Slam Dunk Typing

Creative Wonders has recently created a typing program based upon the game of basketball. This program will be appealing to kids who love basketball, but may not be the best choice to teach typing. There is no doubt that the game has 'fan appeal,' and if your child has balked at other more 'academic' typing programs, this would make a good choice. I did not care for some of the techniques, and the program in general did not even pass the test of a few local teens in our neighborhood.

Slam Dunk Typing relates everything to the game of basketball. There are "coaching strategies," "drills," and all the usual basketball jargon your kids would expect. I appreciate the fact that the coach is always there encouraging your child and telling him what to do or try next. Each lesson teaches four keys and progresses through various levels and games to make sure these keys are learned well. Your child will do passing drills by typing the newly learned letters. Free Throw practice may be a little different than you have seen before, but the glory of the slam dunk is still the ultimate goal. Each drill reinforces the keys just learned.

Several of the games flash the letters in odd places on the screen, leading to some rather unnatural eye movements. This became very annoying as the program progressed. One goal of a good touch typist is to be able to move ahead of where he or she is typing in a smooth manner. This program encourages improper eye movements. At times the words you have to type are small and difficult to read quickly.

I also found problems in the test taking portion of the program. Here your child will be typing paragraphs dealing with famous ball players. That was a great added touch, as some programs have your children typing very dull paragraphs which have no connection to their real life. As you type along, the graphics have a difficult time keeping up with what you are typing. If you make a mistake, the computer stops and beeps at you. The objective is to have you type without any errors, which is fine. The result is a terribly skewed test score. I am a fairly fast typist at around 75 words per minute. Even on a bad day with other typing programs I may score in the mid 50's. I found myself repeatedly scoring in the mid 20's with this program! That was a big red flag in my mind. I felt I was 'fighting' the test all the way. I seriously question whether this particular program will increase your child's score to the level it could be.

Those criticisms aside, it is a program which will appeal to many kids. If you have a child who has not enjoyed other programs and really wants more arcade action, this is one of few choices. If your child is a basketball nut, this program will have enough to keep him highly motivated. Is it the best program to develop your child's fullest typing potential? Probably not. It may however be a wonderful choice for your particular child.

Grading:

Educational value- 2 1/2
Entertainment value- 4
Use of medium- 3
Age- 8+

Buy All Star Typing 9-12 at Amazon! This program is not called All Star Typing 9-12 , and features a basketball and soccer version in the same program.