Learning how to keyboard correctly will give your child an advantage in this computer age. From fourth grade on, most written assignments will be required to be turned in using a word processor. Teachers in middle school and high school may not accept work that has not been typed. You can also tell them that the faster they learn to type, the faster they can finish their homework!
Learning how to keyboard is like learning how to write. At first it takes a lot of concentration but soon it becomes second nature. That only happens with practice. Here are some good sites to help your child practice keyboarding. Just placing your child in front of the screen isn't enough, you need to check in to make sure they are using the correct fingers. A lot of kids resort to the hunt-and-peck technique when they get frustrated. Limit the amount of time to 10-20 minutes based on your child's attention span.
Our goal for kids graduating 5th grade and going to middle school is 25 words per minute or more.
- Older Kids, Middle Kids and 1st graders in Younger Kids have accounts on typing.com. They can progress through lessons, take timed tests, and play games for practice.Middle Kids and Older Kids can practice at home on these free sites as well:
- Dance Mat: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
- Free Typing Games: http://www.freetypinggame.net/
- Younger Kids (pre-K and K) become familiar with the keyboard during the second half of the year, although we don't introduce touch-typing technique. They use these games to learn the keyboard, listed in increasing levels of difficulty: