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Word Processing

3.2 - Creating

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Intro

Word processing is one of the elements of 3.2 'Creating'. It's all about using the keyboard to type text.

Did you know that 33% of British adults have not written by hand in the past 6 months? And that it's been 41 days since the average British adult last did so? (Source: Guardian 2014).

It's a simple fact that most writing is done these days by typing, except in our schools. That's not to say that forming letters and handwriting are not vital skills that need a lot of your class-time, but surely you should be devoting a similar amount of time to learning how to type?

In Year 2, pupils are expected to move around the text using the mouse to correct and edit their work, and to change the size and colour of their text.

Framework

3.2 - Creating

  • create and edit multimedia components in order to develop text, image, sound, animation and video for a range of tasks in one or more languages.

Skill by Skill

  • Change text size on a simple word processing tool.
  • Delete text using both delete and backspace.
  • Use caps lock or shift to type capital letters.
  • Use the mouse to position the cursor at a certain point in a piece of text to enter or delete text at that point.
  • Insert an object e.g. picture or shape to a simple word processing tool from a camera or website.

(EAS ICT Skills Framework)

Vocabulary

Caps Lock     Shift     Delete      Backspace      edit      text      size      colour      cursor

Focus Tasks

Editing Text

Your main task in Year 2 is to give your pupils as many opportunities as possible to practise their typing skills. But there are a few specific skills that need their own focus task.

Editing Text

  • Using a simple word processing program (2Write or J2E) ask your pupils to type three facts they've learnt about your current topic. Whilst doing so, show them:
    • How to change the size and colour of the text.
    • How to use the 'Delete' and 'Backspace' keys to edit text ('Delete' edits letters to the right, 'Backspace' to the left).
    • The difference between 'Caps Lock' and 'Shift'.
    • How to use the mouse to select any point in the text to correct typing errors.

Insert Pictures

  • Most word processing programs (J2E, Google Slides, Word 365) allow you to search for online images from within your work. This is much simpler than copying and pasting from another tab. Show them how to do this and let them practise.
dinosaurs

Enhanced Provision

Type all the Time

As mentioned above, typing is a key skill that is under-taught in most Foundation Phase classrooms. Regular practise is the key, so give them opportunities to type every week and keep reminding them of the above skills. Encourage them to:

  • Regularly type three facts about their current topic and add images.
  • Write facts about their hobbies or favourite book characters.
  • Type pages from the stories that you've read as a class (using any word processor program).
  • Play typing games online to speed up their typing.
  • Pretend to type using keyboards left in your role-play areas.