Best Typing tutors – KAZ reviews and blogs

Have you begun your search yet? This is an essential part of the ‘sorting and sifting’ journey, which along with reading product reviews should at the very least reduce your options.

There are a huge selection of typing tutors available. Some are games based, whilst others focus solely on adult learning. Either way, free or paid, the choices seem endless. Deciding which is the right one for you can be terribly time consuming and if you get it wrong, enough to put you off learning!

Nick: “I searched the internet but actually spent more time searching for the right product than it actually took me to learn to type with KAZ!”

Research is incredibly important when making an important purchase. We often consult friends, books, websites but when it comes to education, we can often be quite blasé in opting for the ‘free’ or cheapest option with the mentality, “Well, I’ve got nothing to lose!”

This is fine if we have the luxury of TIME but do we really want to take that risk with our children or fellow workers. When learning is misguided, results can be quite negative, making learning tedious and with negative conclusions drawn, resulting in an unenthusiastic learner. 

From our research, this is the main reason why so many individuals retrain in later lives.

To really value a lesson, ‘free’ should be taken in context. How many times have you been given something free which you so often discard or move on from? Also typically true with games. How many games do you or your kids have and how often are they played with? The answer should immediately present itself.

A good product will actively seek testing, review and will then make claims it can justify, back up and substantiate. This information will then be clearly displayed on their website.

The KAZ method was developed through years of research and with huge investment from the 3i group. It was designed through innovation, using an Accelerated Learning teaching method and was tested in over 300 education centres across the UK, prior to launch. It was only launched when 93% of learners touch typed the a-z keys in less than 90 minutes. Furthermore, it was tested by the Open University, who were so impressed with the results, they produced a white paper and deployed KAZ to all 90,000 + students per annum, for over 14 years.

It is still the only typing tutor available on the UK’s Learndirect site and the US’s OpenSesame.

Joanne: “A friend recommended a free typing tutor. I really wish I didn’t listen. I spent days and weeks, wasting my time. In the end I bit the bullet and bought KAZ. Within 3 weeks I was typing at 50wpm. Now, one year on, I’ve bought the family version for my 3 kids too.”

Once you’ve searched the web, read the reviews and learned to type, please remember the opening statement!

https://www.bestadvisor.com/typing-software  – KAZ Rated Best Pick

https://www.thetop10sites.com/learn-to-type/kaz/ – Joe Schwartz, Typing Tutors Editor –  KAZ Rated 1st

https://whatsgoodtodo.com/kaz-family-edition-touch-type-course-review/ – Reviewed by Sandip Stapleton – Rating: 5/5

If I asked you that question in general, you would immediately take notice but if I then told you it’s to teach you typing skills… you would probably respond; ‘I can type fine with 2 fingers’…’I’ve developed a method which is brill’…”My typing’s good enough”…

Typing is a skill – just like driving. We are taught to drive. We have lessons, followed by a test to confirm proficiency. Every laptop, desktop, Chromebook is sold with an attached keyboard. How are we expected to be efficient on a computer, where many of us spend several hours per day, when we do not have proficiency using its keyboard?

We should not be happy just doing enough to get by. We should be asking, what we can do better that can really make a difference to our daily lives. 

If the average working life is to age 65, it is relatively easy to work out the hours /days /months of our lives we can potentially save by learning this skill.

OK – first lets get the facts, stats and then make some assumptions on which to base our calculations.

From 1000 free typing tests taken on our KAZ website, 69.7% of the ‘typists’ type at at less than 35wpm… that is almost 7 out of 10 people unable to type efficiently. (Check out our test – it’s free, will only cost you 90 seconds of your life and you will then be able to accurately predict how much of your working life can be saved.)

For ease of calculations, let’s assume you need to spend 2 hours per day in front of your PC, typing at a speed of 25wpm on emails, work, essays etc., 

If you fall into the above 69.7% category (assuming you’re typing non-stop): 25wpm x 60mins x 2hours =  3000 words in 2 hours

I realise it doesn’t quite work this way but just stay with me for a little longer…

If you fall into the latter, 30% typist category, you should be able to type at 50 wpm (the majority of users leave KAZ at this point): 50wpm x 60mins x 2 hours = 6000 words in 2 hours or 3000 words per 1 hour = a saving of 1 hour per day.

Double the word count in exactly the same time. 

(Out of interest, from the typing tests taken, the remaining 30% typed in excess of 50wpm or much higher!)

Now what if I told you the average speed test of those 69.7% tests taken,was just 18!

Imagine how much of your life you can potentially save. Wouldn’t you prefer to be more productive or be doing something else with all that time?

