Grade by Grade
B. Foundations of Language · Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation

Fluent Cursive and Keyboarding Proficiency

D2.2 A1.2About 45 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can write in fluent, legible cursive for notes, drafts and timed writing.
  • I can type with increasing speed and accuracy, using the correct fingers for letters, numbers and punctuation keys.
  • I can use keyboard shortcuts and word-processing tools to make my writing more accurate.
  • I can use formatting (headings, bullets, bold, special characters) to make my writing clearer for readers.
  • I can track my progress and set a goal.

Words to know

fluent
Smooth and easy, without stopping to think about each letter or key.
proficiency
A high level of skill that comes from practice.
automaticity
Doing something so well that you don't have to think about it.
keyboard shortcut
Two or more keys pressed together to do a job quickly, like Ctrl + S to save.
formatting
How text looks on the page: headings, bold, bullets, spacing and font.
accuracy
How many keys or letters you got right, out of all you typed or wrote.

Remember from Grade 5

In Grade 5 you made your cursive fluent (smooth and legible) and measured your speed in words per minute. You also began to type with automaticity, using the home row (A S D F, J K L ;), chose fonts that fit your purpose, and used spell- and grammar-checkers wisely.

In Grade 6 the curriculum asks you to keep writing in fluent cursive, and to keep building your keyboarding with more fluency, automaticity and proficiency, so your writing is more accurate and has a stronger effect on readers.

When does cursive help in Grade 6?

You will type many assignments, but handwriting is still a tool you use every day:

  • Jot notes while a teacher, a guest speaker or a video is talking.
  • Planning and brainstorming on paper, with arrows and circles.
  • Timed writing in class, when there's no device.
  • Cards, letters and your signature on forms.

Check your cursive with the four S's from earlier grades: Shape, Size, Slant and Spacing. For fast notes, keep it smooth, but make sure you (and others, if needed) can read it later.

Building keyboarding proficiency

Proficient typists do more than type letters. They also reach the number row and punctuation keys without looking.

  • Use the finger closest to the key. For example, the left little finger reaches 1 and Q, and the right little finger reaches ; and '.
  • Hold Shift with the little finger on the opposite hand from the key you're pressing. To type a capital J (right hand), hold the left Shift.
  • On most English keyboards, a colon ( : ) is Shift + the semicolon key, and a question mark is Shift + the slash key ( / ).
  • Return to the home row after every reach.
  • Keep accuracy first. Fixing mistakes takes longer than typing carefully.
1234567890QWERTYUIOPASDFGHJKL;'ShiftZXCVBNM,./Shifthome rowlittle-finger reaches: 1 and Q (left hand), ; and ' (right hand)Capital J (right hand): hold the LEFT Shift with your left little finger.
Part of an English keyboard. The bumps on F and J help your fingers find the home row without looking; Shift is pressed by the hand opposite the letter.
Ctrl+Z= undo the last changeCtrl+F= find a word
Two useful shortcuts. On a Mac, use the Command key instead of Ctrl.
Shortcut (Windows / Chromebook)On a MacWhat it does
Ctrl + SCommand + SSave
Ctrl + ZCommand + ZUndo
Ctrl + C, then Ctrl + VCommand + C, then Command + VCopy, then paste
Ctrl + XCommand + XCut
Ctrl + B / Ctrl + ICommand + B / Command + IBold / italics
Ctrl + FCommand + FFind a word in your document
Keyboard shortcuts save time, so your hands stay on the keyboard

Typing for accuracy and effect

The curriculum says to use keyboarding to improve the accuracy and effect of texts. Here's how:

  • Accuracy: type carefully, then use Find (Ctrl + F) to check names and words you often misspell.
  • Special characters: many word processors have an Insert menu with special characters, so you can spell names correctly, like Métis, Québec or Montréal.
  • Effect: use headings so readers can find sections, bullets for lists, and bold for a few key words. A page that's easy to read has a stronger effect on readers.
Worked example

Let's work out speed, accuracy and a goal

In 4 minutes, Amira typed 480 characters (including spaces). 12 of them were mistakes. Last month she typed 20 words per minute. Find her speed and accuracy, and suggest a goal.

  1. Typing programs count 5 characters as one word. 480 ÷ 5 = 96 words.
  2. 96 words ÷ 4 minutes = 24 words per minute (wpm).
  3. Correct characters: 480 − 12 = 468. Accuracy = 468 ÷ 480 = 0.975, which is 97.5%.
  4. She improved from 20 to 24 wpm, which is 4 wpm better. Her accuracy is already high, so a good goal is to keep it above 95% while reaching about 26 wpm next month.

