Why Kids Should Learn to Type Properly

These days, most kids over 3 know how to use a computer and the majority of them are better at it than their parents. But should small children be allowed to use the computer? Sure, the skills are invaluable in today's job market, but letting your little one type away on the computer before he or she learns to master the keyboard could be setting bad habits that might be impossible to erase.

Experts say that before the age of 6 or 7, a child's hands are too small to learn how to type properly. And without proper instruction, children will automatically resort to the "Columbus Method" of typing, where they search the keyboard for a particular letter, then press it with their forefinger.

This method of typing is time consuming and breaks concentration. If you have to look at the keyboard while typing, then up at the screen, it is not easy to focus on a task. Also, it is virtually impossible to type up a document quickly, something that many children will need to do during their school years.

Before you start letting your children bang away randomly at the keyboard, it might be a good idea to consider getting them a typing tutor program that will teach them through fun and games and lots of repetition. You will need to supervise, however, to make sure that your children are doing the exercises properly and using the correct fingering on the keyboard.

It is really like any other skill, such as music. With daily practice, it becomes a habit, one that will stick with and serve your child for the rest of his or her life. This is why it is so important to make sure that you schedule daily typing practice and make certain that your child is actually practicing, not just playing video games or surfing the net.

Even if your children are older and haven't yet learned to type, it isn't too late. You can still require them to learn the correct method, which will allow them to type faster and with far more accuracy. The more they practice, the more efficient they will become.