Embedded Files
This Page is a Resource Page for Both Teachers and Students.
This Page is a Resource Page for Both Teachers and Students.
Keyboarding is an essential skill that all students need to learn. Many teachers are using technology that requiring students to type as early as Kindergarten. Research suggests that there is no perfect grade to start getting students ready for typing (1). However, there are some things we can do to help or students learn faster and better.
Choose programs that engage students. Students that are having fun, or are competing against others, will have longer engagement times. As early as 4th grade, start covering keyboards to help develop touch typing skills. This will allow students to learn at a much faster rate (2).
Kindergarten - 1st Grade
Kindergarten - 1st Grade
This fun game allows students to practice where to find the keys on the keyboard. Homerow is not required. However, you may want to have students practice using two hands to get them prepared for more formal typing training.
This is a fun website that entertains the little ones through music, fun characters and engaging visuals. Students use homerow to learn and develop kinesthetic memory and hand eye coordination. In addition, this game stresses proper technique.
1st Grade and Up
1st Grade and Up
This is by far my favorite website. This website allows students and adults to practice repetitive typing while maintaining homerow fingers to help develop kinesthetic memory. Students start with the homerow and slowly expand their mastery through games and lessons. Included are videos that explain the importance of the skill the are learning, including posture. Starting in 4th grade students use this site to begin touch-typing
Typing.com allows a break from formal typing. Through this website students enhance their skills through engaging games. Want to take the learning to the next level? Add keyboard covers!
Are your students ready to go to the next level? This racing game has students practicing typing full sentences using correct punctuation and capitals. This allows students a more real world typing situation. Students can race head to head with each other or with players from across the world. Let competition help enhance your students skills. This is not designed for the novice typist. This game is recommended for those in grades 3 - 8.
Typing Games for the iPad
Typing Games for the iPad
Typing fingers is a fun and interactive no pressure game. This games uses a three pronged approach to learning. Students have a "tutor" in game that helps them. They get to play games to continue to engage and increase attention span. Finally, the students are tested at the end of each level.
Help students master the touch-screen. This app is designed for students 10+. Not only does this app help with typing, it shows students how to use iPad shortcuts to improve speed.
This app is designed more for middle school and above. This game may lack the engaging sounds and games that other apps offer. Students learn from a real person in a more professional looking setting. The app includes a multiple approach to learning. Including: videos, games, and each lesson is adapted to fit your personal needs. In addition, it saves to the cloud so it can be used with multiple devices from different locations.
Looking for More Teacher Resources?
Looking for More Teacher Resources?
List of the top 10 typing games to enhance student learning. Students that are engaged and having fun have a much higher retention rate. Use these sites to help your students become great typists.
This links to a teaching blog. This page is designed to help make keyboarding fun.
Classroom Games
Classroom Games
Baseball
This activity is for speed development. The class is divided into two teams and each team selects a name. Students are timed for 1 minute on a selected line or sentence. Th ey are to key the line as many times as they can during the timing. Each line is equal to one base; four bases (lines) equal a run. Scoring: Each team counts the number of lines each team member completes during the timing and records the runs on the board. For example: if a team gets 10 total bases (lines), it scores two runs and has a runner on second for the start of the next inning. The number of innings is based on the amount of time available.
Football
Create a simple illustration of a football fi eld on the board or a piece of poster paper. Th e class is divided into two groups.Each group keys in a certain line for a 30-second time period. At the end of that time, one person from each team counts the total number of words typed for his/her entire group. The difference in number of words typed between the two groups is the amount of yardage the leading team advances. There are penalties: five-yard penalty for any improper
technique, including wrong fingering, looking at the keyboard, or hunting and pecking; ten yards for illegal use of the voice (talking during the game).
Continuous Story
Working in small groups, each student keys in the same beginning sentence at his/her keyboard. For instance, “Once upon a time.” Then they continue to create a story for approximately 3–5 minutes. At that time, the instructor says, “switch,” and the students go to the next computer and continue the story on that computer. Keep doing this until each student gets through his/her group. Let students know that some stories may be selected to be read out loud.
Simon Says
The instructor acts as Simon calling out things for the students to do. Students should not complete the action unless the instructor first says, Simon says. If students do not follow directions, they must stop. Try the following examples, but remember to add a few non–Simon directions also.
1. Simon says to key Line 1 on page 22.
2. Simon says to return and begin typing on Line 2.
3. Simon says to look at your neighbor while you type.
4. Simon says to sing while you type.
5. Simon says to shake your head while you type.
6. Simon says to say the ABCs while you type.
Technique Tag
The purpose of technique tag is to work on proper technique at the keyboard. One person is selected to walk around the room looking for someone with excellent technique. When the person finds someone with great technique, he/she tags or taps that person and the tagged person becomes the new person to search for another person with great technique.
Tortoise and the Hare
The class is divided into two equal teams, the Hares and the Tortoises. Th e Hares’ goal is to type for speed and theTortoises’ goal is to type for accuracy. Scoring goes as follows and can be adjusted to reflect skill levels of individual classes:
Hares
- 5 yards for 15 wpm gain
- 3 yards for 12 wpm gain
- 1 yard for 10 wpm gain
Tortoises
- 5 yards for no errors
- 3 yards for 1 error
- 1 yard for 2 or more errors
The 10 animals who earn the greatest distance are the winners. Switch the students’ roles so they work at both, building speed and accuracy.
Poems and Mad Libs
Poems Original/Copy
Discuss various types of poetry. Read examples. Then let students either create their own or copy an example, using their keyboarding skills.
Mad Libs
Give students Mad Libs to copy and fill in. Go over the parts of speech they will need as they type the information in.
Recipes
Each student brings in a copy of a favorite recipe. Create a class cookbook. As an extension, students can switch or add at least one ingredient to the recipe.
Letters
- Each student types a letter to a distant grandparent, friend, relative, sports figure, heroine, or politician.
- Each student types a letter to the editor of a school or local newspaper.
- Each student types a thank you letter to a recent guest or benefactor at his/her school.
Movie, Music, and Art Reviews
Students become professional critics. They type a critique of one or more of the following:
- a contemporary song
- a movie they just saw
- musical pieces played for them by the teacher (Mix it up: classical, hard rock, folk)
- three art pieces on the wall.
- The critique should include a short description, an opinion, and a recommendation.
Report abuse