Research shows that primary school children who can touch type get better scores on language and mathematics assignments. In primary school you do learn how to handwrite properly, but learning how to touch type and other keyboarding skills are neglected, while at school children use the keyboard more often than the pen. Consider consulting websites, creating a paper or a PowerPoint presentation.
Room for inequality
Research shows that students in lower secondary education only acquire 7% of their digital skills at school. The development of digital skills depends on the home situation. This creates room for inequality of opportunity, as the home situation is not the same for every child. For example, not all parents can spend money on having their children take a typing course outside of school.
Getting started in primary education
Henny van der Meijden bundled her research in the book “Typ jij blind? Aan de slag in het basisonderwijs” [Do you learn how to touch type? Get started in primary education]. It is written for teachers and school leaders in (special) primary education. The book provides tools to get started with a continuous learning path for developing keyboarding skills, including touch typing. She advocates implementing touch typing at school, so that the event described below will become history.
'When I consulted a specialist in the hospital, I noticed that he was typing during the consultation and still could look at me. When I made a comment about that, he said: 'Yes, a typing course, that is the best investment my parents have ever made in me.'