Kids and Keyboarding

“How do I write my story?”, the kindergartener asked. It was a straightforward enough question, yet the implications of my answer troubled me. “Click here so you can see the cursor”, I encouraged. “Now use your keyboard to ‘type in’ the letters to make your words.” Her spelling was appropriately creative. Her visual search of the keyboard for letter after letter was tedious. Yet, “the story” was written, one letter at a time.

Text input has traditionally been an extremely slow, time consuming activity for most elementary school students. The conundrum to me was that although students composed text on the computer in the primary grades, it did not seem reasonable to teach formal keyboarding to a child whose developmental level, in particular fine motor skill, was not ready to accomplish the desired outcome. So we waited. We kept text input short in the primary grades. Then, we initiated intensive formal keyboarding instruction in the 4th grade. It didn’t work.

The unintended consequence of the “wait to teach” philosophy was that by 4th grade many students had developed their own “hunt and peck” style of keyboarding and were quite efficient at it. So efficient in fact, that when asked to type “properly”, these students experienced substantial, if not overwhelming, interference to the task. Many were unable to correct their “bad habit”. It was not a small problem. We needed to make a change.

With the help of a new computer program, Type-to-Learn 3, we now begin keyboarding instruction in the spring of 1st grade. Recognizing the physical challenge of keyboarding for many young students, our initial instruction is essentially an intellectual pursuit. We explain “home keys” and “home row” and practice positioning our hands. We discuss the role of good posture and “muscle memory”. We emphasize our mission: to strike the correct key with the correct finger. Then, we type for a little bit. We have some fun.

What a surprise! The kids are awesome. They love keyboarding. Happily, the determination to type is helping many to develop the fine motor skill they’ll need to succeed. The students are learning “good habits” the first time through and typing with impressive results. We’re off to a good start. Our program continues at the beginning of 2nd grade with more rigorous instruction.

Here are some suggestions that may help your favorite student become a proficient keyboarder:

* Get a Commitment, a Schedule, and Practice at Home

If your child doesn't want to keyboard, they're probably not ready. Eventually, their difficulties in typing their papers will provide the proper motivation. Some little reward may also encourage the appropriate attitude. Would-be typists need to recognize that the task demands hard work. Once they're ready, the formula is 2 months, 4 times a week for 20 minutes. Obviously variations work, but the idea is to establish short practice times on a regular basis. I have found that after such a program, students are typing 10 - 15 words per minute and will continue to improve just by typing their homework and reports. Our program at Vieja Valley does not, by itself, provide enough practice time for students to become proficient.

* Monitor the Process

It's much easier to stop bad habits before they start. Sit through the first few lessons to ensure correct fingering, encourage good posture, and remind your child not to constantly look at their hands. A typing tutorial software program is great, but is not a substitute for Mom or Dad sitting close by to help get started. Once all the letter key locations and fingering are learned, try typing for part of each lesson with a cloth placed over the hands to prevent peeking. Don't worry about learning the number keys until the student is typing comfortably at 20 words per minute. Test weekly for improvement. Kind words of encouragement are always appreciated by an emerging typist. Keep a chart so they can see how well they're doing.

* Avoid Mario

When selecting keyboarding instructional software, keep in mind the time required and task involved. Motivators and fun games are good if they keep the student typing, but basically this is work. For example, I found Mario Teaches Typing to be overblown with "entertainment" and fancy graphics. I spent more time waiting and watching than I did typing. You want a program that is clear, directed, and moves crisply from lesson to lesson. At Vieja Valley, we use Type-To-Learn 3 and like it a lot. It’s fun and has some interesting graphics, but doesn’t get carried away. Type-To-Learn 3 also provides plenty of repetition so students not only get a chance to learn the correct fingering, they also have time to practice not looking at their hands.

An alternative to a keyboarding program is to have your child type a story from their favorite book. Stories with a lot or repetions are best, like The Little Engine That Could with “I think I can. I think I can”.

Good Luck and Happy Typing

October 2006