👩‍🏫 Teaching typing in the classroom: a practical guide for teachers

Teaching typing at school does not require special equipment or many hours: a clear plan, short sessions and simple tracking are enough. This guide sums up what works best in the classroom.

Before you start

Check which keyboard layout the lab computers use, US or Latin American, and set it in LeonType to match. Also check the height of chairs and screens: with younger students, a footrest or a cushion makes a big difference to posture.

Set up your class in LeonType

Create your teacher account and one class per grade. Choose the right typing course: Elementary for children up to 11 or 12, Middle & High School for older students, or the Adults Course if you teach people who have finished school. You can register your students by pasting the list of names from Excel; the system gives each of them a username and a simple password.

Print the login cards and hand them out in the first lesson. If you prefer, turn on the option that lets students join on their own with the class code.

Structure of a session

A 15 to 20 minute session works well: 2 minutes to review posture, 10 to 15 minutes of individual practice on each student's current lesson, and a few minutes at the end to talk about how it went. If the period is longer, split practice into two blocks with a break to stretch the hands.

Planning the term

With two sessions a week, an elementary group usually finishes the home row and top row in the first month, the bottom row and capitals in the second, and punctuation, numbers and readings in the third. Not everyone moves at the same pace, and that is fine: lessons are open, so each student can follow the suggested order at their own speed.

How to assess

Assess technique first, meaning posture, using all fingers and not looking at the keyboard, then accuracy, and only then speed. A simple scale: complete the unit lessons with two or three stars and reach at least 90% accuracy. Speed can be measured at the end of the term with the one-minute test, comparing each student with themselves rather than with classmates.

Students who move faster or slower

For those ahead, the readings and the challenge lessons of each unit are a good stretch. For those behind, go back to the practice lesson for the keys they find hard and lower the speed expectations. Remember that the pet and the stars are very motivating for younger students.

Involve families

Share the class link with families and suggest practicing for 10 minutes at home two or three times a week. Students can sign in with the same username from any computer.