Hi Barbara,

 

Your 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?" 

In terms of student with LD...I now there are others on this list that
are more expert then I am in terms of working with adult students with
LD, so I hope you all weigh in. My own experience and understanding is
that keyboarding is not necessarily a way to remediate a learning
disability, but rather would be an accommodation that might allow
someone with a learning disability to engage more readily in the writing
process and to demonstrate writing ability. I know that wasn't your
question, and I am also interested in knowing if there is an
auto-catalytic effect. That is, if an adult student with a learning
disability is provided with an accommodation like access to a keyboard
for writing assignments and then provided direct instruction on
keyboarding will that then serve to increase the overall acquisition of
literacy skills? 

Look forward to hearing from others,

Mariann

 

 

 

Mariann Fedele

Associate Director,

NYC Regional Adult Education Network

Literacy Assistance Center

Moderator,
NIFL Technology and Literacy Discussion List
32 Broadway 10th Floor
New York, New York 10004
212-803-3325
mariannf at lacnyc.org
www.lacnyc.org

________________________________

From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of barbarasg8 at aol.com
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2006 11:00 AM
To: technology at nifl.gov
Subject: [Technology 763] Re: Technology List topic: Keyboarding and
literacy

 

 

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 <mailto:barbarasg8%40aol.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%40aol.com>

<mailto:barbarasg8 at aol.com <mailto:barbarasg8%40aol.com> >


>  



> 


________________________________

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