About this Daily Classroom Special
Bits & Bytes combines technology objectives, activity ideas, web sites, and resources in an effort to make it easier for everyone to incorporate technology into their instruction. Bits & Bytes is maintained by Barbara Smith, Magnet Coordinator at Harvard Elementary, Houston (TX) and Teachers Network  web mentor. 

K-5

2.C Demonstrate touch keyboarding techniques for operating the alphabetic, numeric, punctuation, and symbol keys as grade-level appropriate.
 
"What's the use of having a machine capable of working at lightning speed if the
information it needs trickles in like molasses in January?" (from "The Most Crucial Computing Skill" by Erik Sandberg-Diment/ Science Digest/ January/ 1984)
 
Print a paper copy of a keyboard for each student.  Have students color the keys according to which finger types on them. (Example: 4,5,R,T,F,G,V,B should all be the same color, because the left index finger types them.) Outline the keys for homerow (ASDFJKL;) in a bright color or with a marker.

Periodically, have students take out paper keyboards, and practice the correct fingers to use for words or letters you dictate.
 
Be sure to "catch" students using correct keyboarding when it is their turn at the computer! 

Web Picks
 
3D Mazes in Java
Students will use arrow keys to navigate through maze.

Keyboarding Appendices from The Evergreen Curriculum, a project from Saskatchewan Education  
Great collection of activities to encourage students to use their keyboarding skills.

Suggestions for Organizing Keyboarding Classes  

Keyboarding Puzzles  

InfoWeb - Keyboarding - TOC  
Simple keyboarding lessons for grades K-4.

Untitled Document (History of Typewriter)  
History of typing and machine developments.

Edu-Key  
Source for unbreakable keyboarding covers.

Elementary Keyboarding  
Well-written rationale for teaching keyboarding.

Dvorak Keyboard 
Alternative keyboard.