IT4Kidz - Keyboards and QWERTY

Approved by Schoolzone's team of independent education reviewers

IT4Kidz.co.uk

Helping your child enjoy a safe IT experience

Check out the NEW Alphasmarts

Home

Keyboards

Mice

Screens
VDUs

Features

Links

Make money
at home

Keyboards

Big Keys Plus ~ Compact
QWERTY vs ABC

"My child is having difficulty with the keyboard. She is getting frustrated as she keeps hitting the wrong keys."

As with mouse skills, accurate keyboarding skills will come in time. At the moment, she lacks sufficient dexterity and consequently the keys seem too small and close together.

We use a Big Keys keyboard which has (as its name suggests) larger keys, an uncluttered layout, and colour-coded keys.

It is also designed to withstand plenty of enthusiasm!!

The big keys are perfect for small fingers and colour is used purposefully eg vowels are all in the colour yellow, "R" in red, "G" in green, etc. So they'll be learning all about colour, too.

The Big Keys Plus is designed so that children will have fun learning on the PC. It invites the youngest learner to have fun whilst learning to recognise their ABC and interact with the many excellent educational programs now available for them. See our software recommendations.

To purchase a BigKeys

More information about the BigKeys keyboard

STOP PRESS! Please check out the NEW
BigKeys Early Learning System

"The QWERTY layout on the keyboard is confusing my child. He is also learning the alphabet. Coping with two different sequences at the same time is making life too complicated for him."

You can solve this in one of four ways. Either choose a Big Keys keyboard in alphabetical order with lower case tops or try a KidGlove Lower Case keyboard, a Cherry Family keyboard or some keytop stickers.

NEW BigKeys Early Learning System combining the best of all worlds!

Choose a regular keyboard with lower-case letters that all the family can use
Cherry lower case keyboard

See bigger picture

This is spill-resistant and produced by top keyboard manufacturer, Cherry. It costs £41.07 including VAT and delivery.

To purchase a Cherry family keyboard, click here

Or you can choose a keyboard skin. Brightly coloured lower-case stickers are attached to a protective glove. All unnecessary keytops are left blank
kidsglove mini

See bigger picture

A keyboard skin offers complete protection from spilt drinks, sticky fingers, dust and wear. It comes with its own high quality keyboard, to ensure a perfect fit and costs £53 including VAT and delivery.

To purchase a KidsGlove keyboard, click here

The cheapest way to change your keyboard is a set of vinyl key top stickers

You can choose upper- and lower- case on the same sticker (as here) or lower-case only. Each pack contains five sets, yellow on black.

These are very flexible and you can use them to help your child learn step-by-step eg just to pick out special letters, such as the letters of her name or the first five letters of the alphabet, and then build up letter recognition as you go.

£10 for a set of five (inclusive price)
To purchase key top stickers, click here

Our recommendation for 2-6 year olds is the Big Keys Keyboard with the keys in alphabetical order (lower-case) or the NEW BigKeys Early Learning System plus a 'splitter' so the adults can also use their own keyboard.

IT4U is an IT for All accredited learning centre

They are here to answer your questions about Tots and PCs.
Ask a new question or make a new comment here