What’s the Best Age for Kids to Learn How to Type?

Everywhere you look, there’s going to be a computer, and that’s the reality of our world since we’re now living in the 21st century. All manner of ages is now exposed to computers and other technological marvels. As such, most kids born after the dawn of the new millennium are now more exposed to typing than children born before the turn of the century.

However, many parents still ask, “When’s the best time for me to teach my children to type?” Also, what are the benefits of teaching typing to kids at an early age? We’re here to dive into those questions to have clear answers by the time you’ve finished reading this post.

The Right Age for Children to Learn Typing

Your child might be an “eager beaver” once they start to get a hold of a keyboard (virtual or physical), but they’ll soon find out that it does take a while to master typing. Most kids gain the motor coordination and finger span around the age of 7 or 8. Hence, it is within this age range that you can let your child learn how to type properly and quickly.

Start Letting Your Child Start Out in the World of Typing

For your child to achieve proper typing practices, they need to learn how to isolate movement from different fingers. Furthermore, the hands need to have a nice Palmer arch. So before your child reaches 7 or 8 years old, you might want to assist them first if they want to search something on the Internet or when they want to type something in their favorite mobile application.

The Benefit of Typing at an Early Age

While there are still many parents that are hesitant to let their kids learn to type at an early age, there is one obvious benefit to letting children learn how to type on a keyboard during the early stages of their life – it saves time. When you write something on a piece of paper with the use of a pen or pencil, it takes multiple strokes just to write a letter. Typing on a keyboard, on the other hand, only takes one motion of the finger and that letter will immediately pop up on screen.

Typing for Kids Foster Early Development

When you teach your children the benefits of typing when they’re still young, it allows them to enhance their skills in spelling, writing, and even grammar. After all, if you try to write something in a document writing application like MS Word, you’ll get a red line underneath a word if you spelled it wrong. Typing for children can also assist kids with motor challenges as typing can be beneficial for them to communicate properly.

So before you disregard letting your child learn how to type at an early age, consider the benefits first. While handwriting is still a valuable skill that your kid should learn, don’t just dismiss the idea of letting your child learn to type while they’re still young.