Talking Fingers

My next review - Read, Write & Type by Talking Fingers

This is a revolutionary way to teach Reading, Writing and Typing. It combines a multi-sensory approach with hearing, seeing and touching.

I tested this (we weren't paid - just got to use the program for free!) with my 9 year son. Very quickly, the sounds of "computer time" were reaching the ears of younger students who began to crowd around to see what he was getting to do...
So, while he was my "offical tester" - the 7 yr old, 6 yr old, 4 yr old and 3 yr old all sat and watched him "test" with rapt attention.

The animations are well done, and the story lines are engaging. It took about an hour to do a "unit" of 4 letters and sounds. A certificate is printable after each unit, if you want to use it to reward progess. I really liked that the computer automatically kept track of his progress - starting wherever he left off, and that it notes areas needing more attention and redirects the student back to those areas.

My tester was a little old for the phonics instruction - but it was very nice to combine the phonics with the typing instruction - which this was his first. He liked the animated characters and the games to go with them. And since, he's a more sensory learner - his retention was improved. One note of parental "caution" - if you want them to have correct finger placement, you need to watch over their shoulders from time to time. (the computer can't tell you if they're using the correct hand placement - even though it teaches the correct hand placement...)

The website offers tons of advice and testimonials. Check them out at http://www.talkingfingers.com/


THE HOME EDITION INCLUDES: $79


55 sound games with more than 200 word pictures
118 typing challenges with more than 200 words and phrases
40 animated stories with more than 600 words
40 Power Fountain games with 3 difficulty levels and 1,000 words
84 writing samples from real children around the world

Spaceship Challenge CD ROM
9 Phoneme Awareness Challenges with more than 90 items
9 Reading Comprehension Challenges with more than 90 items
9 Spelling Challenges with more than 90 items
Reports of individual or class progress
40 printable RWT™ stories
120 clip art pictures and Read, Write & Type Learning System™ characters to illustrate original stories
PLUS:

Activity Book with one lesson per page, and bonus play activities to do with your child
18 level-appropriate Stories (available on our web site) that provide a reward and extra practice with the sounds and words they are learning.
The Laminated Keyboard for practicing dictated words in the car or at home
2 sets of stickers




Check out what my other reviewers thought at www.homeschoolblogger.com/reviewcrew