Bytes of Learning ~ Review of UltraKey Online

It has been a difficult task for me to try to find some curriculum for the different classes I want my children to learn or study. I research different curriculum and try to get the best or close to the best for my children. Even while doing research and trying to find the best fit for our household, it is easy to overlook some products that are affordable and gives you the best. Bytes of Learning is something I wish I had stumbled on when I was looking for a typing/keyboarding curriculum to use for my son.

Although my 10th grade son was using a different program for his keyboarding/typing class this year, I thought he could use something different that had more to offer. And the program I was using was geared more towards younger kids while UltraKey Online Family Subscription is geared for any age and does not use any childish features. With the family subscription, you are able to choose between 3 users, 5 users, and 8 users at an affordable price.

UltraKey Online is based completely online. There is nothing to install on your computer or download from the internet, it is all online. It is easy to set up a subscription and once you become familiar with the management dashboard it is easy to set up all of your users. From the manager dashboard you are able to create accounts for each person and also generate reports to see the progress of each student. This program is also self-paced so the student can work at their own pace. You are also able to repeat lessons and skill checks. There are also games that can be played to help learn the letters.

When we received the information to set up our account, I went ahead and set myself up as a student so I could use the program myself and see how it all works. My 10th grade son also has his own account that he is working through. When you log in for the first time, you can just start the program or take an assessment that will tell you how much you already know like your typing speed and mistakes and will set a goal for you to try to aim for each time you take a skill check.

There is also a settings menu where you are able to adjust the settings of each user. This is the spot where you are able to pick a background you like, choose how you want the keyboard displayed on the settings and even change the skin tone of the hands that show you where to place your hands on the keyboard. You can also turn off the step by step learning that is automatic when you log in for the first time. If you don’t want to go through each step, such as posture and finger position before starting the lessons, it is easy to turn off that setting and just jump right into the lessons.

UltraKey Online is meant to be used each day for 20-30 minutes or less if you are using the program with a younger child. You start the lessons with the home keys and take a skills test after completing each lesson.

I tried to get familiar with the dashboard so I would know what all is available there. There is an area where the administrator is able to generate reports. You can take a look at the progress each student has made and see when they passed their skill checks and what lessons they have completed. I’m not sure why when I generated the reports it only shows one user having completed some of the areas when both of us have completed them (for example, the home row line in the picture to the right).

Since my son had been already typing, he has gone through this online typing program fairly quickly with just a few more lessons remaining. I may have him go through again to see if he can improve his typing. After you complete a lesson, you are to take a skill check and a report generates when you are done telling you your accuracy and words per minute (wpm).



I didn’t go through the program as fast as my son (he was doing a lesson every day), but from what I have used of the program, I like it a lot. I also think that this program has helped my son increase his accuracy and wpm. He didn’t do well on one of the skill checks so he went back and tried it again to get a better accuracy and wpm that was at his goal or above his goal. I liked that I am able to generate a report that tells me his progress and what lessons he has completed. One thing I also liked about this program that we were able to take an assessment to help us move along at a good pace. My son likes that this program is not childish and that he has a goal that is set based on his own assessment and not a goal I set for him. This is a program that is affordable and easy to use and I will definitely use this for my other children.

We give UltraKey Online Family Subscription 5 stars!