I’ve been looking for some software to get the primary students keyboarding and using a word processor. Word is just too complicated for them. Not only did I find a simple program for the primary grades, but in searching, I found a great site that tutors older students on using a word processor.

OK-Writer is a word processor specifically designed for young children to grow up with. Using the simple button-driven interface, kids can create stories using OK-Writer, then print them out or have them read aloud by the Mac.

OK-Writer is shareware. Though you can download a free version of it, a full version is available as a site license for $150, which is pretty good as far as that cost usually runs. It is very simple, but the fact that with the click of a button the text can be read back to the student, I think it would be great not only to have in the lab, but in the primary classrooms as well. This can also be a great idea for parents looking for a way to more easily have their children type for homework or projects.

Mrs. Sterling’s Word Pad is an online tutorial for kids. It teaches how to format documents, adjust fonts, and add images and effects. It incorporates a pretest and post test, videos, games, and exercises. Students can work on these lessons at home, or it could be used to work with a group on reviewing the basics of word processing.

I’m going to quote Mrs. Sterling to explain why word processing is important.

Why Word Processing?

Simple, it is the foundation of most of the computer applications that students will come in contact with over their school career and in the workplace. The graphic user interfaces and icons are common across almost all productivity software. Bold is B, Italics is I and Underline is an underlined U. With word processing skills out of the way in elementary school, students over learn the techniques and easily integrate what they know into other applications such as presentation, publishing and design software.