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Lesson goal
Practice correct typing (touch typing) with visual finger feedback (Finger Mapping) in short lab sessions.
Setup (5 min)
- Install the offline Windows app or open digitakids.com/en/play/
- Check physical keyboards and optional sound
- Explain: “eyes on screen, use the highlighted finger”
Suggested plan (20 min)
- 2 min — home row ASDF / JKL
- 12–15 min — play (Continue on the saved phase, or New Game from the start)
- 3 min — talk: which finger was hardest?
Light assessment
Watch whether students follow the highlighted finger (more important than high WPM). After a warm-up, technique can improve while rhythm (WPM) drops — that is expected, not the game getting worse.
Ranking: Local vs World
The Local tab (Top 5 on this PC) works without internet. World, Country and Class need a network to reach digitakids.com. If you see “no connection”, the offline game is still fine — the installer is not broken.
“Page X of Y” shows how many have submitted in this period — presence on the list, not a race. Do not use the page number (or table place) to compare children. The yellow highlight with “you” only means “you are here”, not a podium.
2 min — CapsLock ≠ Shift (capitals)
In the capitals phase the game requires Shift with the opposite hand to the letter (same as the on-screen Finger Mapping). CapsLock does not count as a correct hit — phones capitalize automatically; lab PCs need the two-hand gesture.
- Show on the physical keyboard: CapsLock (locks) vs Shift (only while held).
- Ask them to type one capital while watching the guide hands (⇧ + letter).
- If CapsLock is on, have them turn it off before continuing.
IT sheet — Windows SmartScreen
For lab IT / coordinators. DigitaKids is not code-signed yet. Opening DigitaKids-Setup.exe may show “Windows protected your PC”.
- Confirm the file came from https://digitakids.com (not email or a mirror).
- Click More info.
- Click Run anyway.
After that warning, Windows may ask for the administrator password (User Account Control). In the lab that password stays with the person who manages the computers. Ask them for an install on each computer.
1 download ≠ 1 student. The site counter measures clicks on Download. The same .exe can move from a USB stick to many PCs — that does not show as “new downloads”.
Once a term — update the app. On installed Windows: Help → Check for updates (opens the site if a newer version exists — no auto-download). Or check version and date at digitakids.com/en/download/. Offline labs keep playing; update when you have network or a USB stick.
The bottom line is not the task. In the installed app, the line at the bottom of the window is the signature of who made the game (not an ad and not the Windows taskbar). The letter to type stays in the center of the screen. www.DigitaKids.com opens the site when there is internet.
Visual guide: digitakids.com/en/download/#smartscreen-guide · Contact: digitakids@digitakids.com
Links
Site: digitakids.com · Schools: /en/schools/ · How to play: /en/how-to-play/ · Contact: digitakids@digitakids.com