Revised Exercises in Text Type
Doorway Text Type and Talking Text Type have had their exercises revised.
Both programmes now use the same exercises. Generally the exercises are shorter than they were. Most have between 12 and fourteen lines. Users of Doorway Text Type will find that some exercises have been spllt in two. It may be that some learners will finish exercises sooner, because they are now shorter.
It needs to be emphasised that Touch Typing is a motor skill that needs lots of practice. The practice needs to be accurate. It is always worth going over an exercise that you are well able to complete with a high level of accuracy. It is never a good idea to go on to the next exervise if you have not reached 90% accuracy score on the current exercise. Actually, I would go further and stipulate that 94% accuracy should be the target before moving on to the next exercise.
We hope that you will appreciate the revised exercises. If you finish an exercise sooner than you used to, go back a do it again.
If you have any comments, please email admin@doorwayonline.org.uk
Please Donate to the Doorway Trust
Please Donate to the Doorway Trust
The Doorway Accessible Software Trust has been created to ensure the future development of software for this site. To develop this software, we require more funds and you can help by donating. If you have found Doorway activities useful for your youngsters, please donate to support future development.
Thanks to Scottish Borders Council for funding the original 14 activities on this website. Also, thanks to the five Scottish authorities who funded two further activities.
We have plans for more software; promoting sound development of concepts in numeracy; developing phonic awareness and spelling. We are also planning a suite of activities involving choices of animations with music for developmentally young learners. As with existing Doorway activities, these will all be fully accessible to as many learners as possible, whatever barriers to learning they may have.
Thanks,
Philip Whittaker, Chairman - The Doorway Accessible Software Trust
The Doorway Online Questionnaire
The Doorway Online Questionnaire
Doorway On line is a suite of engaging educational activities, provided by Scottish Borders Council. The emphasis is on accessibility. The clarity of presentation, the ease of configuration and variety of options make these activities accessible to the widest range of users possible.
In fact, the suite of software is being well used throught Scottish Borders, Scotland, the UK and the World.
We would appreciate feedback from schools and families using the site regarding its use; what improvements could be made; what activities you'd like to see there.
After the current cycle of development we may be seeking funding from various sources, and your feedback would be helpful
Please fill in the The Doorway Online Questionaire
Doorway Text Type
Doorway Text Type is a touch typing tutor is designed for visually impaired people. One of the priorities was to make it as clear as possible. It has been welcomed by teachers supporting learners with visual impairment. It has been praised for the clarity of the presentation, the colour options and the progression of the exercises.
It can be used by anyone wanting to learn to touch type.
There are some basic rules;
- Get into a comfortable position. with the keyboard placed centrally
- Locate the home keys. F and J have ridges on them to help you find them
- Do not look at your hands. All the information you need is on the screen. The letter to be pressed, the finger to use. If you 'cheat', and look at your hands, you are not touch typing. Do not look at your hands. If you look at your hands, you are practising a different skill. You will always need to look at your hands.
- Do not hurry. There is no advantage in going fast. It is accuracy that matters.
- Type at a steady rate. Do not speed up for the easy bits and slow down for the tricky parts. Try to type to a slow even beat.
- You need to score at least 90% on an exercise twice before going on to the next one. If you go on without mastering the previous one, it will just be too hard. Experience shows that users who go on to be touch typists usually score above 94% on each exercise.
- At the start, do not try to to type too much. A single exercise at one session is enough. Use it on a ‘little and often’ basis.
- Touch typing is a motor habit like riding abike. Once you have learnt it you can use it any time again in your life.
First Sounds up and running!
This new activity gives users practice in identifying the first sounds in words. There are over 50 words to pick from, including words beginning with vowels, consonants and the digraphs sh, ch and th. Children can work together on the interactive white board to complete this activity.