Teaching your children how to type correctly

As computers and children become more common in the classrooms, it will soon become mandatory that your children know how to type in the correct manner. In the old days, this was quite a challenge, since the curriculum at school largely composed of subjects which did not require a computer. However, nowadays, qwerty keyboard can be found everywhere, and even in the most basic kids computer toys starting from an early age.

One of the first lessons when it comes to teaching them how to type, is to memorize where all the letters are. It helps if they are using the keyboard for an interactive session, such as conversing with their friends online, or playing a game which requires a lot of manual keyboard input. Gone are the days where a student would sit in front of their computer and go through boring exercises typing in the same letter 20 times for an exercise. These days, kids can even learn on the go, with most phones having a keyboard. This way they can memorize the location of the letters without even knowing that they are learning. There are many toy laptops which can be bought quite cheap, to teach them from an early age. These make basic sounds to teach them the alphabet. Instead of going to a toy which has the layout in the basic ABC setting, try to go for one with a QWERTY layout. This will prepare them early for their school education.

Most subjects are school now require the use of a PC. Whether this is writing an assignment, or researching online for their projects. These activities will also teach them to type very well. You will be surprised at how well kids will learn the keyboard once they get into these exercises. Even a basic game which requires assignment of hot keys can teach them to type relatively quick. They may require some guidance in terms of hand and finger placement. The shortest path will often become their most used path, which means that although they have memorized the layout, they may revert to using two fingers when they type. To get them out of this habit, buy them a smaller sized keyboard that they can reach across without straining their fingers. This will teach them to type especially around the center letters where deciding between the left and right hand often becomes confusing.

There are many online programs which can be accessed to help them learn the correct posture and finger placement. These are fun to learn since they are organized into mini games and challenges. With the access to the internet, kids will no doubt learn to type by themselves. However, following these tips and ideas will help them steer in the right direction when it comes to placement.