Amira types 24 wpm with 97.5% accuracy. A good goal: about 26 wpm, still above 95% accuracy.

Accuracy first

Speed with poor accuracy is not progress. If your accuracy drops below about 90%, slow down until it climbs again. Compare yourself only with yourself.

Just for fun

Funny but true: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog uses every letter of the alphabet. Typists have been practising with that sentence for more than a hundred years. The fox must be very tired by now!

Hands-on activity

Two-minute check-ins: pen and keyboard

You need: lined paper, a pencil, a timer, and a computer or tablet with a keyboard.

  1. Cursive check: choose a paragraph from a book. Copy it in cursive for 2 minutes. Count your words and divide by 2 to get words per minute. Circle any word that is hard to read.
  2. Typing check: type the same paragraph for 2 minutes without looking at your hands. Use a typing program, or count characters with the word processor's word count tool (use the character count that includes spaces). Divide characters by 5, then by 2.
  3. Shortcut challenge: in your typed paragraph, use only shortcuts to bold one key word (Ctrl + B), undo it (Ctrl + Z), find the word the (Ctrl + F) and save (Ctrl + S).
  4. Add a heading and turn three facts into a bulleted list.
  5. Record your scores in a chart. Set one goal for each, like "Cursive: 20 words per minute, all legible" and "Typing: 25 wpm at 95% accuracy".
  6. Repeat once a week for a month and look at your progress.

Your turn

1

Name two times in Grade 6 when cursive or handwriting is still a good choice.

2

Which Shift key should you hold to type a capital A? Why?

3

What shortcut would you use to undo a mistake?

4

Jonah typed 600 characters in 5 minutes. What is his speed in wpm?

5

You typed 200 characters with 6 mistakes. What is your accuracy?

6

How can you type Métis with the correct accent if your keyboard has no é key?

7

Why might you use headings and bullets in a report on Canada's provinces?

More practice: warm-up

1

What shortcut saves a document?

2

Which key do you hold with Shift to type a colon ( : )?

3

What are the four S's for checking cursive?

4

True or false: you should look at your hands when you type numbers.

5

How many characters count as one typing word?

More practice: on your own

1

Leo's cursive notes are fast, but later he can't read the word environment. What should he change?

2

Copy and paste: list the two shortcuts, in order, to copy a sentence and paste it somewhere else.

3

Ava typed 30 wpm with 82% accuracy. Ben typed 24 wpm with 97% accuracy. Whose typing is more useful right now? Why?

4

You wrote Montreal in your report about Québec. How can you check every place you wrote it?

5

Mia typed 360 characters in 3 minutes last week and 450 characters in 3 minutes this week. How much faster is she in wpm?

Challenge

1

In 5 minutes, Kiran typed 750 characters with 30 mistakes. Find his speed and accuracy. Then set him a realistic goal.

2

Explain how formatting can improve the effect of a one-page notice about a school food drive. Give three specific choices.

3

A classmate says, "I type so fast I don't need to learn where the keys are." Write a respectful reply explaining why touch-typing is worth learning.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

What does it mean to keyboard with automaticity?

2.

Which shortcut finds a word in your document?

3.

Sam typed 250 characters in 2 minutes. What is his speed?

4.

To type a capital L (a right-hand key), which Shift key should you hold?

5.

Which is the best goal for a student with 85% accuracy?

6.

Which formatting choice makes a report easier to read?

For parents and teachers

Big idea (D2.2): The Grade 6 Ontario Language curriculum (Strand D, Printing, Handwriting, and Word Processing) asks students to write in fluent cursive and to apply keyboarding skills with increasing fluency, automaticity and proficiency to improve the accuracy and effect of texts. Tracking progress and setting goals connects to Strand A (A1.2, student agency).

How to help at home:

  • Aim for about 10 minutes of typing practice most days, on a safe, age-appropriate program (check sites with your child).
  • Let your child type real things: an email to a relative, a recipe card, a list for a trip.
  • Keep handwriting alive with grocery lists, cards and journal entries in cursive.
  • Show your child the shortcuts you use. Children enjoy learning "pro" tricks.

Common difficulties:

  • Looking at the number row. Slow down and practise typing dates and numbers (like October 14, 2026), then whole sentences with numbers.
  • Speed before accuracy. Praise accuracy scores first.
  • Messy notes. Fast notes are fine if your child can read them later. Ask them to read their notes back to you the same day.
  • Schools teach different cursive styles; follow your child's teacher's style.