Typing in a Charlotte Mason homeschool

Last reviewed October 24, 2026

Charlotte Mason never wrote about typing lessons, so computer typing is a modern addition many Charlotte Mason families make. It fits her ideas surprisingly well, as long as it's done the CM way: short, careful, and with the child's attention fully on the work.

When to start

The free Charlotte Mason curriculum AmblesideOnline has a helpful note on this. It says a typing program "can prepare your child for written narration," and that if a child learns to touch type "during the year that he is nine," written narration may be much easier around age 10. It also adds that "speed is not important."

That lines up well with what we've seen. Around nine, most kids read fluently, their hands fit the keyboard, and they can give ten minutes of full attention. Some are ready sooner. If your child is younger and keen, a gentle start is fine. See what age should kids learn to type for readiness signs.

Short lessons, full attention

Short lessons are a CM habit, and they're also the best way to learn typing. Ten minutes is plenty:

• Full attention for the whole lesson. Eyes on the screen, fingers on the home row.
• Stop while it's still going well. Better to end wanting more than to drag on.
• Do it most days. Typing is a habit of the hands, and habits come from steady repetition.

Perfect execution over speed

Miss Mason asked for careful, beautiful work in copywork: a few words written perfectly rather than a page written poorly. Typing works the same way. A few lines typed accurately, with the right fingers and no peeking, builds the skill. Racing through with mistakes builds the wrong habit.

So in a CM home, we'd skip timed speed tests for a long time. Watch for accuracy and good form instead. Speed comes on its own.

Keep copywork and dictation by hand

Typing doesn't replace handwriting in a Charlotte Mason education. Copywork and dictation train attention, spelling, and the hand, and they're worth keeping on paper. Typing is a separate, short lesson that comes alongside.

As AmblesideOnline puts it, a typing program "will remove the burden of handwriting from the process of composition." That's the key idea. Handwriting is practiced in copywork. Typing frees the child to focus on ideas when they're composing a longer written narration.

Using typing for written narration

Once your child types comfortably without looking, try letting them type some of their written narrations:

1. Start small. A typed narration of one short passage, once a week.
2. Keep oral narration going. Typing is for some written work, not all of it.
3. Don't correct as they go. Let them get their thoughts down. Look at spelling and punctuation afterward, the way you would with handwritten work.
4. Print and keep them. Typed narrations make a nice record in a notebook or portfolio.

Choosing a program that fits CM values

Things a Charlotte Mason family might look for:

• Real lessons, not just games. Games are a fine reward, but the lesson should come first.
• A calm screen. Avoid flashing ads and endless pop-ups competing for attention.
• No addictive hooks. Streaks, loot boxes, and "just one more" prompts work against the habit of attention.
• Good words to type. Real words and sentences, not random letter strings forever.

Where Home Row Mojo fits

Home Row Mojo has guided lessons, then drills with words, phrases, and sentences, and 12 arcade games as a reward. There are no ads, no subscription, and no addictive game hooks. The look is a warm, nostalgic 1993 school computer lab rather than a flashing video game.

You can try it free as a guest. Chicken Run and Checkers are free to play. The full version is $29 once for the whole family.