Typing: How long did it take for your child to become proficient?

[TheAttachedMama]

Near the end of the school year, I like to look back and assess progress, figure out what worked well and what didn't---that type of thing.

 

This year I tried to teach my children to type.   (They are in 2nd and 3rd grade.)   We tried a number of programs, but finally settled on typing.com for lessons.   I had the kids work on typing for 10-15 minutes each school day.   The thing is, we didn't make as much progress as I was hoping.   They are still REALLY, REALLY slow when typing.   It actually takes them longer to type things out than it does to handwrite it.  (Although their hands don't get as tired.)  

 

Is this normal for their ages?   Do I need another program?  Or just more time plugging along?   

 

(For those familiar with the program, they made it almost through the intermediate portion in a years time.)   

[wapiti]

Seems pretty young to me.  I wouldn't worry about it at all.  My kids got faster around 5th/6th (many thanks to Minecraft).

[Hobbes]

Is there a reason you want them to be typing proficiently at these ages? I'm expecting that more around 6th grade.

 

I remember starting around 7th (no computer before then!) and reaching proficiency very quickly. It was likely quick because we weren't allowed to use MSN Messenger until we hit a certain WPM and accuracy level, ah those were the days.

 

I generally see typing as a skill that can be quickly acquired by an older student when it is needed, so I'm in no rush to introduce it, especially while I'm still working on handwriting/cursive.

 

ETA: clarity

Edited May 10, 2016 by indigoellen@gmail.com

[Mama Anna]

Dd-now-12 took about 1 1/2 to 2 years to become solidly proficient when she began learning to type at age 10.  I was also disappointed at how long it took, and she wasn't particularly motivated for the longest time.  But continuing to urge the 10-15 minutes of practice each day and giving some hints/tips over the years has her typing very well now.

 

Mama Anna

[Eagle]

Does the program show you the number of words per minute and an accuracy score?

[MrSmith]

About 6 months of minecraft creative mode :). He was 3rd grade.

[TheAttachedMama]

Does the program show you the number of words per minute and an accuracy score?

Yes, they are doing about 8-11 WPM with a pretty high rate of accuracy.   

[Jackie]

DD also used typing.com, but in a much more concentrated dose. She did 30 minutes per day, usually in two 15 minute blocks, for six weeks. I think more time per day helped as she developed more of the automatic muscle memory needed for speed. She was highly motivated, as she wants to take an online class in the fall and she needs to be able to type for the class. At the end of the six weeks, she was most of the way through intermediate and averaging about 12-15wpm with 95%+ accuracy.

[HomeschoolingHearts&Minds]

Honestly, I think typing tends to be harder for young kids due to their hand size.  Are they using a full-size keyboard?  I'm planning to teach my two middlers to type either this summer or this fall.  Previous attempts fizzled, but now my dd's hands are nearly the size of mine.  I may end up waiting a bit with her younger brother (he insists he's fine hunting and pecking).  Oldest taught himself to type in short order once he was a teen and types quickly.

[Eagle]

Ds (8) has been learning typing for about 15 months. The first year we were very casual about it and he made slow progress. Then at some point this year he became very interested in it and started to practice every day for about 20 minutes. He now averages 18-20 wpm with 97%+ accuracy. Being motivated to want to type really made a big difference in the effort he put into it. He wasn't just putting in the time, he was actively trying hard. (not saying your dc aren't trying hard, it is just a change I noticed in ds that corresponded with increased success.)

[Cosmos]

Probably two years. He got to about 20 wpm after one year and maybe 35 wpm after another year. That was starting at age 10 and practicing 3-4 times a week.

[callapidder]

I worked on it all year with my 9-year-old, with very little progress. The problem here is that he is a VERY fast typer -- in his own homegrown method. He's been "writing books" since he was in preschool, so has developed all kinds of his own typing quirks and habits that are hard to overcome. So when he has to learn touch-typing according to a completely different approach, he gets easily frustrated. I would love for him to learn touch-typing so that he can easily type without looking at the keyboard at all, but it is an uphill battle right now. I've considered waiting until he's older and trying again... we really didn't get very far at all this year.

