a child’s hands in proper touch typing position.

Watch for us in the next year as we hope to expand our presence at Home School gatherings across the country.

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

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.

It’s been a while since my last post but forgive us as we are trying to keep with the dramatic growth since we launched in November.  Sales continue to double each month as parents and educators across the country receive word of Keyboard Classroom.  Our web site traffic has increased by an average of 3000% each month!  We’ve been especially warmed by the reception given to us by a number of private tutors who are using the software with their individual students.  Even more exciting for these educators is the realization that Keyboard Classroom is effective for children with and without learning disabilities.

To that end, we’ve received requests for multi-user licenses available via CD.  I’m happy to report that we are within weeks of launching that product and will let you all know when it is available. Check back soon.

Steve