Earlier this year, we had the privilege of reviewing Talking Fingers: Read, Write, & Type. My girls loved it, and I was amazed as I watched them learn to type and practice their phonics at the same time. After our great experience with Talking Fingers, it was exiting to learn that we would also be reviewing the sequel, Word Qwerty – Foundations for Reading and Writing Fluency!
Word Qwerty is designed for 7-9 year olds as the next step following Read, Write, & Type. After completing the Read, Write, & Type program, most students will be able to read and type words that they can say. They may, however, still struggle with how to spell the words. That is where Word Qwerty comes in. According to the Talking Fingers website:
The overall purpose of Wordy Qwerty: Foundations for Reading and Writing Fluency, is to improve phonological and morphological sensitivity, to develop a deeper understanding of how words are constructed in English, and to provide reading and writing activities with helpful feedback, in order to increase fluency and comprehension in reading and writing.
Word Qwerty’s 20 lessons contain six steps:
1. Patterns – The students create two word lists by noticing spelling differences in words.
2. Karaoke – Each lesson has a song to teach one of the 20 basic spelling rules covered in the program.
3. Recycler – This game teaches the different vowel combinations that can make the same sound, and teaches students to distinguish between real words and non-words.
4. Pop-a-Word – In this activity, the students are given a four word phrase. They must then pop balloons with the correct words.
5. Write Stories – In these 8-line rhyming stories, the student is given one line and then they must listen to the next line and type it. This gives practical application of the spelling rules they have just learned.
6. Read Stories – As the students read the story, they have to choose the correct word that fits, giving them great reading comprehension practice.
Word Qwerty is a great continuation of the foundation laid in Read, Write, and Type. I would definitely recommend it! Completion of Read, Write and Type prior to Word Qwerty is not mandatory, but it would definitely make things easier (particularly in the area of typing).
Word Qwerty is available for purchase from the Talking Fingers website.
System requirements:
- Mac: OS9 with CarbonLib or OSX
- Windows: 98, SE, 2000, XP
It also requires QuickTime 6 (included) or greater.
You can purchase the CD version package for just $35. It includes: the program CD, the program guide in a 3-ring binder, and an audio CD of the 20 songs included in the program.The CD products are not compatible with Windows 7 or Mac OS 10.6.
Word Qwerty is also available through online subscription. All home online subscriptions are for five years. The prices are: 1 student – $25, 2 students – $40, 3 students – $52.50, 4 students – $60, and 5 students – $71.25.
Other members of the TOS Crew had the opportunity to review Word Qwerty as well. You can read about their experiences at the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.
Disclosure: I received the online version of Word Qwerty free of charge for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received, and the opinions stated are my own.
