Building Keyboarding Skills

1. Keyboarding is Part of the Digital Literacy Standards

Our students begin visiting our computer labs in kindergarten. It is recommended that kindergarten students be introduced to the keyboard and the placement of the letters on the keyboard. First graders should begin practicing proper finger placement and keyboarding technique, and by the time students reach our testing grades (which could be as young as 3rd and 4th grade), they should be able to use word processing applications to produce "written" work for extended periods of time. With the roll out of Chromebooks into our classrooms, our very early learners are being exposed to using the keyboard at a very young age. If our elementary teachers provide proper keyboarding instruction, our middle school teachers should have it easier.  If our younger elementary students do not receive any instruction on proper keyboarding techniques, our middle school teachers will have some gnarly habits to break! We MUST start young.

Digital Literacy should be taught by all teachers, across all grade levels and all content areas. There is a section of our Digital Literacy guide dedicated specifically for Keyboarding.

2. Keyboarding Helps Students in Computer-Based Assessment

Many schools, states, and districts now rely on a range of computer-based assessment technologies. So it stands to reason that if a student is typing answers on a keyboard, fast and effortless typing will help them score higher. Instead of struggling to find letters and “hunting and pecking”, students who know keyboarding can type quickly and automatically, allowing them to focus their attention on what matters – doing their best in the test.

3. Keyboarding Builds Classroom Success

As technology continues to grow, so does the need for proper typing skills. Classrooms are becoming technologically inclusive, integrating online collaboration and discussion into lesson plans. Since a huge amount of class and assignment work is completed on a computer with a keyboard, when students type well, it makes everything else faster, easier, and more enjoyable. 

4. Keyboarding for Real-World Success

While phones and iPads have become popular for watching Netflix, texting friends, and surfing the web, you still need a keyboard in order to do “real work”. If you type fast, you are more productive at work, process information faster, and are less likely to develop painful RSI (which is caused by incorrect typing). This is why typing is an essential skill for almost any job, especially for high paying jobs. Proper keyboarding sets students up for success in the high-tech future, where many jobs will involve using computers, coding, and analyzing large amounts of data. 

source: https://nearpod.com/blog/teach-keyboarding-schools/ 

It's All About Technique!

First and foremost, instilling proper keyboarding techniques with your students should lead all of your instruction for this course.  Before jumping into Typing Agent, provide instruction on proper ergonomics (just a big word for finding the optimal "fit" between the student and his or her work environment. Having proper posture and technique will help to optimize their performance and reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries). Discuss the importance of sitting properly, placing your fingers correctly on the keyboard, and following through with correct keystrokes.  

The hard truth is that by the time many of our students reach the sixth grade, they have already established some pretty tough posture and keyboarding habits to break.  

Use a checklist such as the one below as an ongoing rubric with your students to check for growth and mastery. If a keyboarding instructor, this could (and should) be calculated into your keyboarding grades each 6 weeks.

Alongside receiving keyboarding instruction through Typing Agent, the classroom teacher should provide extra activities for the students to flex their typing skills. Take a look at the collection below for ideas on ways to provide your students with extra practice.

REMEMBER..... a huge part of becoming a proficient typist lies in technique! Always encourage your students to practice correct posture, finger placement, and keystrokes, not matter the activity that they are completing on the computer.

It is ideal to have students work in Typing Agent 10 - 15 minutes a day, a few days of week, or in short intervals everyday.  Working in the program any longer than that will cause burnout for the students.

Allow your students the opportunity to practice keyboarding outside of the Typing Agent Program.  Give some of our recommended Keyboarding Practice Sites a whirl.

As the teacher, you should always monitor for proper keyboarding technique in your students. Also, it is easy for a student to become side-tracked on external sites. Walk around to monitor student activity. Make sure that they are engaging in games which provide keyboarding practice.

Tips for Developing Keyboarding Awareness in Elementary

Integrate keyboarding skills into the existing curriculum when appropriate using the devices you have available to you. Here is a short list of some easy ways you can have students practice typing while also practicing other skills.

Have students type stories on any word processor.

Create a class blog (use Edublogs, Kidblog, or Seesaw) and have students post and comment.

Have students read articles on DogoNews or Wonderopolis and comment.

Add captions, labels, titles, and text to images on Google Drawing and Pic Collage.

Use digital interactive notebooks on Google Slides.

Practice typing usernames and passwords.

source: https://www.erintegration.com/2019/05/13/should-you-teach-keyboarding-to-elementary-students/