[OneStepAtATime]

It can take quite a bit of time, especially with younger children who are still growing and developing fine motor skills.  Focus on accuracy over speed and don't expect typing to be their primary means of output for quite a while.  With some kids it might not really get there until 5th or 6th grade or even later.  Eventually it should click.  Give it time.  

Edited May 10, 2016 by OneStepAtATime

[Heathermomster]

DS learned in 5th grade and spent 20 min per day for one semster.  DS is a diagnosed dysgraphic and went full keyboard in 6th grade.

[EKS]

Both of mine got reasonably good at typing at around age 11.

[...................]

About 4 months of doing Typing Web 30 minutes per day.

[...................]

^^ 6th grade

[Lori D.]

We focused on getting handwriting and then cursive solid in grades 1-5.

 

I started both DSs with learning basic keyboarding in grade 6. They completely learned the keyboard and correct hand placement with an old-fashioned typing manual in about 6 months, practicing 3x/week for about 10 min/day.

 

They did not actually become proficient/speedy at typing until high school -- partly through typing papers, but mostly due to typing for online chat and gaming that requires keyboarding and chatting. sigh.

 

The upshot is, JMO, but grades 2 and 3 seems VERY young to worry about typing proficiency...

Edited May 11, 2016 by Lori D.

[OneStepAtATime]

Near the end of the school year, I like to look back and assess progress, figure out what worked well and what didn't---that type of thing.

 

This year I tried to teach my children to type.   (They are in 2nd and 3rd grade.)   We tried a number of programs, but finally settled on typing.com for lessons.   I had the kids work on typing for 10-15 minutes each school day.   The thing is, we didn't make as much progress as I was hoping.   They are still REALLY, REALLY slow when typing.   It actually takes them longer to type things out than it does to handwrite it.  (Although their hands don't get as tired.)  

 

Is this normal for their ages?   Do I need another program?  Or just more time plugging along?   

 

(For those familiar with the program, they made it almost through the intermediate portion in a years time.)   

Yes, normal.  They are very young.  No, I don't think you need another program unless they or you loathe the one you are using for some reason.  Yes, they probably just need more time/maturity/practice before typing becomes so fluid and automatic that they can use it as a primary source of output.

 

One thing that is also probably going to be a factor once they get into using typing for the output of actual writing assignments, at least for a while, is how well/fluidly they spell and pull out thoughts from their head.  If they are having to think about spelling and what to write at the same time they are having to remember how to type that will also slow things down.  

[Garga]

It took 50 thousand years using typing.com twice, for my oldest. Twice because I realized 3/4 of the way through the program that he wasn't using his fingers in the proper places. He'd started out that way, but somewhere along the line, he started using wrong fingers and I had him start over.

 

My youngest is still sllooowww. He went through typing.com once. He's been 11 for a couple of months and in 5th grade. In fact, this reminds me that I need to have him practice some more. I'd let it slip off my radar for the past month.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Garga

[zarabellesmom]

I have an almost 11 and an almost 8. We started typing last school year with Keyboarding Without Tears (what a waste of time IMO). We switched this year to typing.com.  I've put it on hold for my almost 8 year old because she hasn't been making any real progress so we decided to focus our efforts elsewhere for a while. My oldest took the intermediate typing wrap up test today and tested at 19 wpm and 97% accuracy. That's after two years of about 15 minutes a day, five days a week.  I'm hoping we can make some progress with it this summer. I think I was in middle school when I learned to type and it was a semester long course that lasted at least half an hour a day. I'm willing to have it take longer because I really don't want to give it half an hour daily. My oldest is taking an online class and really hates it when others beat her to the answer (and she refuses to use the microphone) so typing is becoming a real priority for her.

[faithmoore]

My 9 year old niece started both DSs with learning basic keyboarding in grade 6.

[fourisenough]

I think typing is a bit like learning to read a clock; until the child has a burning need for the skill, it is going to be a slog, but then as soon as the child sees the need, BOOM! Their proficiency explodes seemingly overnight.

 

For my girls, as I've mentioned on other threads, they couldn't read an analog clock until they HAD to during swim practice when that was the only option and they really, really wanted to know how much time was left in practice! And for typing, it was taking an online class where their participation required that they type quickly into the chat box.

 

Keep up with what you're doing, but don't expect to see full proficiency until they really NEED to type.