Set the goal and the clock
Frame practice as making homework and projects easier — not beating classmates. That lowers anxiety immediately.
Second grade and up, once letters are familiar, is a reasonable start. Ten to fifteen minutes, four or five days a week, beats weekend cramming.
Bookmark topzcphp.com in one browser so kids always resume where they left off.
A sample week
Mon / Wed / Fri: one or two Finger Course stages at 90%+ accuracy before advancing. Parents only need the results screen.
Tue / Thu: one Advanced round in pinyin or English aligned with school work. Ask which keys felt hardest.
Sat: Games as a reward after drills — cap at fifteen minutes.
Sun: rest or five minutes of home-row review. Fingers consolidate during sleep.
What to do beside the desk
Check posture: back straight, feet down, screen level, wrists not crushed on the desk lip.
Use a timer for fifteen-minute blocks with water breaks.
Never type for them or shout over mistakes. Say "slow down, fix it" and let them backspace.
Weekly screenshot of accuracy trends beats nagging about speed.
When motivation dips
"I do not want to" often means the last stage was too hard. Repeat the previous lesson or play one short Game, then return.
Leaderboard is optional context — compare only to the child's own last week.
After eight consistent weeks most kids practice independently; the parent role shifts from supervisor to occasional cheerleader.