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Teaching the proper use of a keyboard for children is a great way to get them started early. Learning how to type on a keyboard will help prepare them for the job market when they get out of school. But there’s more to learning about the keyboard than just typing on it. Proper Posture One of the most important techniques for typing that children should learn at a young age is proper posture. Without the proper posture, you can’t have your arms, wrists, hands and fingers at the right angle for effective typing. The typing student should sit up straight with their back at a 90 degree angle to the floor. Their feet should also be flat on the floor. Start with the Home Row The first step to learning how to type is to learn the letters on the home row. The home row is the one that contains the letters “asdfghjkl.” The student should study these keys so they can memorize the order in which they are situated. Once they have a good idea about where each letter is, they should practice the fingering. The right index finger should rest on the “J” key while the left index finger should rest on the "F" key. Go Through Some Drills The next step to teaching the proper techniques on a keyboard for children is to go through some typing drills. You should begin with just the letters on the home row until those are learned. From there, you can move on to letters on other rows. But the beginning drills should focus on one letter at a time. The students should practice hitting each letter with the proper finger. By practicing this, they will create something called “muscle memory,” which means their muscles will remember where the keys are on the keyboard. Begin with Word Drills Once the letters are mastered, it’s time to start working on words. Have a list of words for the students to type so they can practice typing in short bursts. Observe their technique to make sure they are using the correct fingers on the keys. Cover the Keyboard Finally, once the students are ready for something more challenging, cover the keyboard with a piece of paper or book while they type. Having an effective typing technique means being able to type without watching your fingers. Until students have mastered this skill, they will not have reached their full potential on the keyboard. For more information visit : www.oregonhgp.org
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