Parents' Guide to Dance Mat Typing

Website https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zf2f9j6/articles/z3c6tfr
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Common Sense Media Review

Chad Sansing By Chad Sansing , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 7+

Animal-themed typing practice stuck in rote learning rut.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 7+?

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age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

 

 

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age 6+

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What's It About?

Talking animals teach kids to type using the home-row keys as a base. Each stage (except the last) features a unique setting, new characters, and its own set of keys to master. There are three stages in a level and four levels in the game. Each stage is accessible from the start of the game. At the end of each stage, the animal guide sings a musical number for the player. At the end of each level, the player can print a certificate of accomplishment. Players can find a words-per-minute test at the end of the game.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say ( 1 ):

DANCE MAT TYPING works as typing practice for young children, but it's just that: typing practice. Moreover, the game's window of opportunity for teaching seems small because its graphics and songs seem geared toward kids who might just -- if at all -- be ready for typing. All the animals have been scripted to have their own accents, ethnicities, or nationalities, but some of them also have been drawn and placed in settings that make them seem overtly stereotypical.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can explore the history of printing and typing and compare "keyboards" from the past and present with one another as well as with specialized keyboards, such as Braillers.

  • Up the ante of the game by competing with one another in words-per-minute challenges.

  • Get creative and use your typing skills to create a collaborative story in a shared digital document.

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