Anyone used The Learning Studio typing program?

I have a student using Type to Learn (www.sunburst.com). There is a K-2 version and a 3-12 version. I think it is a great program— three cute games and sound in the way that it teaches typing. I think it might be helping me a bit as well.

—des

Jan,

http://www.thelearningstudio.com/articleCSUN.html

You may want to check out this article which explains the rationale and method of this particular technique. Elspeth (the developer of the program) talks about how it is based on Hanbury-King’s work which is the approach that I have used with success on many occasions with students with learning skill deficits including proprioceptive and visual-spatial issues.
The ability to touch type is an important skill for students with LDs as it allows the student to focus on the teacher and the instruction when combined with a portable word processor in the classroom. The student doesn’t need to visually monitor their finger performance as they do when notetaking by hand and this reduces the need for quick visual localization, or concern about legibility and keeping up with what the teacher is saying.
Frequently I have observed student’s difficulty with reading their own writing when studying from their own handwritten notes. If nothing else, it reduces the flow of reading with fluency and automaticity. When notes are typed, they can be easily adjusted - font size, font spacing, use of font colors to emphasize key points and highlight, easily edited (“You’re making me copy that over!!??”) etc, etc. With individualized customization, I have seen students improve their academic performance.
If you haven’t read Richard Wanderman’s article, How Computers Change the Writing Process for Students with Learning Disabilities, I highly recommend it. He’s a self-described “adult with dyslexia” who maintains an excellent website. Find the article at:

http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/technology/poor_richard_article.html

Karen

I looked at this website from above

http://www.thelearningstudio.com/articleCSUN.html

and this is the FIRST person I have ever seen who admits that some of us may have real problems learning to type and may need actual teaching, and the first who actually has a planned program including pre-typing lessons and explanations of the *how* and *why*, rather than hurry-and-punish.

I haven’t tried the program but it certainly looks much more positive than anything else I’ve seen out there.

It’s a very interesting article but unfairly describes Type to Learn as teaching a “letter soup” type method. By the second lesson, TTL uses real words.

The carpal tunnel issues remain the same. I think the best “cure” for this is to change keyboards to Dvorak vs Qwerty.

—des

Ms. Sladden’s description of Type to Learn as a “word soup” program refers not to the use of nonsense words versus real ones but to the home row method of teaching typing - the word salad is the order of lettering in the home row. Her system uses the same keyboard but doesn’t use home row. Her article gives a rationale for a different method.

Like Victoria, I am impressed because her program seems like a real boon for those who cannot readily learn to type, my son being one of these people. I’m just sorry I cannot get hold of her via e-mail. Perhaps I’ll try calling.

I am thinking that Diana Hanbury King’s program (from EPS) would be a good substitute if I cannot get hold of the Keyboard Coach program.

Thanks.

Well the keyboard of any system, Qwerty or otherwise is letter soup. Dvorak is letter soup as well. If you look at the hand position she suggests, It looks to me like letter soup as well.

My understanding of the term would be that you basically teach the easiest keys first, so that “jfa;” are the first that you teach. This means you are unable to actually use many words until many sessions in, since “a” is the only word that you can make from the bunch. In fact, most programs I have seen DO teach keyboarding that way, hence my assumption that thats’ what she meant. TTL uses a more higher frequency/easier key first approach, so you do get words after the second lesson and pretty much all words after the first 3. Sue Barton says she thinks it is particularly strong with dysgraphic kids. My impression is that it is a good strong approach. I would like to see them add a Dvorak option but people seem to be less interested in this lately.

I see her method as an interesting alternative. I don’t know if it actually would deal at all with the long term effects of keyboard use. Starting basically from the space bar means that each time you type a key or some set of keys your hands have to jump up to the keys then back down. Maybe I have this wrong. I think the long term effect of that is tennis elbow/tendenitis type injuries vs carpal tunnel- more like mouse injuries I think. But again it seems to be an interesting alternative. Sue Barton was not too gung ho on the EPS program, btw.

—des

From the article:
>”Typing Tutor edutainment software such as “Mavis Beacon”, “Mario Teaches Typing” and “Type to Learn”, has the disadvantage of being based upon the home-row method and conditioned-response learning. This technique teaches the middle row “ASDFGHJKL;” first, which results in nonsense rote practice of “letter salad” combinations, words and sentences such as, “a sad lass had gas.” The remaining keyboard letters are added, one at a time, to be keyboarded mindlessly. Since a behavorist system requires accuracy and speed with each part moving to the next step, students suffer through endless parts without a sense of the whole (i.e., real writing). Punctuation is left until last, learned only if the student makes it through the whole laborious system, by which time they are reluctant to slow down to learn the required coordination.

This clearly establishes letter salad (I think I got the term wrong) as teaching the “home row” in a fairly unthought out way with endless nonsensical patterns. Also a emphasis on speed way earlier in the teaching process, which is different imo with TTL.

However, this still looks like quite an interesting approach. I would prob. try something more typical first, though.

BTW, I learned to type with Mavis Beacon (very old edition), and was EXTREMELY frustrated with it to the extent of throwing the diskette across the room more than once. I can still remember the questionable and tedious “symbol” drills %##, etc. YIKES.

—des

Des,
<Sue Barton was not too gung ho on the EPS program, btw.>

What did she say about it? I have found it to be extremely successful with the students with whom I work. The multisensory approach works well combined with the quick success - “I learned the whole alphabet in four sessions!!! (The first step of the program). Some students have tried other methods without success so they are amazed with how quickly they learn the alphabet as this method is based on a alphabetic approach.
I’m interested to hear what sue Barton says about it. What does she recommend?
Karen

I didn’t ask about this in depth, so I don’t know. She recommended Type to Learn, but I think there are kids that would not have success at it, imo.
Although to be honest I don’t really get those kids since I have advertised as a reading tutor (I have one boy with handwriting problems and prob. more severe SI concerns, though he is doing fine with TTL. I actually think he will be good at keyboarding some day. STill I am sure it would NOT be so approp. for some kids. But as I said, I don’t think I will get too many of these, fi any. )

So I don’t know what she would recommend then. Also remember she is dealing with mostly ADD and dyslexic kids and NOT NVLD kids or other kiddos with more severe sensory integrative problems. I think htis is the population that would have the most trouble with the more conventional approach. (And actually the kids that are more addressed in Typing Studio.)

—des