So continuing …

Current age: 35 (retire at 65)

Wpm: 25 (taken from KAZ free typing test)

Working 5 days per week and spending 2 hours per day at the computer

You already know you could save 5 hours per week by learning to type properly.

5 hours x 52 weeks = 260 hours per year saved

260 hours x 30 years working life remaining = 7800 hours used up or saved – You decide!

That actually amounts to: 325 days  (7800 hours / 24 hours per day)

Now imagine if you are one of the 69.7% typing at 18 wpm or less and spending a longer time at the computer? I’ll let you enjoy the math on that one… but it’ll save you over a year!

Ever wondered what you would do, if you had an extra YOU… Well, here’s how to save a year at least!

The KAZ method was developed through years of research and with huge investment from the 3i group. It was designed through innovation, using an accelerated learning teaching method and was tested in over 300 education centres across the UK, prior to launch. It was only launched when 93% of learners touch typed the a-z keys in less than 90 minutes. Furthermore, it was tested by the Open University, who were so impressed with the results, they produced a white paper and deployed KAZ to all 90,000 + students per annum for over 14 years.

It is still the only typing tutor available on the UK’s Learndirect site and the US’ OpenSesame.

Missed out on learning this skill in the past, don’t miss out on learning it now. These figures should help you decide.

The KAZ Worldwide Touch typing Tournament 2020

KAZ touch typing software was designed for minimal teacher intervention. Being online, students can access the course from both school and home, allowing learning to continue beyond the classroom.

The KAZ admin panel has now been further developed. It is simpler to use, fully comprehensive, yet easy to navigate.  Class lists can be uploaded in seconds and that includes emailing all students with logon details! Additionally, teachers have the ability to monitor all student progress from the comfort of their PC.

Our new worldwide typing tournament was developed through requests from Head and IT teachers and designed to encourage the natural competitive spirit within students and to incentivise them to learn the skill quickly. With prizes for the winning student and school, there really is nothing to lose. The only thing we ask is that schools either have a current licence or take out a KAZ licence, in order to compete!

Furthermore, teachers can now also hold their own school competition, as all data from the testing will be available in their admin panel. Students will be ranked in highest scoring order.

(Please note: teachers will only have access to their own student data.)

Only KAZ administrators will have access to the cumulative student data and the results of the top students will be published on our site, at the end of each month. Naturally we will display a pseudonym for the student but will display the school name.

Teachers, it really couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is click the ‘Typing Tournament’ tab in your admin panel and all students already uploaded will automatically be entered. Students simply log on via the ‘cup’ on the header bar of our website or follow this link : Typing Tournament 

There is no limit to the number of attempts, however only the highest score will be registered in the School admin panel and KAZ Super admin panel. At the end of June, the student with the top score will receive the winner’s certificate and a free City & Guilds Licence and their school will be awarded the winners trophy, free annual renewal of their KAZ licence and lots of publicity!

The advantages of learning typing skills are really too numerous to mention but in life and work the skill is invaluable. Reports, essays and emails all typed in as little as 30% of the time taken as opposed to the conventional ‘hunt and peck’ method. 

Teachers, give your students a head start – Teach them to type – Make it fun – Enter the tournament!

The majority of businesses now use computers in some capacity, either in operations and/or maintenance. As a consequence, computer skills and software knowledge are becoming essential. One of these skills is touch typing, understated and often overlooked.

What is touch typing ? 

This is a typing technique where keys are identified on the keyboard by the sense of touch, rather than sight and involves the use of all fingers and thumbs of both hands. The orthodox ‘hunt and peck’ typing method involves visually seeking the keys, and then using typically one or two fingers to type them.

Touch typing has numerous advantages over ‘hunt and peck’ typing and there are numerous softwares and websites teaching this skill.For business organizations,investing in a good touch typing software can be so beneficial for staff and more importantly your company:

Speed: Touch typists can reach typing speeds in excess of 70 words per minute, while hunt and peck typists will struggle to reach 30! This huge difference speaks for itself, in regard to the benefits of touch typing. From daily routines in business operations to those all important email communications with clients, everything gets done much faster, if you can type quickly. Writing information and taking notes are also easier, as the need to keep alternating between the screen and keyboard is eliminated.

Accuracy: No matter how fast you type, accuracy whilst typing is essential. Making mistakes whilst typing, not only takes up valuable time with correcting but if un-checked, renders documents error strewn and in some cases, un-readable. Accuracy is the second most important part of learning touch typing skills and what all good research based software will teach you. Finally, speed should always come last, as this develops with practice.

