How can kids learn to type at an early age?

Q. When I was in high school, typing was offered as an elective. But my kids are hunting and pecking on the computer now in elementary school. Is there any move to teach typing earlier in the school curriculum to instill good typing habits before it's too late?

A. "Courses such as typing, word processing and computers are at each school district's discretion," says Robert-Wayne Harris, superintendent of schools in the Roosevelt Union Free School District. If you want your district to offer typing - also referred to now as keyboarding - in lower grades, he suggests talking to your PTA first to see if other parents agree and then addressing the issue with your local board of education.

In these challenging economic times, districts may not be able to begin another program; they also may not be able to fit it in with all the mandatory core academic requirements schools face. You could suggest other options. "Could we do an after-school program if we can't fit it into the curriculum during the day?" Harris suggests.

Also, check with local colleges, libraries and business schools for courses and search the Web for drills or software programs. "The modern-day way to do it is to use a program," says Mitchell Cohen, owner and director of Computer Teach, a school in Great Neck that teaches computers to adults and children. He recommends "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing." The "Kids" version, designed for ages 4 to 11, is $14.98 at childrenssoft wareonline.com.