From Spacebar and Beyond
Teaching Keyboarding in a Smartphone World
In today’s world, wouldn’t you think that everyone would be a great typist/keyboardist?
After all, they have had access to the keyboard since before school. Or at least by kindergarten. I’m finding that’s not the case. In fact, my own typing class in the 12th grade better-prepared me for typing than today’s kids. Even though they have been on computers for years. And I am not the world’s greatest typist. I type in the 40s (wpm) and I use the “delete” key and spell check — often.
I also teach keyboarding. I teach it to 7th graders.
They are 5 years younger than I was when I learned to type on an old fashioned, manual “cha-ching!” typewriter. (I tell my students I learned to type on an anvil.) So they are getting my class earlier and are using easier-to-type-on keyboards.
They should be able to hone their skills and be faster, more efficient, and have fewer errors than I ever had. They don’t have to take the whole page out whenever they have a typo. Paint it with white-erase. Put the paper back in the machine. Line it up (never perfectly, of course). And finally, type the correct letter in. OR leave the typos in. Or re-type the whole page. Only skilled typists managed to get great speeds with no errors in the past. Now we have the “delete” key and spell check! (I like typing a lot better now than then — lol.)
As I watch my class typing right now — I see a variety of techniques. I have covers on the keyboards so they cannot see the letters. I harp on keeping your fingers hovered over the home row. I plead with them to use the correct fingers for each key. I tell them the keyboard was designed to be typed in the manner I am teaching them. I tell them I fuss because I care. I tell them this is for their good, not mine. But many are still “hunting and pecking” — even though they cannot see the letters! Some have unusual techniques I cannot even describe, even though it seems consistent. Just not correct. The online program that they are staring at has a picture of the correct finger typing each key as they work. But they still have very odd patterns.
What is going on? They had keyboarding in elementary school and access to computers for 10 plus years now. Why are they not already proficient — so that this class is a way to get better, faster, and have fewer errors instead of a back-to-the-drawing-board course?
I have said to teachers at my school, “Don’t expect 7th graders to type papers. They don’t have the typing skills yet.” One teacher said, “Well isn’t that your job?” Others have said, “They have been typing since kindergarten!” (Sigh. Silent Scream.)
Seriously, though. Have they been typing since kindergarten? Or pushing keys on the computer with any finger they want? I researched typing for young kids online. “Learn to type,” the sites say. They have a cute picture and the word “see.” It says to type each letter and click the button on the screen. The child does not have to use any correct fingers for s-e-e. I know. I used my pinky, my pointer and my thumb. I clicked the button with my mouse. It said “GOOD JOB!” What? Good job? It’s TEACHING children to hunt and peck!
Why getting to use the keyboard sooner is hurting keyboarding skills (when they should be better than I was).
- They are experimenting with and developing their own odd patterns.
2. The program praises them for pressing keys with random fingers.
3. They use sight and hunt and peck because of reason #2.
4. They are not monitored by anyone.
5. A teacher might give them a cardboard keyboard cover. So they slump and look under it — promoting bad posture.
Going online
I experimented with online keyboarding-typing-learning games for young children. Here’s what I found. They don’t tell the child which finger to use. OR. They might show the child which finger — but they show a hand so it’s hard to tell exactly which finger they mean. I was able to type with any finger or my thumb, and change fingers several times on the same key and get a “That’s Great!”
One program had a lovely talking goat (Scottish accent). The goat did instruct the children to put index fingers on “f” and “j” and then type in a row. It was a good start. If the child listened to the goat, they would do it right. But I could still use the wrong fingers. These online typing games can work without using the correct fingers! Until someone invents a computer program that knows which finger is being used — the typist can still hunt and peck and get rewarded for it.
I use Typingclub.com for my 7th graders. I use plastic keyboard covers, too. I still have to watch and remind them to keep their fingers hovered over the Home Row. I remind them to use the correct fingers in all the other rows. Of course, as soon as I stop looking, they are back to old habits.
My students respond by insisting that they can type faster with their bad form. I counter that they will never type very fast that way and must go back to the starting point. They don’t want to do that.
