What tools can parents use for their students to practice keyboarding skills at home?
**Please have your student cover their hands with a piece of typing paper. They know how to do this.**

• Any word processing application program from the simple Notepad that comes with any computer system to Microsoft Works or Word etc… This would include e-mail editors.
• The keyboard finger placement handout -available in the lab
• Any keyboarding program that teaches proper finger placement. Your student is using Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing version 16 Deluxe. We used version 2 up until about a year ago with the same success as version 16.

NOTE: I do not believe you “have” to own keyboarding software for your student to practice keyboarding skills at home. In addition, a computer that is ten years old would work as well as a new computer.

What should I have my student practice at home?

• The key is for your student to use proper finger placement with their hands covered. If they do not cover their hands, they will develop light switch eyes that look from the keyboard to the monitor.
• Typing A-Z with their hands covered. We set the Microsoft Word font to 18 points, turn on the Caps Lock and number the ABC’s. (Press the enter key after each line)
• Learn the letters in four groups:
  -ABCDEFG
  -HIJKLMN
  -OPQRST
  -UVWXYZ
• Do not move onto a new group of letters until you can type with proper finger placement with your hands covered.
• Type words and thoughts in a word processing program.
• Use proper finger placement when e-mailing family and friends.
• Practice on keyboarding software.