Users who benefit from BigKeys

Testimonials - Education

SO EXCITED
My son was never interested in the dull grey keyboard in our nursery school.  There was no way we could get him interested in having a go on the computer.  Then one day the nursery school bought a coloured BigKeys.  He was so excited by the colours and the fact that it looked fun and like a toy that he (and his friends) were almost wetting themselves to have a go.  It was an amazing thing to witness and it hasn’t worn off.  It is now the most popular station in the nursery.
Mum, Hampshire


COLOURS ARE THE KEY
We had 2 BigKeys LX purchased for our reception class. The colours made the keyboard less intimidating so even children who had not had much chance of using one were encouraged to have a go.
Reception Teacher, Oxford


Amazing Results
“I was amazed to see how a simple keyboard could make such a difference. My children went from banging about with the keyboard and mouse to being interested and motivated to have a go overnight! I would never have believed it if I had not witnessed it for myself.”
Reception Teacher, Hampshire


Robust First Keyboard
I have used BigKeys LX for my 3 and 4 year olds. It is excellent as a first keyboard, colourful robust, and very inviting to use.
Nursery Teacher, Hampshire


A first keyboard that really helps
I bought my son a Bigkeys LX as a keyboard for him to use on our home computer. I wanted to give him a head start with IT without destroying our keyboard. It has increased his attention span, and he is really learning letters and numbers. I could recommend it a first keyboard for any child.
Mum, Gwent


A first keyboard that encourages children to have a go
When some children come to my class they have never used a keyboard before and found our ordinary grey one daunting. Now we have BigKeys LX it’s very different. They see its colours and chunky keys and are encouraged to have a go. This is definitely the first keyboard to buy a child.
Reception Teacher, Cumbria


“Our BigKeys is already in great demand and has opened up ICT opportunities for our younger pupils.”
Margaret Sahin, Early Years Teacher, Bardwell Special School, Bicester, TES Extra Special Needs, November 2004


IT BUILDS THEIR CONFIDENCE AND KEEPS THEM INDEPENDENT
Our reception children are very independent. They do like to be able to do things for themselves but sometimes get a little frustrated when it takes time. This is especially true when they are keyboarding, but the BigKeys keyboard really helps.

When they are searching for letters, a simple “it’s a red one” or “it’s a yellow one” from me helps them locate the key they need quickly and builds their confidence.

The simple format makes using the computer easy and as a result the children just love it. It has helped them learn to type their names and generally just get used to computing.
Foundation Coordinator, Primary School Hampshire


IT HELPS WITH THEIR ALPHABET SKILLS……..
I purchased 2 BigKeys keyboards for the nursery class. Suddenly the alphabet made sense to the children. BigKeys made the letters stand out and be recognized in a way that was not possible with a standard keyboard. BigKeys are excellent!
ICT Coordinator Primary School, Derbyshire


USE AN EGG TIMER!
We use a BigKeys keyboard in our nursery class and it is one of the ‘stations’ that the children can choose to go on during the day. It is their favourite station. There are usually 3 children at a time working with the computer. Each has a turn with the time controlled by a huge 5 minute egg timer, eagerly watched by the others. I was amazed the way the two children watching were eager to help their friend, and how everyone kept to time without argument.
Head Teacher, Primary School Cumbria


AN EXCELLENT FIRST KEYBOARD
BIGKEYS was bought for a little boy who had a special need. He used the BigKeys and it made all the difference to his work. However, the other children loved it so much they wanted to have a go too and I was surprised to see how much better they worked with BigKeys than the standard keyboard. As a result we had to buy 2 BigKeys for general use and are delighted with the increase in computing and literacy skills. I can recommend BigKeys as a first keyboard or and early learning keyboard for all young children.
Nursery Teacher, Pre-School Playgroup, Glamorgan


WE NEEDED BIGGER KEYTOPS
We bought a BigKeys keyboard because the nursery has a laptop and the laptop keys are too small for the little children to see and press. The children absolutely love it. They are quite able to work on the computer 2 at a time using an egg timer to be fair. I suggested they write their fathers day cards on it, and they were so enthusiastic about this, and proud of themselves afterward, that that happy confident feeling has stayed with them.
Pre-School Teacher, Buckinghamshire


BIGKEYS HELPS THE CHILDREN WORK AS A TEAM
We have 2 BigKeys keyboards, one for each of our pre-school classes. They are robust and fun for the children to use. They sit at the computer station three at a time with one person in control of the computer and mouse and the other two helping. BigKeys is such a fun product and is so easy to use that the children are now helping each other learn in a way that they did not do before.
Reception Teacher, Oxfordshire


NO MORE CRASHING
Before we had BigKeys we used a standard keyboard. When the children used the computer it kept crashing perhaps because the children were pressing too many keys at once. Since we bought BigKeys this has not happened once.
Preschool Teacher, Hampshire


BIGKEYS HELP CHILDREN’S LITERACY SKILLS
BigKeys has made a world of difference to the literacy skills in my class. Before BigKeys I had trouble motivating the children to learn their letters, but everyone wants to have a go on the computer now BigKeys is there.

