How to Start Kids Typing on Keyboards

1. Find a Practice Keyboard
A good place to begin is by familiarizing your child with the concept of a typing keyboard. I found an old computer keyboard at a yard sale for twenty-five cents and I put it in the kids play area of our home. Even the little ones love pretending to type out a letter to Grandma.

Another good familiarization technique is to print out a keyboard layout and laminate it for use as a placemat at the dining table.

2. Benefits of Typing
Even though most children younger than fourth grade do not have the finger reach and motor coordination to type in the traditional sense, your child is old enough to start learning how to use a keyboard if they know the alphabet and can identify all the letters. Learning to type at an early age helps kids with hand eye coordination, and fine motor skill.

3. Easy Typing Tutorials for Kids
One way to start is by having the child type their name. It works best if you set the font size large. Encourage your children to use both hands on the keyboard. Even though they are going to use the hunt and peck approach, train them to try using more than one finger. Explain that they can use the left hand for letters on the left side of the keyboard and use their right hand for letters on the right.

4. Teaching Typing Technique
For older children, begin by providing a demonstration of good typing technique. Encourage them to look primarily at the computer screen while they type. You can even cover their hands with a cloth or cut away part of an old shoe box to place over the keyboard so they can learn to memorize proper key location.

5. Typing Software for Kids
There are also dozens of software programs available to teach kids how to type. You can ask a keyboarding instructor at your local school for a recommendation on which one is best for your child's skill level.