Do Schools Still Teach Typing? What the 2024 EdWeek Survey Found
Most US schools still teach typing in some form, but few teach it as its own class. In an EdWeek Research Center survey of school and district leaders published in November 2024, 69 percent said their school or district teaches keyboarding in some capacity. Only 8 percent said it is taught as a standalone class, another 11 percent said it is taught both as a standalone class and in the regular classroom, and about half said students learn it as a skill within the classroom. In practice, keyboarding often depends on whether an individual teacher finds time for it. As of late 2026, this remains the most recent national survey we could find on how US schools teach typing.
What did the EdWeek survey find about keyboarding?
EdWeek published the results as a set of charts, "How and When Students Learn to Type, in Charts", alongside a feature article titled "Typing Is Still a Foundational Skill. Do We Teach It That Way?". It is worth being clear about who answered: the respondents were school and district leaders, not teachers or students, so the numbers describe what administrators say their systems offer rather than how well students actually type.
The grade-level figures are the most useful part. Eighty-four percent of leaders said their school or district teaches keyboarding in grades 3–5, and the same share said so for grades 6–8. Instruction is less common at either end: 62 percent reported it in grades K–2 and 57 percent in high school. That pattern makes sense, because late elementary and middle school are when students start writing longer texts on a computer.
The survey also points to an equity gap in the early grades. According to EdWeek, 74 percent of leaders in more affluent systems, where fewer than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, offer keyboarding in K–2, compared with 51 percent in less affluent systems. Children who start later then meet typed assignments and on-screen tests with less practice behind them.
Why did keyboarding fall between the cracks?
Part of the answer is that devices made typing look automatic. Students grow up with phones and tablets, and it is easy to assume they will pick up the keyboard on their own. EdWeek's reporting makes the point that familiarity with technology is not the same as knowing how to keyboard properly. Swiping and thumb typing do not teach home-row position, and hunt-and-peck habits formed early are hard to unlearn.
Standards are the second part. Keyboarding expectations are not new: EdWeek notes that technology standards as far back as 1998 called for students to use keyboards "efficiently and effectively" by the end of 5th grade. The Common Core writing standards later placed keyboarding inside Writing standard 6, expecting students to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting by grade 4 (W.4.6), two pages by grade 5 and three by grade 6. Those are outcomes, not lessons. Nothing in a writing standard tells a school who teaches the home row, when, or for how many minutes a week.
A few states fill that gap more explicitly. Utah publishes elementary keyboarding standards that put touch technique ahead of speed, with the goal that students are proficient keyboarders by the end of grade 5, including keeping their eyes on the copy or screen rather than on the keys.
Then there is time, the scarcest resource in any school day. EdWeek compares keyboarding to handwriting: there are clear expectations of what students should be able to do, but the time to teach the foundational skill is not always protected. When keyboarding is everyone's job inside the classroom, it can easily become nobody's. That competition for minutes has grown in 2026, as handwriting has returned to the legislative agenda. New Jersey's governor signed a law in January 2026 requiring cursive instruction in grades 3 to 5 from the 2026–27 school year, and Pennsylvania enacted its own cursive requirement in February 2026. Neither law says anything about typing, but both land in the same elementary grades where keyboarding is usually taught. Our article on cursive vs. keyboarding looks at how schools can make room for both.
Meanwhile, the tests went digital anyway. More high-stakes assessments are now taken on screen, including state tests with typed constructed responses, and EdWeek reports that educators and researchers see early keyboarding instruction as a way to set students up for success as assessments move online. A student who is still searching for keys spends attention on mechanics instead of on the content of the answer.
What does a practical keyboarding model look like for grades K–8?
Closing the gap does not require a new course. It requires a clear owner, a small but regular time slot and a way to see progress. The model below fits most schedules, and our guide to keyboarding skills by grade adds grade-by-grade detail.
| Grade band | Focus | Suggested time | Who owns it |
|---|---|---|---|
| K–2 | Keyboard familiarity, letter location, posture, short playful practice | Short sessions during computer or literacy time | Classroom or specials teacher |
| 3–5 | Touch typing on the home row, then all letter keys; accuracy before speed | 10–15 minutes, 3 times a week | One named owner per grade (technology, library or classroom teacher) |
| 6–8 | Speed and stamina, numbers and symbols, typing extended writing | Warm-ups plus practice embedded in writing assignments | ELA or technology teacher, with a shared target |
Putting the model in place starts with naming an owner for each grade, a specific teacher who is responsible for keyboarding minutes, because "everyone" never works in practice. That person sets a baseline at the start of the year with a short typing test, recording speed and accuracy for each student. From there, the priority is to protect short, frequent sessions: ten to fifteen minutes several times a week does more than one long session, and a warm-up at the start of computer time is an easy place to find them.
It also helps to tie targets to writing. When goals are linked to the Common Core page expectations, students see keyboarding as part of writing rather than a separate game. Finally, review results mid-year and again at year end, compare classes, and look for the students who still watch their hands, since they are the ones who need a different approach.
How should a school choose a typing program?
Most schools deliver the practice through a typing program. The usual priorities are Chromebook support, teacher reports, rostering and student data privacy, and our guide to choosing typing software for schools has a criteria table and a pilot checklist.
Kluppy is one option. It runs in the browser on Chromebooks and other computers, with nothing to install and no ads. Students can start with the free typing course, which covers finger placement plus levels 1 to 7 with no card needed, and paid levels from level 8 add AI-generated exercises built from each student's errors. School licenses include a teacher panel with per-student reports on speed, accuracy and practice time, plus class import from Google Classroom/Workspace or Microsoft 365 Education on every school plan. Children's data is hosted on EU servers and never used for advertising. Plans are listed on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Do schools still teach typing?
Most do in some form. In the EdWeek Research Center survey published in November 2024, 69 percent of school and district leaders said their school or district teaches keyboarding, but only a minority teach it as a standalone class. Most instruction happens inside regular classrooms.
At what grade should keyboarding instruction start?
Many schools start formal touch typing around grades 3 and 4, since the Common Core expects students to type a page in one sitting by grade 4. Younger students can build familiarity with the keyboard earlier. Utah's elementary keyboarding standards, for example, aim for proficiency by the end of grade 5.
Is a standalone keyboarding class necessary?
Not necessarily. What matters is that someone owns the instruction and that students get regular, short practice with feedback. A standalone class guarantees time, but embedded practice can work if the minutes are protected and progress is measured.
How can schools measure typing progress without extra work for teachers?
Use a short timed test at the start, middle and end of the year and keep the same format each time. A typing program with teacher reports can collect speed, accuracy and practice time automatically.