Children who struggle with handwriting may benefit from accommodations in the classroom including use of the computer and typing to complete written communication. In this article, there are strategies and tips on how to implement a keyboarding club to teach keyboarding and computer skills. A keyboarding club can be used as an accommodation to written work, or a necessary functional skill.
KEYBOARDING CLUBS AND HANDWRITING
Handwriting can be a difficult and stressful action for many children. What happens when no matter what interventions are attempted, the child simply cannot function with the details and cohesiveness of completing all of the “parts” of written work? There can be a point when kids would be better off just typing as an accommodation in school work. With the use of keyboards and screens available in classrooms, homes, work places, and communities, there is more of a need for independence with keyboarding skills than perhaps in our past generations.
Children begin computer use when they enter kindergarten. Children are using computers in the classroom and at home at a very young age. So, when the accommodation of using keyboard skills over handwriting is approached, it can be an easy flow into function.
With modern technologies, keyboarding is as commonplace as handwriting in the development and growth of a child.
One strategy that can help with improving speed and accuracy as a handwriting modification is the use of a Keyboarding Club or group.
It is suggested by researchers that keyboarding instruction with correct finger placement begin in the third grade. Developmentally, this is an effective time for using finger dexterity skills, visual motor integration abilities, attention and focus, and visual perception needed to shift the vision from multiple planes.
Using keyboarding instruction curriculum can be a viable option for kids who struggle with handwriting. When required to compose thoughts onto paper, underlying handwriting issues may prevent creativity, construction, and fluency of written composition as well as legibility when performing these types of tasks.
A keyboarding program can and should be an intervention to accommodate handwriting needs AND a strategy for development in typical and modern educational needs. Keyboarding is an effective accommodation for struggles with the fine motor, visual perceptual, or sensory needs of handwriting that can be used in the classroom.
While there are many free keyboarding instruction programs available, it can be difficult for parents and teachers to find time within schedules to try and maintain participation in a keyboarding program.
With after school activities, graded homework, and other factors limiting time, participating in activities like a keyboarding program fall in priority. A keyboarding club can be the intervention needed to allow kids to learn the skills needed as an accommodation to handwriting as well as learning keyboarding skills needed for classroom tasks.
Using a keyboarding program can be a helpful alternative to written work, allowing for efficient communication, legibility, and composition of thoughts. Using computer work as an alternative to handwriting may be a necessary intervention in the classroom.
RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION (RTI) AND KEYBOARDING SKILLS
As with other educational and functional skills performed in the classroom, Occupational Therapist practitioners may approach treatment with a Response to Intervention (RtI) approach.
Response to Intervention is an approach that addresses each individual student’s learning needs and adjusts education to meet the needs of the student.
Children can first be identified as potential candidates to participate in a keyboarding program. These might be students who would benefit from keyboarding as an accommodation to handwriting. Students should show an interest in participating in a keyboarding program as well.
A keyboarding program using Response to Intervention in the school setting would involve screening, assessment of skills, small group instruction, and progress monitoring. Following instruction and participation in a keyboarding program for a period of several sessions or weeks, students can be re-assessed to monitor progress. When progress is limited, there are other keyboarding programs that can be of help.
As with any instructional program, keyboarding can be a novel and fun concept at first. However, after repeated trials of practice and quizzes, it can become boring for children. Without a drive to learn to type correctly, kids may quit, give up, or balk at participation. Keeping that in mind, keyboarding programs should involve creative ways to practice skills such as speed, finger placement, and accuracy.
At the start of a keyboarding program and before beginning instruction, students should be assessed in speed of copying a sentence using handwriting, typing speed, and accuracy on a keyboard writing assignment. It has been found that students whose typing speed equaled or exceeded their handwriting speed showed greater competence in the content of narrative writing when using a word processor than when handwriting.
Keyboarding Club Activities
- During a typical keyboarding club meeting, there can be a schedule of activities that guide each meeting.
Warm-Up Exercises
- Warm up with bilateral coordination exercises, hand warm-up activities, finger isolation exercises, tendon gliding exercises, and opposition exercises.
Organizing Activities
- Proprioception tasks and core facilitation exercises including chair push ups, wall push ups, and heavy work tasks.
Letter Placement Instruction
- Any new letters should be covered with proper finger placement.
- Review of any previous lessons should be covered.
- Use of multi-sensory and motor instruction in letter placement including gross motor activities.
Posture Check and Self-Assessment
- Use of a posture self-assessment checklist
Skills to Monitor
- Posture
- Hand placement
- Finger placement
- Typing accuracy
- Typing rhythm
- Typing speed
- Ease of bilateral coordination
Typing Activity
Use of a keyboarding program should be implemented and maintained over a period of several weeks and sessions with progress monitored.
DETAILS OF A KEYBOARDING CLUB FOR KIDS
A keyboarding club can operate on many different levels. It can be a daily activity for a short term such as two weeks, Monday through Friday or it can operate 2 or 3 times a week for 4-6 weeks.
Because of the tendency for repetition, it is beneficial to keep the duration of the club to a limited time. There is the potential for additional sessions of a keyboarding club.
Children who are participating in a keyboarding club should remain on the same lesson each session. Sessions should be limited to 20-30 minutes at a time.
Involving several children into the act of learning new skills allows use of group dynamics in the learning process.
KEYBOARDING CLUB TYPING PROGRAMS
- Learn To Type – This website is a great tool for practicing lessons that are broken down by row, upper case, and punctuation. There are tips for practice and each test accounts for accuracy and speed.
- Sense-Lang – Another online typing program. This site provides interactive tutorials and games to engage students.
- TypingClub – This free online typing curriculum moves kids through lessons. Kids can master each level and receive badges of completion. This program seems more like a game than lessons.
- Typing Club Google Chrome extension– This is a free program that can be downloaded to your browser. Kids can learn touch typing and work toward increasing speeds of typing.
Try these typing games when kids seem to be bored with the programming of your Keyboarding Club:
Other tasks that may be included in a keyboarding club include:
- Computer component identification
- Supply organization (including folder with practice sheets, etc)
- Ability to turn on, re-boot, access, start, and shut down software programs
- Storing files on a computer
- Accessing stored files on a computer
- Composing emails, letters, and filling in forms
- Proofreading and editing
- Completing writing prompts without copying from a text
Resources:
- Mahan, T. (2002). Flying Fingers Keyboarding Club: Building Keyboarding Skills Through the Response to Intervention Approach. OT Practice, 17(3), 14-20.
- Rogers, J., & Case-Smith, J. (2002). Relationships Between Handwriting and Keyboarding. Performance of Sixth-Grade Students. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 56(1), 34-39.