Typing is becoming one of those key skills that kids ought to develop right from an early age. In fact, these days it’s never too early to get your kid started on keyboarding skills and typing lessons. So, if you have an 8 year old second or third grader, then it’s time to teach them how to type.
But how do you teach an 8-year-old how to type? Well, this guide is here to help you teach your kid typing in a way that’s not only fun but also effective.
Start With the Right Mindset
For starters, you have to keep in mind that you’re dealing with an 8-year old. At that age their cognitive and motor skills are still developing. Of course you don’t expect an 8-year old to have the patience or attention span of an adult.
This is why typing at that age should not feel like a chore or a boring task they have to complete within a specified time frame. It should be an enjoyable activity they look forward to and engage with everyday.
So, instead of overloading the kid with complex rules you could just let your kid know a thing or two about the benefits of learning typing like say how it will help them get better with schoolwork, albeit, don’t push it too much.
It’s also worth letting them know that solid keyboard skills take time to build and the journey might be tough and sometimes frustrating, but they will get better faster.
Again, remember to set out with a tone that keeps things relaxed and fun!
Focus on One Key at a Time
Before jumping into full on words you are better off starting with basic letters. You definitely want the child to learn the whole keyboard first!
At the basic level, you want the 8 year old to start learning keys like the FJDK and SLA; keys.
Here are some of the best beginner typing lessons that are well-suited for kids including an 8-year old.
You should also try to encourage them to use all ten fingers and right finger placement. For example, you could use right color coded stickers for specific fingers. Once you’ve selected the colors, place the stickers on the keys of a keyboard in a way that corresponds with the proper finger placement.
You can then put the matching colored stickers on each finger to remind the child which finger to use. Then, encourage the child to focus on using the correctly colored finger for each key as they practice typing.
Have a Blast With Typing Games for Kids
One thing that is sure to capture an 8-year-old mind is the right typing games!
Yes, typing games for kids makes learning more fun and less of a strict lesson plan. The beauty is there are many nice themed typing programs and games that an 8-year-old will enjoy.
For instance, there is a typing game like Type the Alphabet which is beginner-friendly and it is well suited for learning all keyboard letters. There is also a game like Froggie Typing which is a free typing lesson for kids that lets you choose whether you want to practice on home, top or bottom rows of the keyboard.
You can also check out NitroType Pro, a race-themed game for race typing. These are just a few, you can explore more of our typing games for kids and pick the right ones for an 8-year-old.
Advance From Letters to Words
Once your kid is more comfortable with keyboard letters, it’s time to challenge them to type short words at first.
Give them something like simple three-letter words (sun ,cat, tea, etc) at first before advancing to more complex words in the long run. At this stage, the focus should be primarily on accuracy rather than the speed of typing.
Also encourage typing without looking at the keyboard keys.
Celebrate Milestones
Aside from the traditional and often boring drills, nothing sucks the motivation out of a child like feeling like they are not doing anything right. Be sure to give them a little pat on the back when they master a key, type a word or even place their fingers correctly on the keyboard.
You’d be surprised at the lengths they’ll go to impress you. It could be something as simple as treating them to their favorite snack after a successful learning session and in no time they’ll be looking forward to those classes everyday!
Make Typing a Daily Habit
Just like any other skill, consistency and practice does make perfect. Instead of spending long hours of irregular sessions, try a few minutes daily or a few times a week. It is essential to make it a routine. For the best results make it seem like time on the keyboard is as a reward for their hard work. It will push them to do this everyday.
Tip: Let the kid spend anywhere from 15-30 minutes a few days every week to build muscle memory.
Turn Typing into a Family Activity
Like adults, kids feel more motivated when they engage in typing with a friend or in this case a family member. Why not make it even more enticing? You could make it fun by creating a competition through engaging in typing speed challenges or even comparing high scores in typing games?
This is where you can teach them the correct keyboard habits such as posture and finger placements. It will grow your bond whilst making those typing lessons more fun and effective.
The kid will certainly look forward to those sessions daily without needing a reminder.
Gradually Increase Speed
Once your child’s accuracy gets good, it’s time to move the focus to speed.
They could try speed typing games that focus more on speed. These games are normally timed, mostly in a 60 second test.
Also continue emphasizing accuracy above everything, typing fast with too many mistakes won’t be useful.
Always remember to reward the child for a job well done.
Tip: You can use a good WPM speed test tool to measure their progress in terms of typing speed as they learn.
Keep Encouraging Real-World Practice
It’s even better to encourage more real-life practice outside learning sessions if you’re to make typing even more meaningful for the kid.
For example, you could have the kid type birthday invitation cards or emails to their friends. They could also type little notes to you or any member of the family, type their schoolwork assignment or even draft stories.
The more these activities are integrated in their daily regimes, the more natural typing will become.
Wrapping up
In a nutshell, teaching an 8-year-old to type should be all about making them enjoy the typing sessions. This is why as a parent or teacher, you should do your utmost best to make every typing practice lesson fun and engaging. You can always use free typing games, fun exercises and approaches tailored to help the 8-year-old build foundational skills. You get this right and they will be hitting up to 35 Words Per Minute (WPM) in no time!