Kids type for school earlier than ever: book reports, online tests, coding clubs, messages to grandparents. Learning to type properly early on saves them from years of hunt-and-peck habits. It also frees their attention for the actual writing.
RiteType is a free place to learn. Lessons start with eight keys and build up one row at a time. A glowing finger on screen shows which finger to use, so kids learn to keep their eyes up. When they want a break, there are typing games built for the same skills.
Start here: Lesson 1: the home row · Typing games for kids · Kids typing test
Homeschooling? See the homeschool typing program.
By grade: Kindergarten · First grade · Second grade · teacher plans for K–2, 3–5, 6–12
What age should kids start?
Most children are ready for real typing lessons around ages 7 to 8. By then they can usually:
- read short words on their own
- spread their fingers across the home row
- sit and focus for 10 minutes
US Common Core standards first mention keyboarding in third grade writing (Common Core W.3.6). By the end of fourth grade, students are expected to type at least one page in a single sitting (W.4.6). A 2018 research review recommends teaching keyboarding before the grade when kids start using computers for schoolwork (Donica, Giroux & Faust, 2018).
Younger kids (4 to 6) don't need formal lessons. Simple games that help them find letters on a keyboard are a gentle start. Try Key Hop or Bubble Pop.
What speed to expect
Kids type much more slowly than adults, and kids in the same class can be far apart. Here's what the research reports (Donica, Giroux & Faust, 2018, summarizing earlier studies):
| Grade | Typical reported speed |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | about 9 words per minute on average |
| 2 | about 5 WPM on average |
| 4 | roughly 7–30 WPM |
| 5 | roughly 5–70 WPM |
The same review says researchers agree typing should be at least as fast as handwriting to be useful for schoolwork. That's a more meaningful goal than any WPM number. If your child can type a sentence faster than they can write it neatly, they're on track.
For adult numbers and how speed changes with age, see average typing speed by age.
How long to practice
Short and regular wins. These are our suggestions:
| Age | Session length | How often |
|---|---|---|
| 5–6 | 5 minutes, mostly games | 3–4 times a week |
| 7–9 | 10 minutes: one lesson + a short game | 4–5 times a week |
| 10–13 | 10–15 minutes | 4–5 times a week |
Stop while it's still fun. A child who asks for "one more game" will come back tomorrow, and one who's frustrated won't.
Setting up for success
A few small things make a big difference:
- A real keyboard. Chromebooks and laptops are fine. If your child uses an iPad, add a physical keyboard. Tapping on glass doesn't build finger skills.
- The right height. Feet flat on the floor or on a box, and elbows about level with the keyboard. A cushion on the chair works for small kids.
- Fingers on the bumps. Show them the little bumps on F and J. That's "home". Our home row guide explains it in kid-friendly steps.
- A chart, not a peek. Print our free keyboard finger chart and tape it beside the screen. Kids glance up at the chart instead of down at their hands.
- Sound on (or off). RiteType plays a click for correct keys and a different sound for mistakes. Many kids love it. If it distracts your child, use the sound switch in the header.
Keeping it fun
Kids keep practicing when they can see progress. Here's what tends to work:
- Stars and certificates. Every RiteType lesson awards up to three stars. Print a certificate when they finish a level and put it on the fridge.
- Games as a reward. One lesson, then one game. Word Zombies and Type Racer are favorites with older kids.
- Beat your own score. Compare them with last week's version of themselves, not with siblings or classmates.
- Type real things. Let them type a shopping list, a note to a friend, or a short story. Real reasons to type make the lessons stick.
Common worries from parents
"My child keeps looking at the keys." Almost every child does at first. Remind them gently, and point to the on-screen hands instead. Some families use a small cloth over the hands for a couple of minutes at a time, as a game.
"They're faster with two fingers." That's normal at the start, because any new method feels slow. Stick with it. In a large study of adults, people who had taken a typing course used more fingers and typed more than 20% faster, even more than ten years later (The BMJ, 2022). Encourage the right fingers, even if it's slower today.
"My child has fine motor difficulties." Occupational therapists often recommend keyboarding as an alternative to handwriting for children who find writing hard, and hunt-and-peck can be a workable starting method for kids with fine motor challenges (Donica, Giroux & Faust, 2018). Go at their pace, and talk with your child's teacher or OT about what goals make sense.
Privacy and safety
Kids can use every RiteType lesson, game and test without an account, and nothing on the site asks a child for their name, email or age. Progress is saved only in the browser on your own device. We don't place ad units on kids' pages, and any ad Google shows there is requested as non-personalized, so it isn't based on your child's browsing. The privacy policy has the details.
Ready to start?
Pick one:
- Start Lesson 1: the home row, about 5 minutes
- Play a typing game for kids
- Take the kids typing test to see where they are today