Technologies & Touch Typing for Academic Success

 What to expect?

The course has a proven track record of improving learner’s confidence and academic results.

To achieve this, while being flexible enough to enable families to enjoy the summer break required us to design a totally unique course.

As there is no point of reference, parents don’t know what to expect.

On completion, many parents are shocked by how much is included and the amount they learned. To help parents be better prepared, here is what to expect…

Main Stages of the course

  1. Pre-Course Parental Support & Training

    Before Student lessons begin:

    • Complete the Pre-Course Checklist - Ensure everything is working before the course starts.

    • Watch the pre-course training videos for parents - Learn how to support students through the Live Remote Lessons.

    • Attend the live Pre-Course Parent Webinar - This is the final opportunity to check that everything works as it should.

    • Assess how much support your child will require from you.
      The majority of students require minimal support.

      • When students find it difficult to follow verbal instructions remotely, they may need an adult to sit alongside them. Parents are in the best position to judge this.

      • If additional support is required but students do not respond well to parental help, we recommend enlisting support from a local teen, babysitter, family member or anyone else who might be appropriate.

      • In some circumstances, we can provide one-to-one support. There will be an additional small charge for this. Please let us know ASAP if this might be needed.

  2. STUDENT Live Remote LESSONS

    • Students attend 4 half days Monday - Thursday from 9:30 until 13:00.
      Frequent breaks help to reduce cognitive overload.

    • The main emphasis of this section are

      • Learning to touch type

      • Increase the student’s intrinsic motivation to want to practise touch type.
        Students shouldn't miss these sessions.

  3. Pre Distance Learning Parental support

    During this section, students improve their typing skills while learning how to use typing and technologies to achieve more academically. The main activities are:

    • Parents watch the Distance Learning setup video - Learn how to support students through the remote learning part of the course.

    • Parents attend live Distance Learning Training - An opportunity to have questions answered just before the Distance Learning section starts.

  4. Distance Learning

    • Daily guided student typing practise. - Students receive a lot of support as they begin their independent typing practise. Encouragement and prompts are provided as required via WhatsApp

    • Weekly videos - Explaining various technologies and strategies to improve academic attainment.

      • Parents should watch these to decide if they are applicable to younger children

      • Older children (13+) should watch these with parents, and then discuss how best to use them next academic year.
        Experience has taught us that if students watch them alone, there is an increased chance that the pressure of work and subsequent anxiety will result in students forgetting to use what they are taught.

      • These videos are available to rewatch long after the course has finished. Some will not be applicable immediately, but it is helpful to know in advance what could help.
        Sadly, you cannot rely on schools to teach these strategies/technologies

    • Weekly Progress Webinars for Students - Students are rewarded for typing practise and progress as well as taught about technologies and strategies to improve grades.
      The group dynamic is extremely effective in increasing the students’ intrinsic motivation.

      These sessions are recorded if students cannot attend.

    • Weekly Parent Progress emails. - We partner with parents to ensure progress is celebrated and rewarded while any issues are dealt with quickly.

    • Final Student webinar

      Longer than the regular weekly webinars to ensure there is time to:

      • Revise all the technologies and strategies learned BEFORE starting the academic year.

      • Celebrate progress.

      • Award prizes for the students who:

        • Practised the most

        • Improved the most


  5. Post-course parental support

    • A final webinar for parents to discuss how best to support students moving forward.

    • Warn of potential pitfalls students can fall into when navigating typing work in school.

    Stay in touch! We’d love to know how the course helps your child going forward.


Optional Extras

  • We can help facilitate on going 1-1 practices with some of our teachers during the Distance Learning section and the subsequent school year.

  • Discounted rates for Refresh & Improve Summer Courses are offered to returning students

If you have any further questions before the course please email: Info@achievenow.org.uk

Immediately before and during the courses, Caroline is too tied up to respond to emails quickly.

Any other time Caroline can be contacted at Caroline@achievenow.org.uk