Re: 1st grade typing

Guy Laurence (glk807@Onramp.NET)
Mon, 12 Aug 1996 12:02:40 EDT

All I can say Gay is you took the words out of my mouth. You said it so
much better than I did but you made the very points that need to be made. I
congratulate you. I still think if you teach the keyboard, teach typing by
touch--where the letters live on the keyboard and which hand and which
finger we use to access those letters. While Word Processing might seem too
stilted remember, first graders are learning what letters are, what sounds
they make, and how to write them, what they look like, and how they make
sentences and paragraphs. we teach them the right way to hold a pen and
pencil in the first grade, we should also teach them the right way to use
the keyboard. And the WP is where you write on the computer. What is wrong
with typing on the word processor?

Anyway, that's my opinion.

Guy Laurence
glk807@onramp.net
Dallas Public Schools
Training-Operations
3700 Ross Ave DISD BOX 75
Dallas, Texas 75214
214-928-3503
FAX: 214-928-3504

Gay Wiseman <rustybel@foothill.net> wrote:
>I staff the computer lab at a K-8 school. I started introducing typing to K
>and 1st graders in a systematic manner last year. I don't expect them to
>really accomplish measureable skill/speed levels, but the idea is to
>introduce the CONCEPT of TYPING letter characters, as they are LEARNING the
>letters. It's all of a piece, conceptually, how we use letter symbols to
>communicate. While kids are learning what the upper and lower case
>characters look like, how to write them, what sounds they make, how they
>combine to make words and sentences, they should also learn where they
>"live" on the keyboard, and what fingers are used to strike them. It all
>should be introduced at the SAME TIME.
>
<snip>
>My hope is that when these kids do have the motor skills to begin
>touch-typing, they'll have an easier time with it, already being familiar
>with the keyboard layout. I also find that even K and 1st like to learn and
>use the keyboard shortcuts for "quit" and common editing commands, so I
>introduce that way of controlling their software programs very early on.
>Makes them feel powerful, like knowing a secret password.
>
>Now back to Jackie's query,
>"Is 1st grade too young to emphasize only keyboarding and word processing?"
>
>Yes decidedly, ANY grade is too young to emphasize ONLY keyboarding and
>word processing. These are important skills, but I feel strongly about
>introducing early the many varied uses of these wonderful machines. In
>addition to curriculum-specific software, and problem-solving programs, K
>and I should enjoy sound recording and graphics programs too.