Hello Denis,
 
Thanks for the response. Your experience is different from my own. Some people say that hand size is an issue with students in second grade. This has not been the case with the many students who receive direct instruction from me. Simple techniques for reaching keys, such as ENTER, allow the fingers to span while leaving an "anchor finger" on a home row key. Students at this stage are not expected to do a lot of typing, but are using the keyboard enough that good or bad keyboarding habits will be developed. 
 
In my state of Oklahoma, keyboarding is not currently a Priority Academic Student Skills (PASS) objective. However, computer use is required as part of our core curriculum. If a curriculum could incorporate excellent typing instruction early enough, efficient, ergonomically sound habits would be the result. 
 
I've seen many computer classes where perhaps half the participants are actually following the prescribed instruction. The others, usually older students (fourth grade and up) already feel competent enough with their own style of keying, inefficient as it may be. (BTW- the two best typing programs are: UltraKeys by Bytes of Learning, and Paws in Typing Town.)
 
Back to my other question, could learning touch typing enhance literacy for ESL or LD or adult literacy students? Would the characteristic automaticity of the skill contribute to reading and language mastery?
 
Barbara Oliver, COTA/L
Tulsa, OK
barbarasg8 at aol.com

 

-----Original Message-----
From: danson at misericordia.edu
To: technology at nifl.gov
Sent: Mon, 18 Dec 2006 8:44 AM
Subject: [Technology 761] Re: Technology List topic: Keyboarding


I can tell you from personal experience that much before 3rd grade, 
touch typing probably isn't possible, at least not on a standard keyboard.

Many years ago, I volunteered to do some keyboarding instruction in my 
daughter's 1st grade classroom.  (Having two gifted children, I didn't 
have a good grasp of what "typically developing" students looked like.)  
At first grade, the kids didn't have the finger span to touch type.  We 
focused on learning where the keys are, and pressing them with the 
correct fingers, but true touch typing wasn't possible.

-- 
Denis Anson, MS, OTR
Director of Research and Development
Assistive Technology Research Institute
College Misericordia
301 Lake St.
Dallas, PA 18612
Phone: 570-674-6413
Fax: 570-674-8054 



barbarasg8 at aol.com wrote:

> Hello group,

>  

> It would be helpful to hear how computer keyboarding is being taught 

> around the country, and who is teaching it? I come from a background 

> in occupational therapy and have taught touch typing to hundreds of 

> students from 1st - 6th grades. Based on what I've learned, teaching 

> young students at the second or third grade level is very practical. 

> At that age, children have not become habitual "hunt and peck" 

> typists. Because they are still learning to read and spell they can 

> benefit from using touch typing skills to practice word lists 

> and compose short writing assignments.

>  

> I see older students enter computer classes having already developed 

> typing skills that are inefficient and hard to remediate. Lack of 

> good habits and slower input make a big difference when students are 

> required to produce longer papers in high school, and afterword as 

> they compete in the workplace.

>  

> Another question about teaching/learning touch typing: how might it 

> contribute to ESL students at any age, or adults with LD and people in 

> adult literacy classes? 

>  

> I have been reading these emails for months but never contributed to 

> the discussion.

> Thank you for the opportunity.

>  

> Barbara Oliver, COTA/L

> Tulsa OK

> barbarasg8 at aol.com <mailto:barbarasg8 at aol.com>

>  

>

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