Fatigue: In business, touch typing can greatly reduce both mental and physical fatigue. Learning the skill negates the constant shift of focus and attention between keyboard and screen. As the skill is automated, there is no need to search for the keys, so focus can remain on the task at hand and on what you actually want to type. With correct posture, physical fatigue is also reduced, as the body is aligned correctly and not hunched or bent over the keyboard.

Health: Touch typing is also better for health. Sitting with correct posture whilst typing, as opposed to hunched over the keyboard, avoids straining the hands, wrists, neck, back and spine. Hunt and peck typists are at risk of developing Repetitive Strain Injury as opposed to trained touch typists.

Focus: Orthodox ‘hunt and peck’ typists’ attention is split into two parts: having to first think about the response and then searching for the correct keys to press. This is inefficient, time consuming and spells delays, inefficiency and reduced productivity for businesses, especially if dealing with time sensitive information. Touch typing develops muscle memory to the point where it is no longer necessary to think about where the keys are located, as fingers move automatically to the desired keys. This is termed, ’think-type’ and allows you to maintain complete focus on the minute details of your response.

Editing: Apart from teaching accuracy, touch typing allows you to edit mistakes as soon as they appear on the screen, as with automation, the cognitive mind knows immediately when a mistake has been made. ‘Hunt and peck’ typists usually only notice mistakes much later, as their concentration is on writing the word and searching for the correct key to press. The need to return to make corrections is both tedious and time consuming. Additionally, not just required when proofreading but typing grammatically correct sentences is essential when presenting proposals or writing emails to clients.

Even though individuals may have confidence in their ‘hunt and peck’ typing skills, learning how to touch type correctly, using an approved and effective touch typing software for your business is essential. The points above highlight the benefits, even to the skeptics who may feel the effort required may outweigh the benefits or just seem not worthwhile. However, as the above benefits clearly explain, touch typing is by far superior to hunt and peck typing. It may appear difficult to learn but with a bit of patience and practice it will help elevate your business to a much higher, more efficient, productive and profitable level.

Even with the ubiquity of smart mobile communication devices (cellphones and tablets) in the field of education, typing on a keyboard remains an essential skill for all students, whether researching or writing assignments. Slow and incorrect or improper typing can significantly set them back.

Typing should ideally be as effortless and natural as writing. One should not need to search for the right keys to press on the keyboard to type sentences. This method of typing is popularly known as ‘hunt and peck’ typing and as the name implies, typically involves looking for the correct keys on the keyboard while typing with just one or two fingers of both hands. The better and more natural typing technique is called touch typing. This method uses all five fingers of both hands to identify keys by the sense of touchrather than by looking at the keyboard.

So what are the advantages of learning to touch type for students?

Speed and accuracy: 

Touch typing helps build muscle memory, eliminating the constantneed to lookdown at the keyboard to identify which keys to press. This significantly speeds up the typing process, letting students achieve speeds upwards of 60-70 words per minute. With repetition, touch typing also improves typing accuracy, reducing mistakes and the need for continual editing. The result is that students finish their work faster and more efficiently, leading to improved productivity.

Students can produce lengthy assignments quickly and those involved in higher education and research can use this skill in class to take notes efficiently.Additionally, subject to access arrangements, they can use their skill in exams to their benefit, as sub-conscious touch typing leaves their conscious minds free to concentrate on the question in hand.

Work quality: 

The muscle memory developed for typing not only allows for increased speedsbut also automates typing skillsso that it is no longer necessary to think about the keystrokes consciously. Experienced touch typists have been seen to type at speeds in excess of120 words per minute but are often flummoxed if asked about the exact location of a particular key on the keyboard! The conscious memory takes time in catching up to well developed ‘muscle memory’.

So, what does this automation achieve? It frees up conscious thought and cognition, allowing concentration on ideas to be typed rather than just focusing on the language itself. Thoughts are represented immediately, referred to as ‘think-type’. Students conscious minds are free to plan, compose, process, proof-read and edit – improving the overall quality of work delivered.

Improved learning: 

For younger children, learning tophysically touch type, together with reading the word and hearing the word spokencandramatically improve the learning process. This is the basis of multi-sensory learning.Children hear a word, read it on screen and then type it out with the help of touch typing. This involves the use of the major senses,speeding up the learning process, improving understanding and helping childrenretain what they learn.

Helps students with learning difficulties

Touch typing can also be an invaluable tool forstudents with specific learning difficulties such as dyspraxia, dysgraphia, dyslexia where they struggle to write by hand. Additionally, learning how to touch type and the repetition of touch typing vocabulary can help reinforce literacy skills. It also offers an alternate form of communication.

The above are just a few of the advantages of touch typing over the hunt-and-peck typing method, allowing students to work faster, with accuracy and to be significantly more productive.