Free Typing Curriculum for Grades K–2 and 3–5 (Week-by-Week Plan)

October 22, 2026 · 6 min read

Most elementary schools want students typing by the time they write longer pieces on a computer, but few hand teachers a keyboarding plan. This is a free, ready-to-use one for grades K–2 and grades 3–5: what to teach in each band, how often, a week-by-week plan with links that open the right lesson, and a simple way to check progress.

It's built on TypePets because it's free, needs no student accounts and runs on school Chromebooks, but the sequence works with any typing program.

What the standards expect

The Common Core writing standards don't set a words-per-minute target. They describe how much students should type in one sitting: at least one page in grade 4, two pages in grade 5 and three pages in grade 6. In the earlier grades, students use digital tools to produce writing with adult support. That makes grades 3 and 4 the natural place to teach touch typing properly, with K–2 as the warm-up. For rough speed and accuracy targets at each grade, see our typing speed goals by grade.

Grades K–2: keyboard readiness

The goal in K–2 isn't speed. It's getting comfortable with the keyboard and building good habits before bad ones set in.

• Find the letters. Know that the keys aren't in ABC order, and find letters quickly while looking.
• The everyday keys. Space bar (thumbs), Backspace, Enter and Shift for a capital letter.
• Type their own name and a few sight words.
• Posture. Feet flat, sit back, wrists hovering, eyes on the screen.
• Home base (grade 2). Left fingers on A S D F, right fingers on J K L ;, and feel the bumps on F and J.

How often: 5 to 10 minutes, two or three times a week. Short is better at this age.

With TypePets: TypePets is designed for ages 7 to 12, so it fits 2nd grade best. Second graders can start Training Stage 1 (home row) and the first Bubble Pop levels, which only use home row letters. For kindergarten and 1st grade, stick to finding letters and typing names; there's no need for touch typing yet.

Grades 3–5: learning to touch type

This is where students learn every letter key without looking. By the end of 5th grade, most students who practice regularly can type a page or two comfortably.

• Grade 3: home row, top row and bottom row by touch. Accuracy of 90% or better before worrying about speed.
• Grade 4: all letters without looking, capitals with Shift, and typing whole sentences.
• Grade 5: numbers and punctuation, longer passages, and typing their own writing.

How often: 10 to 15 minutes, three to five times a week. A short daily warm-up beats one long lab period, so many teachers run it at the start of a literacy or computer block.

A 12-week plan for grades 3–5

Each link below opens TypePets on the right stage with a class timer. The timer starts when a student starts typing and pauses if they switch to another tab, and students see a short summary when time is up. Change the number after min= to set the minutes (1–60). Post the week's link in Google Classroom or your LMS.

Not every class moves at the same speed. If most students are below 90% accuracy at the end of a week, repeat it. Stage 8 (the full keyboard) makes a good stretch goal for 5th graders who finish early. For week 12, you can point the whole class at one passage by adding article=, for example articles.html?article=24&min=15 for "Penguins".

Inside a 15-minute lesson

1. 2 minutes: warm-up. Posture check, fingers on home base, find the bumps on F and J without looking.
2. 10 minutes: the week's stage from the link above. Walk around and look at fingers, not screens.
3. 3 minutes: reward game. Students who kept their eyes up play Bubble Pop. Its speed slider lets each student slow the game down, and slower speeds still unlock the next level.

Checking progress

Once a month is enough. Look at three things:

• Technique: correct fingers, eyes on the screen, good posture. This matters more than any number.
• Accuracy: 90% or better on the current stage.
• Speed: compare each student to their own last check, not to classmates.

Each student's Stats page charts their speed and accuracy over time, and the printable report works well for parent conferences. Students who earn a star on a training stage can print a certificate for it, which is a nice moment to celebrate.

Shared Chromebooks and privacy

TypePets keeps progress in the browser on each device, with no student accounts. If your Chromebooks are shared or wiped at sign-out, have each student get a save code on the Stats page (it looks like TIGER-427-MOON) and write it in their planner. On any Chromebook, they type the code on the Home page and their progress comes back. Save codes hold typing progress and the pet's name, never the student's name. Our Chromebook typing guide has more tips for school devices.

Because there are no accounts and no student names are collected, there's no roster to upload. If your school reviews new sites, the privacy policy is one short page.

Frequently asked questions

What grade should students start learning to type?

Most schools start real touch typing in 3rd grade, with keyboard familiarity in K–2. Some start the home row in 2nd grade. Earlier than that, small hands make the home row hard to reach.

How many minutes a week do students need?

About 30 to 60 minutes a week, split into short sessions, is enough for steady progress in grades 3–5. Ten minutes a day beats one long session.

Do students need accounts or email addresses?

Not for TypePets. Students open a link and start typing. Progress stays on the device, or follows them with an optional save code.

Is this curriculum free?

Yes. The plan and TypePets are both free, with no ads and no premium tier.

The bottom line

Keep K–2 about comfort and habits, teach touch typing properly in grades 3–5, and keep sessions short and frequent. Twelve weeks of ten-minute lessons is enough to take a class from the home row to every letter, with accuracy first and speed following on its own.

Related articles:

• Typing Speed Goals by Grade (K–8)
• Typing Practice on a Chromebook
• How to Teach Kids Touch Typing — A Parent's Guide