Summer is a great time to practice typing skills. It lends itself to daily, quick practice without taking away from outdoor activities. Ten to fifteen minutes a day is all it takes. I don’t recommend more than that as teaching keyboarding for better typing skills needs to be done in short but consistent lessons going at the student’s speed.
Using a keyboard that has large font and even highlighted keys for easier viewing can help. For our braille users, there are braille stickers that can be placed over the letters. Another tip is placing a raised dot on the “F” and “J” home keys.
Students are motivated to learn to type their names and often we start with these letters even if they are not in the early learning lessons.
Below are a few of the keyboard stickers TVI (Teachers of the Visually Impaired) often use.
Best find for a clear bumpy sticker to put on the home key “F” and “J” and anywhere else that helps. MANY uses for this as a tactile identifier instead of a visual scan.
Keyboard Stickers from Maxiaids
I only put the stickers on a few to start with so that the student can find the ones they are working on. Maxiaids has braille and large font stickers. Ask the student their preference for color or style of the sticker overlay if they are old enough to make their own choice.
Parents teaching typing at home
For parents who are new to teaching keyboarding, the best method I recommend is an online program. My favorite is Jungle Junior Typing Club. A more grown-up version is Typing Club. I have middle school students who prefer the younger version because it is a little more basic and fun. There are free versions for it that can be no cost to you and your family. If they practice typing at school, ask what online platform is used at school for consistency. Many teachers also use Typing.com.
Introducing the keyboard lesson
Jungle Junior Typing Club has been a wonderful typing program that students can use for free. It is high contrast, fun, and easy to use.
“Jungle Junior is an interactive typing game for kids. Through the course of about 200 friendly, colorful videos and interactive lessons, kids will learn all about the alphabet and practice sight words, word families, and simple sentences. Jungle Junior will also teach children to associate each letter on the keyboard with the correct finger while improving alphabet recognition, dexterity, and familiarity with technology.”
KEEBLE
This accessible keyboard is designed to make typing in almost any iOS app easier and faster for people with visual impairments. Many TVIs recommend this.
Talking Typer
Available through APH (American Printing House for the Blind), Talking Typer is a computer keyboard and typing training software that speaks and displays lessons on screen. It includes drills, practice, and typing games, and adjusts to the student’s level of skill and visual impairment.
Fine Motor Skills for Finger Isolation
Not all students will achieve finger isolation. We consult with the team’s OT (occupational therapist) for strategies specific to each student. There are students who learn to type with just one finger, know your student. I have several students on my caseload that only use pointer fingers and have a stronger hand, so we allow them to use that hand on a larger area of the keyboard.
You don’t want to spend years on finger isolation when you could be moving forward with speed and skill so students can type when learning.
Braille keyboards
Another option for student who are using braille is braille keyboards. They can also provide a refreshable braille display. The student’s TVI along with the IEP team would discuss if this is a good option.
Read the article: What are Braille Keyboards and how do they work?
It states, “a braille keyboard is a specialized device that enables individuals to type braille on phones, computers, and other digital devices, offering an essential tool for those who find touch screens or traditional QWERTY keyboards challenging to use.”
Teaching Tip Tuesday by Foundation for the Blind for students learning to type
Below is a short video from Foundation for the Blind with Jared Kittleson interviewing Jenny Wheeler about teaching students with severe vision loss how to type.
Some of the Highlights:
- Keep lessons short
- Assume students CAN learn to type
- Be patient and do one letter at a time first
- Have a routine
- Just talk using only verbal cues
- Recommended Talking Typer
Make it fun
Create opportunities to use their typing skills in meaningful ways. Doing this builds upon other areas of Expanded Core Curriculum.
Ways to take typing into real world activities:
- Email or send a letter to a relative or friend
- Create a shopping list or a to-do list
- Make labels to organize books and home
- Make cards that include artwork and typing
- Create a summer daily journal
