MBUSD Keyboarding Resources Information
It wasn’t that long ago that typing was only taught in high school and used mainly in clerical jobs. Today, children don’t know what a typewriter is and most households have multiple computers and other devices used by even the youngest family members. Keyboarding proficiency can no longer wait until high school—Children must start learning good typing skills as early as kindergarten so they can break free from the “hunt and peck” system. Schools and parents must work together to help students develop this essential 21st Century skill. Here’s what we are doing in Manhattan Beach to achieve this goal.
K-2nd Grades: The skill of keyboarding will be introduced to students beginning in Kindergarten. Kindergarteners and first graders will be introduced to keyboard and mouse/trackpad functions through web-based sites such like Key Seekers and Cup Stacker. Second Graders will be introduced to Dance Mat Typing or Typing.com as they begin to use home row keys and develop keyboarding stamina. Across the grades, keyboarding may be integrated into classroom activities as the teachers see fit.
3rd-5th Grades: The third-fifth graders use the online typing program Typing.com to increase keyboarding accuracy and speed. Students are able to access Typing.com at school or from home, on any computer that has an Internet connection. Students are being set up with accounts and will be able to log-on using their username and password. Typing.com tracks student progress on self-paced typing lesson and one, three, and five minute typing test can be taken at any time. Fourth and fifth graders continue to practice typing sentences and paragraphs. The Common Core keyboarding standard for fourth graders is to achieve a minimum speed of 20 wpm speed at 95% accuracy on 1-minute timed writings. The standard for fifth grade students is to achieve a minimum speed of 24 wpm speed at 95% accuracy on 2-minute timed writings. Students may have the opportunity to practice at school in their classrooms, the library, or in a lab setting depending on the school.
Keyboarding Related Common Core Standards
Keyboarding Resources
MBUSD | Standards/Objectives | Website or App Resources | Notes |
Kindergarten Pre Keyboarding Activities |
| Elementary Mouse Practice Exercises: Ads | |
Letter recognition; right and left hand | |||
Letter recognition; typing practice in game format | |||
Letter recognition; typing practice in game format | |||
Typing practice in game format | |||
Typing practice in game format | |||
1st Grade Pre Keyboarding Lessons |
| Letter recognition; right and left hand | |
Target word spoken; student types in word; game-like | |||
Typing practice in game format | |||
Engaging; No image of hand placement during activities | |||
Engaging; No image of hand placement during activities | |||
2nd Grade Keyboarding Activities |
| Engaging; No image of hand placement during activities | |
Comprehensive program; teacher & student accounts; diagnostics; Google app | |||
Audio word given; student types in word | |||
Ads; typing practice in game formats | |||
Engaging; No image of hand placement during activities | |||
3rd Grade Review, Mastery, and Production |
| Engaging; No image of hand placement during activities | |
Comprehensive program; teacher & student accounts; diagnostics; Google app | |||
Tutorial; skill lessons; student diagnostics; redo feature | |||
Lessons; student must type correctly to progress in lesson | |||
Ads; typing practice in game formats | |||
4th Grade Review, Mastery, and Production | To Strengthen Muscle Memory and Improve Skills
To Demonstrate required speed and accuracy
| Comprehensive program; teacher & student accounts; diagnostics; Google app | |
Tutorial; skill lessons; student diagnostics; redo feature | |||
Choice of passages and time limits; wpm given at end of test | |||
Lessons, goals, and diagnostics; longer lessons for advanced practice | |||
Practice typing passages; adjusts level based on accuracy and speed | |||
Tutorials & hints (lots of reading); lessons; redo or progress | |||
5th Grade Review, Mastery, and Production | To Strengthen Muscle Memory and Improve Skills
To Demonstrate required speed and accuracy
| Comprehensive program; teacher & student accounts; diagnostics; Google app | |
Tutorial; skill lessons; student diagnostics; redo feature | |||
Choice of passages and time limits; wpm given at end of test | |||
Lessons, goals, and diagnostics; longer lessons for advanced practice | |||
Practice typing passages; adjusts level based on accuracy and speed | |||
Tutorials & hints (lots of reading); lessons; redo or progress |
6th Grade: Achieve minimum speed of 27 wpm speed at 95% accuracy on 2-minute timed writings. Type three pages in a single sitting.
Other Typing Websites/Links (not reviewed)
• Assault Typing (words) • Bees and Honey Mouse Practice • Chameleon Fly Catcher (words, caps, punctuation) • Click the Circles Mouse Practice (practice using shift + letter for capitals) • Dino Kids Trash Typer (words) • Finger Frenzy (have an ABC contest!) • Focal Points (repeated letters) • Glencoe's Online Keyboarding • Gyroshi (hard!) • KeyBall • KeyBlock • Keybr • Keyflex (finding letters) • KeyMan • KeySeeker (BEGINNER!!) • Mouse Practice with One-to-One Correspondence • Mouse Practice Drag and Drop the Trash • Mouse Practice - Put Tadpoles in a Jar (Are you fast?) • NumPad Kenny's (number keypad practice) • Same Game (Mouse Practice and Thinking Game!) • Slate (Mouse Practice) • Speed Typing (words) • TouchTunes Mouse Practice • Type It! (Home Row Practice) • TypeRacer (paragraphs) • Typing Speed Test at PlayKidsGames • Typing Test for Speed and Accuracy • Typing Treasures (easy) • Typo • Typo II • UpBeat! (Home Row practice) |