When do you start typing

[UrbanSue]

When do you start typing instruction? And why then?

[Alte Veste Academy]

After hand-writing, including cursive, is mastered (meaning comfortable, fluid, easy, and neat). If my child had a physical issue with handwriting, I would introduce typing early, as an empowering modification. But otherwise, we wait. I am just starting to think oldest DS might be at that point.

[Dana]

I think I started my son in 2nd grade. He was starting to hunt and peck on the keyboard and I wanted to be sure he could touch type. We used Typing Instructor for Kids and I took an old keyboard and painted over the keys so he couldn't look at them.

He got in the 20s on timed writings. I'll have him do some more for speed in late middle school.

[TarynB]

DS learned to type by the end of 3rd grade. When I started to require more written output for his assignments, but he was reluctant to write by hand, he was quite self-motivated to learn how to type. :coolgleamA:

[weederberries]

I gave my kids an option between typing and cursive writing at 3rd grade. One chose typing, one chose cursive. The irony is that the child for which teaching manuscript was so unbearable, was the one that chose cursive. By 5th grade, it is assigned learning.

[SorrelZG]

DS recently started and he is beginning second grade. He is already well established in cursive.

[m0mmaBuck]

I started both kids this year. DS is 5th and DD is 1st. I wanted to wait until DS's handwriting improved but after watching him hunt and peck while using Google I just couldn't take it any more. We started with BBC Dance Mat and DD wanted in on the fun. At this point, DS uses Typing Instructor to work on speed and DD still plays around on Dance Mat. Both know proper hand/finger placement.

[Arcadia]

Older gets tired easily from writing since Kindergarten. Hubby could not stand older's two finger typing so hubby taught both boys.

[loftmama]

I clearly remember my high school typing class and figured I'd teach my guys about the same time. So I answered 7-8, thinking this was early. :lol: As in so many things, I am behind the curve! :)

[Chelli]

I started typing this year with my 3rd grader while also teaching her cursive.

 

I wanted to start now before too many years of bad typing habits had formed (hunt and peck, etc.).

 

And her fingers are long enough now to reach all the keys!

[Danielle1746]

I clearly remember my high school typing class and figured I'd teach my guys about the same time. So I answered 7-8, thinking this was early. :lol: As in so many things, I am behind the curve! :)

 

You are not alone. I took typing my junior year, so I thought I was doing great to introduce it in 7th!

[Dmmetler]

Last year, at age 7, because DD was dying to write faster, and she had good handwriting, but not quick enough to keep up with her thoughts. We used "Nessy Fingers", which is a UK-based program that you download to your home PC. DD really liked helping Nessy and the games, and I think the accent for the narrator helped keep her interest as well. She's written a lot more since she started typing.

[Mommy22alyns]

I started Rebecca in 3rd, but she didn't quite get the hang of it, so I shelved it. She'll start it in earnest in the fall, 5th grade. I'll have her do all her written work in cursive and scratch the handwriting book.

[UrbanSue]

Thanks for the replies so far. I, too, am really surprised at how early everyone is starting. I have started my third grader just recently on Typing Instructor for Kids. His handwriting is so s . .l . .o . .w (though beautiful and we are still working on cursive as well). But I'd been feeling kind of guilty about how early he was starting typing. And my 6yo is begging to learn as well.

 

I learned how to type my junior year of high school as well. I told my kids that I could drive a car before I could type and we didn't even own a computer until that year. One of them said, "So, you must be 300 years old?"

[Critterfixer]

I'm planning on teaching it this year, so I'll be looking for recommendations on a good program.

The boys are learning how to play the piano, and their dexterity with the piano keys (already attempting right and left hands together) convinced me that they are ready to learn how to type.

They are 9 and going into 4th grade this fall.

[K&Rs Mom]

I start mine on Dance Mat typing when their fingers are big enough to get to all the keys. We use a laptop, so the keyboard is a little smaller than standard. Both of them have been sometime in 2nd grade.

[MinivanMom]

We start typing once a child is writing fluently in cursive. So far I have taught cursive in 2nd grade, required all work in cursive in 3rd grade, and started typing the summer after 3rd grade. We use Typing Instructor for Kids and have always treated it as a sort of special privilege. Since we don't own any gaming systems or generally play computer games, I guess it is.

[Mandy in TN]

Perhaps not a popular opinion, but I just don't care if my children have pretty handwriting. I want their workbooks and such completed with speed and accuracy. Legible is all I am wanting. I don't care if they ever write in cursive. I introduce cursive. All of my children have completed at least 2 cursive workbooks. I print out things in various cursive font so that they have practice reading cursive. I make sure they feel comfortable signing their name, but I never require that anything be written in cursive.

 

OTOH, I never hide the keyboard or otherwise keep my kids from typing. Even as toddlers my boys wanted to type. We have never needed a typing program. They watch me. I use two hands. They use two hands. I show them the finger placement for their index fingers. But, the most motivational thing for my middle and youngest has been MMO's. Typing quickly enough to be a part of the conversation and not being able to look at your fingers because you need to keep your eyes on the screen is pretty motivational.

 

By the time they are in third grade and moving on from copywork and sentences to composition, I expect everything to be typed. Only my oldest, my dyslexic, ever did anything by hand. He really didn't do composition until jr high, and then he typed. My youngest is 10yo and it wouldn't occur to him to pull out a sheet of paper for composition. He types as quickly as I speak when I am speaking at an even conversational pace.

 

Now, as an adult, I never write in cursive, but I type all the time. :D

Mandy