Each child has a name card, and they have to copy their name before they can click and drag pictures. Then they print their work off to take home at the end of the day.
Reception Teacher, Infant School, Lincolnshire


INCREASE LITERACY LEARNING
We purchased BK for use throughout the school and it caused an increase in literacy learning throughout the lower school.
Special School, Berkshire


IT DOES WHAT IT SAYS ON THE BOX
"AT LAST! I have found a piece of hardware that ‘does what it says on the box’.

"I purchased 2 BigKeys keyboards for each of our nursery and reception classes. The simple layout and colours has helped the children with their alphabet and number skills, and built their confidence in being able to do things on the computer with ease. I particularly like the large cursor keys. They are excellent!"
ICT Co -coordinator, Primary School, Co. Durham


THEY WOULDN’G LET THEM GO!
"We purchased 4 BigKeys keyboards – 2 for the ICT suite, and 2 for the Foundation classes to share, with the intention of moving the BigKeys to another class at the end of the term.

"The children found the uncluttered layout so easy to use that they needed less help from their teacher, and made great progress with their literacy learning. As you can imagine the teacher said they were brilliant.

"Everyone was so enthusiastic about the BigKeys keyboards that they would not let them go to the next class. We had to buy another 4 BigKeys to keep the other classes happy!"
Foundation Coordinator, Primary School, South Yorkshire


THE PLACE IS FULL OF THEM
“In our technical college, 39% of the students have a visual impairment. I used to use yellow stickers on the key tops to help the students, but then I discovered BigKeys LX keyboards.

"They are available in a variety of designs to assist with many types of visual impairment, and with their chunky keys and large lettering have aided our students tremendously with their work.

"I have just moved into a brand new Learning Resource Centre and the place is full of them. We use Y-connectors so that every terminal has a BigKeys LX for the student and a standard keyboard for their helper. I would recommend them to any college."
ICT Manager Technical College, Kent


MORE TIME TO TEACH
When we used a standard keyboard it used to take on average 10 minutes for the computer to freeze and crash during our IT lessons. Then we bought a BigKeys and the computer has not crashed since.
Key Worker, Primary School, Dorset


A GREAT CONFIDENCE BUILDER
The BigKeys keyboards with their simple format have helped the children to have the confidence to work with the computer in every subject. They are brilliant!
Reception Teacher, Primary School, Northumberland


The Children Love It
The BigKeys keyboards were bought for the nursery department. The children absolutely love it. They know it is a keyboard just for them and they love the friendly colours and the big keys. They just want to have a go and achieve something and that makes all the difference to their learning. It is brilliant!
Nursery Teacher, Manchester


Easy to Use
“…these keyboards are inviting and easy to use”
Times Educational Supplement


A Motivating Keyboard
“This keyboard motivates children to type by increasing the number of correct hits and thus a successful outcome. The lower case keys are immediately recognisable.”
Rose Goddard, SENCO


The Answer to More Time
I needed a simple keyboard that the children could use on their own to give me a little more time. BigKeys LX was the answer.
Reception Teacher, Somerset


NEEDED A LOWER CASE KEYBOARD
We were so pleased when we found a keyboard that had lower case letters on it. We were even thinking of designing one ourselves. Imagine our delight when we found BigKeys LX with large keys AND lower case letters. It is just what we wanted.
ICT Coordinator, Derbyshire


Lower Case is best
I always thought a lower case keyboard would make a difference to my reception class children. When we bought BigKeys LX I found out I was right. Now the children can search for letters in their own name.
Reception Teacher, Dyfed


Lower case not a worry
When we bought our lower case BigKeys LX I was a little worried that the children would have difficulties when they went up to the next class with an upper case keyboard. But the made the transition easily.
Reception Teacher, Aberdeenshire


Click HERE to read a case study published in EC&T