Today is rung 5 of 6 on this topic
Typing without looking
Can do: Uses home row with the right fingers, around 15 words a minute by the end of the year.
Why it matters
From here on, a growing share of school work is typed. Hunt-and-peck typing costs a child real marks by Grade 6, entirely avoidably.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Two index fingers, eyes locked on the keyboard, and the thinking interrupted by the hunting.
⏱️ Two-minute check
"Type one sentence I dictate." Watch the hands and the eyes.
Solid looks like: Fingers roughly on home row, eyes mostly on the screen.
The full activity for this topic · 10 minutes
Ten Minutes of Home Row
- 1Put both index fingers on the F and J bumps and keep them there.
- 2Practise the home row only until it's boring — accuracy before speed, always.
- 3Add one new row per week.
- 4Cover their hands with a tea towel. Uncomfortable for two days, then permanent.
- 5Record words per minute weekly so progress is visible.
If it's too hard
Five minutes, home row only.
If it's too easy
Type up their handwritten story from the writing topic, timed.
Say this
"Eyes on the screen, not on your hands. Slow and right beats fast and wrong."