from 3rd grade through 5th grade the students meet for 30 minutes each week to use an earlier version of Type to Learn (less entertainment-version). Once those students hit the 5th grade our 5th grade teachers reported to us that their kids were writing
better, longer, faster and were more willing to edit their work. We wondered if they really WERE writing better. We then partnered with a psychologist who had done studies on whether or not keyboarding, versus handwriting, improved the written
expression of kids with learning disabilities (which it did!). For 3 years we conducted studies on our own 4th, 5th and 6th graders on standardized writing tests completed in either hand-written form or keyboarded on a computer (no spell check or
grammer check allowed). In each year's study the keyboarded writing samples out-scored the handwritten samples overall. We even published the study a few years ago.
By the end of their 5th grade year, our students are usually keyboarding over 40 wpm and more than 90% accuracy. (we track it.) We are strong advocates for keyboard instruction. I personally feel that if we don't provide proper keyboard instruction to
our students, we also put them at risk for a life-time of bad habits and at risk for back and wrist problems (i.e. we teach them proper posture and hand-placement.)
I respectfully disagree that we should just expect our kids to get keyboarding on their own or after a few lessons. Would we do the same for cursive writing? If the last ten years suggest what the next ten may be like, they will need more digital
skills and proper keyboarding is an essential skill for high school, college and many careers.
Doug Fodeman
Co-Director, ChildrenOnline.org
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Douglas Fodeman
Director of Technology
Brookwood School
Manchester, MA 01944
http://www.Brookwood.edu
(978) 526-4500 X6233
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