My DS9 with a disorder of written expression needs to learn to keyboard over the summer. I'm looking for recommendations for keyboarding programs that will make it fun for him. I don't want to fight with him everyday to get him to practice:)

We just bought Typing Instructor for Kids, but haven't started it yet (tonight's the night). It seems to be well regarded here and elsewhere, and I'll let you know how it goes by posting back in this thread. (ETA: As you can see from the links I added, mich's suggestion, Type to Learn, is pretty highly regarded here too.)

If you buy the Mavis Beacon competing product, according to some reviews I read, one or two revs back from the current version is superior.

Here are two previous threads on keyboarding:
http://giftedissues.davidsongifted....1765/Recommendations_for_learning_t.html
http://giftedissues.davidsongifted.org/BB/ubbthreads.php/topics/99272/1.html

ETA: I'm a bit underwhelmed by the Typing Instructor for Kids software. The organization is, in my opinion, the pits.

Both my children used Type to Learn. My son with Dysgraphia struggles with both speed and accuracy, but the program at least got him familiar with homerow and the basics of typing. Many schools both public and private use this program.

We used Typing Instructor for Kids.

DD liked it at first, but then not so much.

What really improved her keyboarding skills was the need to communicate that way in real time in a virtual meeting setting. She wanted to participate with her classmates, and the only way to do so effectively was to learn to type.

She probably types about 50-60 words per minute now.

my daughter did bbc dance mat typing.(google it) She also has a written expression issue. The OT at school started it with her.

DS14 learned at age 9. He tryed a few, but liked Mavis Beacon the best because it was 'for little kids' and because there are options where one could switch the theme music, turn off vocal encouragement, and opt out of games.

If was good for teaching him where the keys were, but he got automaticity playing a tetris-like game where one has to type key combinations to make the shapes rotate so he could get them to line up the way he wanted them to.

I thought that it was a great demonstration about how certian skills aren't really mastered until one has to use them 'on the fly.'

But what really got his speed up over 100 wpm (not counting mistakes) was chatting on 'Runescape.' It was the hot MMORPG amoung his friends and he seemed to spend most of his time trying to persuade strangers to trade items with him.

Go figure,
Grinity

We used Mavis Beacon as well. My DS loved the fact that he was able to use it to learn 10-key as well although why he wanted to learn, I can't say. LOL

Maybe 9 is too low an age, but Burning Cargo is a different typing course you might want to check out. It aims to keep you motivated for learning with strategy and adventure gameplay - and an exiting story.

Check it out at http://www.burningcargo.com or watch a short introductory video here: