This study investigates typing skill acquisition in Japanese children with developmental dyslexia (DD) and other developmental disorders (ADHD, ASD). Given that phonological processing difficulties impair reading and writing, typing may serve as an alternative skill for written expression. Sixty-one students (ages 7-18) participated in five typing…

Researchers have demonstrated that video-based interventions are effective at teaching a variety of skills to individuals with intellectual disabilities. To replicate and extend this line of research, we initially planned to compare the effects of video modeling and video prompting on the acquisition of a novel work skill (i.e., data entry) in two…

In response to COVID-19, universities worldwide experienced drastic and sudden changes including the need to shift to online teaching and assessment. Following previous research suggesting that individual differences in typing skills could influence text quantity and quality, we investigated whether university students' typing speed is related to…

Using computers and keyboarding skills for written communication have been common adaptations recommended by occupational therapists which are now important for all students. We used a quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test design to examine the effectiveness of a developmentally based curriculum, Keyboarding Without Tears®, as compared to free…

Cognitive skills are associated with academic performance, but little is known about how to improve these skills in the classroom. Here, we present the results of a pilot study in which teachers were trained to engage students in cognitive skill practice through playing games. Fifth-grade students at an experimental charter school were randomly…

Classroom teachers sometimes struggle trying to find time during the typical school day to provide the writing instruction students need to be successful. This study examined 29 fifth through twelfth grade classroom teachers' survey responses about their perception of the effectiveness of using an online blogging tool, Kidblog, to plan and provide…

Discussion of effective teaching methods for keyboarding skills in elementary schools focuses on a study that investigated the use of sensor-key caps. Results provided no evidence that the use of sensor-key caps improved keyboarding speed or accuracy over standard keys without the key caps. (Author/LRW)

Five adults with developmental disabilities participated in a keyboard skills training program employing color coded keys and typing drills. Through typing skills, the subjects were taught basic computer operations such as taking disk directories, loading programs and executing the programs. Repetitious learning was the model used. Data collected…

In 2 experiments, the efficacy of motor imagery for learning to type number sequences was examined. Adults practiced typing 4-digit numbers. Then, during subsequent training, they either typed in the same or a different location, imagined typing, merely looked at each number, or performed an irrelevant task. Repetition priming (faster responses…

Indiana fourth graders received keyboarding instruction 30 minutes per day for 4 weeks with 30 minutes of daily practice thereafter. Comparison with their scores in the fifth grade revealed an increase in speed of nine words per minute. Accuracy did not change significantly. (SK)

Of 1,243 secondary students randomly assigned to treatments, the experimental group received keyboarding instruction plus basic English instruction 3 times per week for 8 weeks. They showed statistically significant achievement in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization when theory and practice were integrated. Keyboarding speed and…

Using Macintoshes, 111 high school students completed 8 3-minute timed typings, twice under each of 4 conditions (normal, monitors off, keyboards covered, and both monitor off and keyboard covered). Fastest speeds were achieved with monitors off, the most accurate with full visual access to both monitor and keyboard. (SK)

Research has shown that relaxation exercises produce physical changes in students. After relaxation exercises, students appear calmer, have reduced levels of anxiety, and are more responsive to instruction. In order to determine if relaxation exercises would improve the rate at which students learn keyboarding, a study was conducted in a South…

Twenty-one students with autism, ages 6-20, were taught to use facilitated communication to unlock their ideas and communicate through typing. Facilitated communication involves physical and emotional support for typing or pointing at letters, helping students maintain focus, and fading physical support. Subjects revealed unexpected literacy and…

Eighteen learning-disabled high school students who were provided with seven hours of instruction in keyboarding skills made significant gains in keyboarding speed. There were no differential effects between drill-and-practice and game formats on skill acquisition and attitudes, but the game format had a detrimental effect on continuing…