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Christian Keyboarding (TOS Crew Review)

As a member of the 2009-2010 The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew, I received en electronic copy of Keyboarding for the Christian School: Elementary Version (a.k.a. Christian Keyboarding) to use and review. At first, I wondered if it was another piano program, but I was wrong. Christian Keyboarding is a typing program! Wow! What a concept: a typing program that includes Bible verses and references.

So, after looking it over, I printed off only the first few lessons because I was sure that alone was going to be a nightmare to get through. I'll tell you why, and then I'll tell you whether the program met my expectations. My initial reaction to Christian Keyboarding was that it was going to be boring. It looked, at first glance, like a high school typing course: straight forward, efficient, but dry. My children are 10 and 7 years of age... the three-year-old doesn't count for this curriculum yet. :-> Anyway, my children have played a typing tutor game already and lost interest when it got difficult, so I figured, "No way will this keep their attention! Let the tantrums begin!"

Okay, I am not too proud to admit when I am wrong.

My oldest did the first lesson without a single murmur of complaint. Then she did Lesson 2 without a twitch. I honestly think if I had printed more of it out, she may have kept going indefinitely!! (lesson learned!)

Her reaction: "I like this typing program better! I like it that it isn't timed. I spent so much time with the other program worrying about the time and making mistakes that put me behind that I was more nervous and made more mistakes."

Interesting, no?

So, hats off to Christian Keyboarding (aka Keyboarding for the Christian School) for creating a program that doesn't feel the need to cover content with flash - games might be great for some children, but apparently my oldest isn't one of them. (I can't wait to put the first-grader in this program now... maybe this summer.) My daughter does these lessons without grumbling or complaining, and she has a Word document to show her what she accomplished after each lesson (yes, I am saving them for her).

To see what my fellow Crew Members thought of this program, click here.

*Disclaimer: I received this product for free with the understanding that I would use and review it. A positive review was not required, just deserved. I was not compensated in any way for this review.

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