Keyboarding · Lesson Plan

Introduction to Keyboarding

Lesson 1 of a six-lesson keyboarding course. Before students type a single letter beyond the home row, they need two things: correct posture at the keyboard, and the home row itself — the eight keys their fingers rest on between every keystroke. This lesson teaches both, plus the space bar and the return key, and sets the habits the rest of the course builds on.

Grades 5–12 Lesson Plan 20–30 minutes Free Lesson Plan Worksheet: Full Membership

For Teachers

Lesson at a glance

Topic: Keyboarding
Grade Level: Grades 5–12
Resource Type: Lesson + Worksheet
Estimated Time: 20–30 minutes
Format: Guided practice + drill worksheet
Materials: Keyboards, finger chart, paper to cover hands

What Students Learn

Learning objectives

Sit with correct typing posture: eyes on the copy, fingers curved and upright, wrists low, back straight, feet flat on the floor
Place the left-hand fingers on A S D F and the right-hand fingers on J K L ; by touch
Type the space bar with either thumb without looking down
Reach the return (enter) key with the right little finger and return to the home row
Practice striking keys with quick, sharp strokes in rhythm with the class

Materials

What you’ll need

Computer keyboards (one per student)
A printable keyboard finger chart
Paper to cover students’ hands during drills (optional, for touch-typing discipline)

Key Terms

Vocabulary

Home row: The row of keys — A S D F J K L ; — where the fingers rest between every keystroke.
Touch typing: Typing without looking at the keyboard, using muscle memory to find each key.
Keystroke: A single press of one key.
Reach: The motion of moving one finger from the home row to a nearby key and back.

For Teachers

Lesson plan

Estimated time: one 20–30 minute class period.

Lesson sequence

Why keyboarding (5 min). Discuss with students why keyboarding is a useful skill for school and work. Improvement depends on interest, effort, and following directions — make that expectation clear before starting.
Typing position (5 min). Demonstrate and have students copy: eyes on the copy (not the keyboard), fingers curved and upright, wrists low, forearms slanted with the keyboard, sitting back with a straight back, feet flat on the floor.
Find the home row (5 min). Have students place left-hand fingers on A S D F and right-hand fingers on J K L ; — curved, relaxed, and upright, with both thumbs resting on the space bar. Point out the small raised bumps on F and J that let touch-typists find the home row without looking.
The return key (2 min). Show students where the return/enter key is and have them practice reaching it with the right little finger, then returning to the home row.
Class drill (10–15 min). Call out the drills on the worksheet and have students strike each key as you say it, keeping the whole class in rhythm with quick, sharp strokes — or let students follow the printed worksheet on their own. Repeat each line, speeding up gradually. For students who are ready, cover their hands with a sheet of paper so they must type by feel alone.

Assessment

Watch for correct posture and home-row finger placement during the drill — not speed. Accuracy is the goal for beginners.

Extension

Have students who master the home row quickly help a neighbor check their finger placement and posture.

This lesson is for educational purposes only. Practice at the pace that works for your class — accuracy first, speed later.

Discussion

Discussion questions

Why do the F and J keys have small raised bumps you can feel?
What happens to your typing if your wrists rest on the desk instead of staying low?
Why is accuracy more important than speed when you are just starting out?

Printable Worksheet