5 Best Typing Tutors for Everyone

Keyboarding is always a concern with educators, and one of the most questions is–how do you teach it? Adam  Fort, an education strategist at Ratatype, has five ideas:

Typing tutors are aids that enable users to increase their own typing speed, skills and touch typing techniques. There are different types of typing tutors including online typing tutors, typing tutor programs and typing tutor software. These can help you to improve typing as well as other aspects of life like salary increases, job satisfaction, improved posture and many other things which will come as a result of mastering the art of typing. Here is a list of 5 best typing tutors for everyone.

There are a number of free typing tutors on the web which are most useful when it comes to typing lessons, typing practice and typing tests. Most of these sites are free online sites which are useful to both learners and teachers. Among the most notable typing sites include TypingWeb and Ratatype.

TypingWeb Online Typing Tutor

TypingWeb is a renowned free typing tutor on the web that consists of a teacher’s portal which acts as a classroom aid for teaching the appropriate touch typing skills. It is a free typing platform although ads are enabled but can always be removed when the need arises and this does not cost a lot of money.

Account for each student is created by the teacher in a localized classroom situation whereby only the students can have access. The free teacher portal enables the teacher to supervise students in real time and even watch them as they type. The platform is also interactive and encourages activities like games. It also utilizes a standardized Common Core curriculum which is useful in producing best results in terms of qualifications.

Ratatype online Typing Tutor

Ratatype is a typing program that is fully online-based. It offers many typing exercises and lessons for everyone who is interested in typing no matter their typing level. It also integrates social features that help the learners to be able to interact with each other. They can compete with each other, show their typing prowess, support each other among other things. This helps the learners to improve on their typing skills and techniques relating to their typing speed, accuracy levels and certifications. It also allows users to chat with each other and share their successes on their Facebook pages.

Typing Agent Tutor Program

There are many typing tutor programs that have been specifically designed to aid in typing and even give typing tests. These programs are varied but the most notable ones include Typing Agent and Typing Ace which offer similar typing experiences but with varied features.

Typing Agent is a typing tutor program that is highly ranked and has been specifically designed for use in the classroom. It offers the best solution for teachers who are interested in teaching their students in the most appropriate touch typing techniques.

It also features a fully standardized typing curriculum to enable the teacher to be able to choose which lessons are to be learned and in what time. The use of texts from books can also be integrated in the program. It also features a social network platform where the learners can share with their peers on the different aspects of typing. The program is supported by an iOS operating system that makes it compatible with iPad, commonly used by students.

Typing Ace Tutor Program

Typing ace is a typing tutor program that can be downloaded and offers a cross platform support. This tutor can work on Linux, Mac and Windows computers while offering full support for Safari, Firefox and Chrome browsers. The program has inbuilt lessons which provides the teacher with the necessary tools to create fully customized lessons. It offers a comprehensive course outline that covers lessons from the beginners to the advanced level. The program can also integrate typing games that are controlled by the administrator. It is universal in nature and provides a variety of keyboards to choose from.

Typing Tutor Software

Apart from online typing and tutor programs we also have typing tutor software that are as effective as the others. There are a number of typing tutor software in the market. The most notable typing software includes Mavis Beacon, Ultimate Typing and Typing Instructor Platinum. If you need a package of typing software that offers services to both professions and non-professionals alike and packs a variety of lessons and learning techniques, you will find the solution in the Ultimate Typing 2015 and the Typing Instructor Platinum. They offer video tutorials, modern user navigation and cloud based Internet learning.

As compared to the Instructor typing software, Ultimate typing comes with many features which are not provided for by the Instructor. The Instructor does not feature any videos and also has an outdated interface. However, it is more suitable for children given its playful approach. On the other other, Mavis Beacon is now newly redesigned and comes in two versions. There is the personal version with only one license and the family version which can be used by eight people and has three licenses.

Anyone can improve their typing speed and also be able to do typing practices and tests using the 5 best typing tutors for everyone. Online tutors offer free typing lessons, practices and tests which can enable anyone to improve on their typing speed and also receive a typing certification.

Written by Adam Fort, an education strategist at Ratatype. This project helps children and adults to learn touch typing via an Online Typing Test and lessons.

Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.