What can we do to fix this?
My first thought is:
We need to start them out right at a young age. It is very hard to retrain and fix bad skills. It is easier to do it right in the first place. Because I don’t see your child until the 7th grade.
Here are my recommendations (pleadings?):
For parents
1. Encourage your child to always use the right finger. If the game is to press return, make sure they always use the right pinky. If the game wants a word, have them use the correct fingers on that word. Type “ok” over and over with their right-hand ring and middle fingers to develop a great habit!
2. And, yes, you will have to watch them. The computer does not know which fingers they are using — yet. (Someone needs to invent that). If a game has them use the same word over and over, you have to coach them to use the correct fingers every time. This will train them to start touch typing while thinking they are playing a game! Win, win.
3. Never let them put the wrong finger on the wrong key.
4. Type words like “ok ok ok yes yes ok ok no no” over and over. Type words like these used in games with — you guessed it — the correct fingers. Every time.
Note: When I teach beginning piano, I do this in a very similar way. They only use the fingers I tell them to on each piece. I don’t let them move their fingers to other places on the piano until they have mastered 5 keys for 5 fingers. Later I have them re-position their hands on the piano — so it gets tricky. Eventually, they have to learn how to put fingers over thumbs and pick up their hands to start a new part of the piece. BUT. With the keyboard — hurray! — no re-positioning ever! (Unless you want to use the 9-key at the right for numbers.)
For teachers
1. Don’t let them use keyboards without watching and guiding them.
2. Use the same practices as in the parent section above.
3. When using any key, always use the correct finger on that key. Thumb on the spacebar. Pointers on pointer keys. Pinkies on “return” and “tab” and “shift”, etc. Even if they are not starting with the Home Row, children can still get used to using correct fingers on the keys.
4. Call the fingers by their names. Notice I don’t call fingers the “j” finger or “f” finger? I have always called them the “pointer”, “middle”, “ring” and “pinky” fingers (and “thumb”) because of my piano teaching. The “j” finger types a lot of other keys, so it is confusing to call it “j”. I call it the right-hand pointer finger.
5. Type words, small words. When students get older, have them type words with correct fingers. Type out their spelling words starting in 1st grade (or kindergarten). Start with “as”, or “we” or “or”, or “ed” or “he”. Start with 2-letter words on the same row, then words that have letters between rows. Then add 3 letter words: “and, had, fad, pet, wet,” etc. Let them type testing words, too, such as “lol”. Notice the bottom row has no vowels? So……
6. For the bottom row — start with abbreviations like “cnn, nbc, bcc”.
7. Incorporate those consonants from the bottom row with vowels from the other rows. “Men, ben, can, van,” etc.
8. Don’t worry about capitalization yet.
9. Always, always using the correct fingers. (I might be repeating myself.)
10. Move on to 4-letter and 5-letter words. Then start typing simple sentences using the words they know. Invent sentences from one row. “We wet yet.” The sentence does not have to make sense. “Hal had lad.” Then add some from the bottom row to get them used to typing words from the other rows. But. You guessed it. Someone has to watch their fingers in case they stop using the correct ones.
11. Practice the keys of each finger only. Especially the middle finger. Type “ed”, “dec”, “ced”. Next type “kim”, “ikm”, “mki”. Make sure they pick a thumb and only use that thumb forever on the space bar and no other key.
12. As they get older, add punctuation. Then add the shift keys for capitalization.
13. PRETEND THE CAPS LOCK DOES NOT EXIST! My students LOVE to press “caps lock”, then the letter, then press “caps lock” again. UGH! WHY? It takes more steps!! Bad habits. Very hard to fix.
Teaching kids keyboarding in a smartphone world.
Middle School and Junior High Keyboarding teachers, are you with me? We have to ask the Elementary teachers to do this, pretty please. It is getting too late for many when we receive them in a State of Bad Habits. Elementary teachers, we are hoping and counting on you!
And parents, in spite of what might be happening at your school — you can set your child up for success before this happens. Happy Keyboarding!
Make it a good habit from spacebar and beyond.
