TIP #1 - Usernames

It's important to check your list of student usernames prior to going to the lab, since student names longer than 20 characters have been shortened. You can check your list of usernames by logging in to Custom Typing with the "secret" password. Student's passwords are the same as their regular login passwords.

Directions Link for Checking Usernames

The first goal of keyboarding instruction at the elementary level is to develop proper technique. Short, frequent practice sessions focusing on correct fingering help students develop the muscle memory they need to build speed naturally with continued practice. In addition to completing lessons at school, students can use the program at home and progress faster through the tutorial. To make sure students understand the goal, try the following three things:

1. Prior to instruction, review techniques with students. Techniques are posted right on the page students go to before logging in to Custom Typing. You might also want to print a self-checklist handout for them to use.

2. When students are keyboarding, use the Keyboarding Checklist to assess technique and set the tone. This document is populated with your students' names and can be found in My Home.

3. Monitor keyboarding. If they are left to simply complete the lessons, they may not focus on correct fingering.

Student Technique Self-Checklist

Tip # 3 - Practice at Home

Results from last year indicate that students who regularly completed Custom Typing lessons at home made very good progress. In fact, students who practiced an average of 3 times per week acquired WPM scores of between 15 and 47 wpm, depending on grade level. For this reason, it is suggested that you encourage home practice for students with Internet access.

Below please find a parent letter and handouts you can may want to use, modify and send home with your students to encourage practice at home.

Parent Letter and Handouts

Tip # 4 - WPM Goals

In order to progress through the tutorial, students have to achieve a certain level of accuracy and words per minute on each lesson. If a student doesn't meet the requirement, the tutorial automatically repeats the lesson until the student achieves the goal. A kid-friendly progress indicator is available on the left side of each screen to help students understand how they are performing in relation to their goal.

By default, all student WPM goals have been set to 10 WPM. This is a realistic goal for students just learning to keyboard. Students can change their own speed goal by clicking on the Preference link at the top of the Custom Typing screen; however, changing the goal will change the performance expectations for the lessons as well.

Please use caution when allowing students to change their speed goals to make sure the goals are realistic and attainable.

Tip # 5 - Games

The Custom Typing program includes two games that are designed to offer students an opportunity to practice their keyboarding skills in an alternate way on occasion. Please keep these things in mind when discussing using the games:

1. Often the challenge of the game causes them to immediately abandon fingering technique in order to try to beat the game, this defeats the purpose of the game.

2. The games are not as exciting as any other game they might encounter in their daily lives. Please remind them that the purpose of these somewhat dull games is to continue practicing their fingering skills and if they aren't going to focus on technique, they might as well play another more exciting game.

3. A report is available that allows you to see how much time students are spending on the games when practicing at home.

Tip # 6 - User Activity Summary Report, Monitor Independent Work

The User Activity Summary Report is a useful tool that can help you monitor the work students complete independently. This report can track the following in an easy-to-read chart:

• Number of logins
• Time spent on Custom Typing site
• Number of training modules completed
• Tests/exercises completed
• Games completed
• Total activities completed
• Last login date

A sample of this report and directions for generating it are available by clicking on the links below.

Sample: User Activity Summary Report
Diretions: Generate the User Activity Report

TIP #7 - Reports: WPM Scores

The computer-guided mode does not produce a WPM score until students have progressed very far in the tutorial. Since most students are probably using the Computer-Guided tutorial, this is to inform you about an alternate way to obtain WPM scores for students.

A WPM assessment option will be offered each trimester via email for the purposes of acquiring a WPM score. This assessment consists of a paragraph for students to type in a lab setting. While students are typing, it's a great time to assess technique. When they finish, you can generate a report that will yield WPM scores for each student.

Generally this test is offered near the end of each trimester; however, this testing option can be utilized at any time by contacting me via email. If you'd like to share a report with parents at conference time, please email me and I will set it up and walk you through the process.

Report: Access WPM Report
Sample: Techniques Checklist: