Choosing the Right Mouse
CST KidTRAC
These mice have many features that make it ideal for users who don’t have the fine motor skills required by a mouse. Because of its chunky size, the BIGtrack doesn’t require control with the fingertips – a swipe at the ball or at the buttons works just as well.
CST KidTRAC
A full-sized, three button trackerball, which is 100% Microsoft mouse compatible. Plug into the PS2 or USB port on your computer. The low profile case acts as a natural hand rest and minimizes the wrist angle by mirroring the natural contour of the hand.
Tiny mouse
These USB mice are just the right size for little hands and children with difficulties controlling an adult sized mouse.
Little mouse
Little Mouse is a small two button mouse with a “green go” left click and “red stop” right click, recommended by teachers when instructing young children how to use a computer mouse.
Single Button Mouse
Single Button Mouse is about half the size of a standard mouse, making it just right for smaller hands. No more worries about left/right clicks.
Developing mouse skills
The coordination that is needed when moving the mouse and making the connection with something that is happening on the screen is a complex process. Once the correct mouse has been established e.g. a small mouse that comfortably fits the hand, or a big track or small track mouse, if a child is experiencing motor difficulties, then the task of developing mouse skills begins.
There are a number of specific programmes that are especially designed to teach mouse skills in a visually appealing way with inbuilt progression e.g. Mouse Skills and My First Mouse (unfortunately discontinued but copies can still be found via 3rd party sellers.
HelpKidzLearn provide a number of mouse control activities. There are free activities as well as subscription based activities. There is a 2 week trial available, combined with the the right mouse hardware, may be enough to give a child the skills and confidence to use the mouse effectively.
Examples of mouse activities
This painting activity is ideal for those just beginning to learn to use a mouse. Lots of colourful trails help establish the relationship between mouse and mouse pointer movements and there are engaging sound effects and music too. Simply roll over a colour to select it, and then move the mouse to create a trail No need to hold the mouse button down.
Click anyway to make the different bugs appear and touch the bugs to make them spin. You can also drag them around. This simple game encourages children to interact with computer as well as practising their hand-eye coordination.
A mini version of SwitchIt! Facemaker. First choose a face from a selection of eight. In the new screen, click one of the category buttons which will display the features in that category. Drag the feature you want on to the face. Choose different features from different categories in the same way. Click the Finish button to print out your creation.
This simple on-screen book with ten pages of pictures to colour. These include a football, butterfly, cow, fish, helicopter, mammoth, motorbike, pig, spider and stegosaurus. There are nine colours to choose from. The game remembers what colours were applied to the previous pages, so you can go back and change them. Any paint programmes will help develop mouse skills – see Developing Mouse Skills using Paint Software below.
Developing Mouse Skills using Paint Software
Task 1: Adult draws green blobs on the page. Adult chooses a colour. Child uses the mouse to point to a blob and clicks to make a blue dot in the blob. If the child can target the colours they can change colours as they go. Language: point, cursor and click.
Task 2: Child choose a colour, points to first green blob in top left, holds down left button and moves the pointer to draw a line from left to right to the next blob. Again the child should be encouraged to change colours. Language: point, cursor, hold down left button, drag and drop.
Task 3: For an extra challenge see if the child can draw a thin line along the coloured lines as accurately as possible.
Task 4: Adult draws the dots. working from left to right the child loops around each dot. Language: point, cursor, click and drag..
Task 5: Child then able to point and click to select new colours, sustain drag and drop and draw more accurate lines and shapes.
