Elementary Keyboarding

Students receive initial keyboarding instruction in grade 3.  Students in grades 4 and 5 review and continue to build their skills.  Michigan and Grosse Pointe's keyboarding standard for exiting fifth graders is 20 words per minute with 90% accuracy.  Accuracy, not speed, is emphasized during instruction. Once instruction is provided, keyboards remain covered in the classroom and school lab.

Activities and Interactive Games for Practice

1. ABCya Keyboarding Challenge Game  (gr. 3-5)

2. Black Dog's Typing Test (tests speed and accuracy)

3. Dance Mat Typing (4 UK levels for typing practice)

4. Easy Typing Games

5. Fearless Frieda (gr. 1-2)

6. GameAqarium Typing Games (gr. 3-5)

7. Harder Typing Games

8. HeadSprout Interactive Mouse/Literacy Activity (Gr. K-1)

9. Nimble Fingers

10. Shoot the Bubbles Typing Game (May work only at home)

11. Spacebar Invaders (gr. 3-5)

12. TyperShark Typing Game

Ergonomics

1. Cergos for Students: What To Do at the Computer Station

2. Cergos for Teachers: What To Do at the Computer Station

3. Computers Can Be a Real Pain

4. CU Ergo: Cornell University Ergonomics Web

5. ErgoKids: Safe Computer Workstation Design for Children

6. Stress Reduction, Break Time Activities

Instruction

1. Methods of Instruction for Teaching Keyboarding

2. Readiness for Teaching Keyboarding

3. Technique and Posture

4. Typin's Cool - Our Grosse Pointe Program

Parent Information and Support

1. Grade Three Keyboarding in Grosse Pointe (Downloadable PDF Document)

2. Grade Four Keyboarding in Grosse Pointe (Downloadable PDF Document)

3. Grade Five Keyboarding in Grosse Pointe (Downloadable PDF Document)

4. Keyboarding and Your Child: Keys to Success

5. Keyboarding Covers: Speedskins (Keyboards can also be covered with a blank sheet of paper so that the student types under the paper without seeing the keys.)

Printable Pages

1. Black/White Windows Keyboard (PDF)

2. Color Windows Keyboard (PDF)

3. Blank Key Windows Keyboard (PDF)

4. Printable Keyboards for Practice (PDF)

Standards

1. Michigan Keyboarding and Technology Objectives