Stonehedge Library: Click Clack Woo! Kids That Type!

The Stonehedge library has been filled with the clickity-clack of Chromebook keyboards throughout the first half of December. Grades 3-5 have been trying out a free website called TypingClub.com. It is a keyboarding trainer that takes kids through all of the basic typing skill drills, (just like the typing lessons some of us took in high school.) Typists can track their accuracy and speed and move up levels to assess their progress. The response from our students has been positive, with many kids reporting that they have continued their training on their classroom computers and at home. Keyboarding skills are more important than ever to our students. They need to be “keyboard familiar” earlier than ever before, so we’re excited the introduction has gone so well. We’ll be spending more time on TypingClub with 3-5 and introducing it to 2^nd grade when we come back from break in January. To take a peek, just go to www.typingclub.com

Meanwhile, the K-2 students have also been on the Chromebooks in the library. They have been using the touch screen aspect of the Chromebooks to explore one of our favorite databases, PebbleGo, in preparation for all of the research that will take place in February during Winter Wonderland. PebbleGo is a fabulous research resource for emergent readers. It has tons of facts on all types of subjects that are presented in an easy to read format. There are videos, sound clips, time lines and other features that make learning fun. It had been so much fun to watch even our littlest Wildcats exploring and reporting back facts about what they are learning. PebbleGo is accessible through the library website. We have sent access instructions home with all of our little researchers.