Younger elementary students need a lighter keyboarding plan than older grades. Hands are still small, letter recognition is growing, and long timed drills frustrate more than they help. This free K–2 typing curriculum focuses on comfort, posture, letter finding, and a gentle start to the home row—then links each step to real RiteType lessons and kids games.
For the full K–8 map, see the free keyboarding curriculum. Parents at home can follow the same path with the homeschool typing program.
Goals for K–2
| Grade | Main goal | What success looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | Keyboard comfort | Finds letters with help, sits with feet supported, knows left and right hand sides |
| Grade 1 | Letter finding + posture | Locates most letters without hunting the whole board, uses F and J bumps as anchors |
| Grade 2 | Home-row readiness | Starts short home-row lessons, keeps eyes on the screen more often than on the keys |
US Common Core writing standards first mention keyboarding in grade 3 (W.3.6), so K–2 is preparation, not speed chasing.
Weekly minutes
- Kindergarten: 5–10 minutes, 2–3 times a week (mostly games)
- Grade 1: 10 minutes, 3 times a week (game + short letter practice)
- Grade 2: 10–15 minutes, 3–4 times a week (one short lesson + one game)
Stop while it is still fun. A child who asks for one more hop will come back tomorrow.
Kindergarten plan
Detailed parent guide: typing for kindergarten.
- Teach sitting: feet flat or on a box, screen at a comfortable height, wrists floating lightly.
- Show the bumps on F and J. Call them “home.”
- Play Key Hop, Bubble Pop and Treasure Dig.
- Skip formal WPM goals. Cheer for finding letters and sitting well.
Grade 1 plan
Detailed guide: typing for first graders.
- Keep games as the main practice.
- Add the five Kids Corner lessons when children can read short words.
- Tape a printable finger chart beside the screen so kids glance up, not down.
- Optional check-in: the kids typing test once a month for curiosity, not grading.
Grade 2 plan
Detailed guide: typing for second graders.
- Weeks 1–4: Home Row unit—F and J first, then D K, S L, A ;, G H.
- Weeks 5–6: Home Row Mastery if fingers are steady.
- Games: Key Hop and Balloon Pop as rewards after a lesson.
- Accuracy and correct fingers matter more than speed.
Assessment without pressure
- Walk the room with a three-item checklist: feet supported, eyes on screen, fingers near home.
- Stars on Kids Corner lessons are enough for grade 1–2 progress notes.
- Save one kids typing test result mid-year and one at year end to show growth, not to assign a grade.
Next step
When most of the class can keep eyes up on home-row words, move into the grades 3–5 typing curriculum. Teachers new to keyboarding can skim how to teach typing for the week-one routine.