The 10 benefits of an (online) typing course for children
1. Learning to type quickly
The first benefit is an obvious one. We touched on it already: by taking a typing course your child will learn to type fast and without mistakes. Within a few weeks their typing speed will on average be three times higher and they will make far fewer errors. At TypeMission our pupils go from an average of 20 to 120 keystrokes per minute in 20 weeks!
2. Better school results
Children already work a lot with Chromebooks and laptops at school, and homework, tests and assignments are often done digitally too. If you have to hunt for the right keys every time you want to type something, that costs a lot of time — and energy. This can affect school results. Radboud University has done research into this; you can read more about it in our blog “Touch typing also improves language skills”. The research showed that children who took a typing course achieved better school results than children who could not yet touch type. That is hardly surprising when you consider that language exams are taken digitally. A typing mistake then has a direct effect on your final mark.
3. Saving time
If you can find every key on your keyboard without looking, you type a lot faster. That not only saves your child a lot of frustration, it also means they finish their homework much sooner. Which leaves more room for relaxing and other fun activities.
4. Better language development
While learning to touch type you work with text and language a great deal. You read a lot of texts and you write a lot about them. Just as learning to write improves language development, so does learning to type. A typing course therefore strengthens your child's overall language skills.
5. A healthy typing posture
You may know the aches in your back after sitting at a computer for a long time, usually in a cramped or tense position. A typing course often pays attention to posture as well. In TypeMission the teacher keeps reminding pupils to sit properly. An ergonomic posture while typing is very important to avoid physical complaints. If you suffer from those complaints yourself, it might be a good idea to join in with a few of the exercises.
6. A skill for life
Being able to type fluently is not only handy at school and for homework. In fact, typing is part of almost every job. That makes a typing course an investment in your child's future as well. And fortunately, just like cycling, typing is something you never forget and benefit from for the rest of your life.
7. Preparation for the job market
There are few professions where typing skills do not come in handy. These days every job involves typing at some point. In office jobs you spend up to half your time typing. After completing a typing course your child is better prepared for the future and has a head start on the job market.
8. Developing digital skills
Nowadays almost everything happens online: you order groceries, arrange your finances and email your doctor. Digital literacy is very important in an increasingly digital society. Touch typing is an important step towards that digital literacy.
9. More fun in learning
Classroom typing courses can be a bit dull. But more and more online typing courses use games to motivate children to learn to type. At TypeMission we not only use games — your child becomes part of an exciting spy story and has to unmask the mystery of the double agent through cool missions. That is how we make sure the course is still fun and challenging even after a number of weeks.
10. Peace of mind for parents
With many typing courses a lot of responsibility falls on the parents. With a classroom course they have to take their children there, and with an online course they have to keep motivating their children to practise. At TypeMission we use various elements that keep your child motivated to finish the course by themselves. That brings peace of mind for parents. When children are motivated to follow the course, you do not have to keep asking them to practise again.
The benefits of TypeMission as a typing course
There are a great many typing courses to be found online, including quite a few free typing courses. TypeMission is more than a standard or free online typing course; it is an adventure in which children learn to type while taking part in an exciting spy story. Our course combines typing lessons, adaptive typing exercises, typing games and interactive missions to keep children motivated. Discover it now in our free trial lesson.
What makes TypeMission unique?
- Gamification: learning to type through play with a captivating story.
- Suitable for everyone: including a special version for children with dyslexia, with a dedicated font, extra visual support and less reading text.
- Flexible: practise just 10-15 minutes a day, at your own pace, wherever and whenever you like.
- Trial lesson available: you can try the course for free before deciding.
- For a wide age range: the course is made for children between 8 and 13. We wrote an article here with more information about the ideal age to start a typing course.
Conclusion
Touch typing is a skill your child will benefit from for life. It saves time, improves school results and prepares them for a digital future. With TypeMission, learning to type is not only educational but fun as well.