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Grade: Elementary
Subject: other
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Kinder & 1st grade students in a computer lab setting
can be a challenge. Here are some tips for teaching mouse
skills to these young computer users.
I hope this makes sense without seeing what I mean.Explain that the mouse is used to point to a picture (Icon
or button) and to tell the computer what to do. Show the
mouse buttons and the pointer on the screen.
Hand Position: Have the students hold up the hand that
they write with. Place the other hand in front of your
chest, palm up. Lay the writing hand on top of the other
hand in front of you. Show the students that it makes a
duck's bill. QUACK QUACK!
Double Clicking: Show how to lift only the pointer finger,
slightly. Not up high! Don't move all of the fingers like
a duck's bill. Explain that sometimes you are going to have
to click two times quickly. Ask if anyone has seen the
Little Caesar's Pizza commercial. Have them say
"Pizza, Pizza" two times quickly like the commercial's
Caesar. Show them how to slightly lift the pointer finger
and then press down gently twice, while whispering
"Pizza, Pizza". Explain you click twice to start a program.
Single Click: Explain that sometimes you will only need to
click once. We won't have Little Caesar's Pizza this time,
we will go to Pizza Hut and have only one Pizza. Click only
once.
Moving the pointer: Show the bottom of the mouse to explain
about the ball. With their hand still in the duck bill
position, have them move hands around in a SLOW circle, parralle
to the floor. Explain that if you move too quickly you won't be able to
control the arrow (pointer) on the screen.
Click and drag: Make the duck bill again. Explain that
sometimes you are going to be able to move things on the
computer screen. Have them GENTLY press down the pointer
finger and keep it down. Now move slowly in a circle while
holding down the pointer finger. Have students move hands
in specific directions - toward the wall, corner, etc.
to show how to guide the arrow.Most of the students were able to control the mouse the
first time, after about 5 minutes of instruction!
MUCH BETTER than some of my older students! Probably because
I assumed that they knew how to use a mouse, big mistake!OH yeah! The mouse pad became a cage because they kept
putting the mouse on the table! LOL I would get excited
and call out that a mouse was out of it's cage! This made
it alot more fun than lecturing students about dirt and
lack of control!I hope this helps others!
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