Keyboarding Resources

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

Practicing keyboarding skills at home is encouraged! Students should try to practice often, but at very short intervals, no longer than 10 minutes at a time. Most students enjoy the keyboarding practice, and will meet the standard within a year’s time.

Keyboarding is addressed tangentially–saying students must be able to type # pages in a single sitting. (See CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.6 for example. The ‘pages in a single sitting’ starts in 4th grade and continues through 6th where it’s increased to three–see CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.6)

By 3rd grade, Common Core also discusses the use of keyboarding to produce work, i.e.,CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.6 which specifically mentions ‘use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills).
Keyboarding will be required to take SBAC assessments.

The CCSS are progressive–students are expected to learn material, then transfer that knowledge to the next grade level where they show evidence of having learned it by using it and building on it. Therefore, the notation to ‘produce and publish writing using keyboarding skills’ in 3rd grade carries into all successive grades.

Fulfillment of the CCSS will require a level of keyboarding expertise by 4th grade. To type one page in a single sitting in 4th grade means typing approx. 300 words without taking a break. At 25 wpm, that’s 14 minutes of straight typing. If 4th graders are slower than 25 wpm, the time commitment of sitting in front of a monitor goes up tremendously. For example, at 15 wpm, they would be typing non-stop for 20 minutes.

Keyboarding Resources

MBUSD	Standards/Objectives	Website or App Resources	Notes
Kindergarten Pre Keyboarding Activities	Develop motor skills Teach right and left hand identification Introduce keyboard and mouse/trackpad functions	Minimouse	Elementary Mouse Practice Exercises: Ads
		Keyboarding Zoo	Letter recognition; right and left hand
		Key Seeker	Letter recognition; typing practice in game format
		Cup Stacker	Letter recognition; typing practice in game format
		Keyboard Climber	Typing practice in game format
		Alpha Munchies	Typing practice in game format
1st Grade Pre Keyboarding Lessons	Learn correct body and hand positions Develop finger dexterity Understand location of home row keys and finger placement Demonstrate correct use of right and left hands Identify letters and numbers on the keyboard Practice typing letters and words Learn drag and drop skills	Keyboarding Zoo	Letter recognition; right and left hand
		Fearless Frieda-The Big Kahuna	Target word spoken; student types in word; game-like
		Keyboard Climber 2	Typing practice in game format
		Type Rocket	Engaging; No image of hand placement during activities
		Keyboard Invasion	Engaging; No image of hand placement during activities
2nd Grade Keyboarding Activities	Build typing muscle memory Show correct body and hand positions Understand movement of fingers on the keyboard Master home row keys Identify location of letters on upper and lower rows of the keyboard Practice typing common letters, words, and sentences	Dance Mat Typing	Engaging; No image of hand placement during activities
		Typing.com	Comprehensive program; teacher & student accounts; diagnostics; Google app
		Fearless Frieda-The Big Kahuna	Audio word given; student types in word
		FreeTyping Games	Ads; typing practice in game formats
		Keyboard Invasion	Engaging; No image of hand placement during activities
3rd Grade Review, Mastery, and Production	Show correct body and finger positions Learn number and function keys Keep eyes on copy Use correct reaches from home row keys Increase key accuracy from dictation and printed copy Demonstrate correct fingering of period, comma and question mark Demonstrate correct use of space bar, enter key, shift key and tab Format and type paragraphs	Dance Mat Typing	Engaging; No image of hand placement during activities
		Typing.com	Comprehensive program; teacher & student accounts; diagnostics; Google app
		Typing Club	Tutorial; skill lessons; student diagnostics; redo feature
		Big Brown Bear/Type to Learn	Lessons; student must type correctly to progress in lesson
		FreeTyping Games	Ads; typing practice in game formats
4th Grade Review, Mastery, and Production	To Strengthen Muscle Memory and Improve Skills Show correct body and finger positions Keep eyes on copy Demonstrate correct keyboarding technique while keying from dictation and printed copy Review keys with teacher-directed keyboarding program To Demonstrate required speed and accuracy Achieve minimum speed of 20 wpm speed at 95% accuracy on 1-minute timed writings. Type one page in a single sitting.	Typing.com	Comprehensive program; teacher & student accounts; diagnostics; Google app
		Typing Club	Tutorial; skill lessons; student diagnostics; redo feature
		Timed Typing Test	Choice of passages and time limits; wpm given at end of test
		Power Typing	Lessons, goals, and diagnostics; longer lessons for advanced practice
		TypeRacer	Practice typing passages; adjusts level based on accuracy and speed
		Peter’s On-line Typing Course	Tutorials & hints (lots of reading); lessons; redo or progress
5th Grade Review, Mastery, and Production	To Strengthen Muscle Memory and Improve Skills Show correct body and finger positions Keep eyes on copy Demonstrate correct keyboarding technique while keying from dictation and printed copy Review keys with teacher-directed keyboarding program To Demonstrate required speed and accuracy Achieve minimum speed of 24 wpm speed at 95% accuracy on 2-minute timed writings. Type two pages in a single sitting.	Typing.com	Comprehensive program; teacher & student accounts; diagnostics; Google app
		Typing Club	Tutorial; skill lessons; student diagnostics; redo feature
		Timed Typing Test	Choice of passages and time limits; wpm given at end of test
		Power Typing	Lessons, goals, and diagnostics; longer lessons for advanced practice
		TypeRacer	Practice typing passages; adjusts level based on accuracy and speed
		Peter’s On-line Typing Course	Tutorials & hints (lots of reading); lessons; redo or progress