Keyboarding without tears at Aaron School
The Aaron School Technology Team is proud to introduce a new and innovative tool to teach students in kindergarten through seventh grade the skills of keyboarding. The program is Keyboarding Without Tears and mirrors our current Handwriting Without Tears curriculum.
This web-based interactive program uses a developmentally appropriate approach, ensuring that students are ready for the skills being taught and that they are meeting learning and performance expectations according to their grade levels. It involves effective game-based activities that are full of cross-curricular connections to keep children engaged, excited and challenged.
Nationwide research show that in today’s kindergarten and elementary classroom environments, children spend an average of 15 to 22 percent of their classroom instruction time on technology-based activities, including keyboarding. Many students are expected to be able to navigate computer-based testing in third grade, and produce written work using a technology based device in fourth grade.
This unique curriculum is designed to help children be able to succeed in every school setting, with every type of written assignment or testing as it incorporates:
- Tools that allow taking potentially advanced concepts (such as digital citizenship) and making them accessible for younger children to comprehend.
- A curriculum which is developmentally appropriate by grade, ensuring students are ready for the specific skills being taught and meet learning and performance expectations according to their skill level.
- Fine motor skills focused activities geared towards easily mastering touch typing
The program employs a thematic instruction approach incorporating fun activities and games to teach keyboarding and typing skills, as well as a variety of related subjects and skills including pre-keyboarding, digital citizenship, keyboarding / touch typing, digital literacy and general computer readiness. By providing this common curriculum throughout all the grade levels in our lower school, the promotion of functional typing skills will be developed with greater generalization from year to year as well as enhance overall school activities.
Today’s students need to master all available methods of producing written work to succeed in school and beyond. Handwriting and keyboarding are two essential, life-long tools that can work together in the classroom, creating a balanced, engaging and successful learning environment.
If you have any questions about the Keyboarding Without Tears program or any other program offered at Aaron School, we invite you to submit your question to us via the “Ask The Expert” section of our website. Thanks for reading!