Typing.com is a free web-based typing curriculum offering K-12 keyboarding lessons, digital citizenship instruction, and coding basics, with a premium ad-free version available for $7.99 per student per year.
What Is Typing.com?
Typing.com is a comprehensive online typing tutor used by millions of students and educators. The platform teaches touch typing through structured lessons that progress from home row basics through advanced speed building, supplemented by games that reinforce skills without feeling like drill work. What sets Typing.com apart from simple typing games is the full curriculum approach: beyond keyboarding, it includes digital citizenship lessons about online safety and introduces coding concepts. For homeschool families, the free version provides everything needed for solid typing instruction, while the premium tier removes ads and adds advanced reporting features.
Key Takeaways
- Completely free core curriculum covering touch typing from beginner to advanced
- Includes digital citizenship and introductory coding beyond just keyboarding
- Parent/teacher dashboard tracks progress, speed, accuracy, and problem areas
- Premium version ($7.99/year per student) removes ads and adds advanced features
- Available in English and Spanish with accessibility features for special needs
What the Curriculum Covers
The typing curriculum follows a logical progression: home row positioning and proper finger placement, systematic introduction of all keys, numbers and symbols, then increasingly challenging speed-building exercises. Along the way, students encounter problem-key practice that adapts to their specific weak spots. The platform also branches beyond pure keyboarding into digital citizenship (online safety, responsible internet use) and basic coding concepts including HTML, JavaScript, and Python fundamentals. This broader scope means typing practice doesn't exist in a vacuum but connects to real digital skills.
Free vs. Premium
Parent Dashboard Features
The teacher/parent portal provides real-time monitoring without hovering over shoulders. You'll see each student's speed and accuracy metrics over time, which specific keys they struggle with, how long they've spent practicing, and whether they're actually progressing or just clicking through. Custom lessons let you add practice text relevant to your curriculum - type out spelling words, vocabulary definitions, or passages from their history reading. Grading thresholds are adjustable, so you define what "mastery" means for your family.
Why Typing Matters for Homeschoolers
Keyboard proficiency reduces cognitive load during writing - when students don't have to think about finding keys, they can focus on expressing ideas. Standardized tests are increasingly computer-based, making typing speed a practical advantage. College coursework assumes students can type efficiently. Even for elementary students, early typing instruction prevents the hunt-and-peck habits that become harder to break later. Twenty minutes of daily practice over a semester produces dramatic improvements that serve students for life.
The Bottom Line
Typing.com delivers a surprisingly complete typing education at no cost. The free tier genuinely covers everything most homeschool families need - lessons, games, progress tracking, and adaptive practice. Premium makes sense if ads bother you or if you need longer data retention and advanced reporting. Either way, you're getting a standards-aligned curriculum that takes typing from a chore to a checked box. For a skill this universally useful, Typing.com makes mastery accessible to every budget.
