Literacy Spot #42: Old Fashioned Technology

ByChristie Burnett

Early literacy learning

I was very excited to discover that my parents had recently found my old manual typewriter when they were spring cleaning! And even more thrilled to find that it still worked 🙂

I think a good old fashioned typewriter is a fun way for a kindergartner or child in the early grades of school to play with the letters and words, especially a child showing interest in letters or beginning the formal process of learning about them.

For us, I will be putting the typewriter away for a bit longer as I don’t think Immy (at 3 1/2) has quite the level of manual dexterity, co-ordination or finger strength to be able to use it very successfully (you have to hit the keys quite hard to make an imprint on the page) but it will be coming out to play before too long.

And maybe one dash she will bash out a new edition of The Family Times…

Just like I did (with the help of my siblings) all those years ago!  (It’s amazing what Mum and Dad found in their clean up!)

Sometimes old technology is just as fun as new 🙂

What is Childhood 101′s Literacy Spot? It is a weekly reminder of the importance of young children learning playfully as each week I share one idea for playing around with literacy, taken from my many years working as an early childhood teacher. Visit the previous Literacy Spot posts for more fun ideas for playing with literacy.

Related Posts

Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.

14 Comments

  1. In a fit of cleaning several years ago, I got rid of my electric typewriter. Since then I’ve regretted it. I think about what my kids would do with it in the classroom.

    1. You will have to keep an eye out for another, Scott, the children would love it 🙂

  2. I know I wish I still had my old one. I remember when I would type away for hours on that thing all nonsense but good fun!

    1. I found all sort of old nonsense in the typewriter case, Timmi 🙂 It can be wonderful to stumble upon the relics of our own childhood.

  3. Oh wow. That is such a cool typewriter. How many of us banged out essays on those…I did…and then I was given an electric one. Woot!! My first degree by distance ed took 5 years, and was done via the electric typewriter…and then in the last year the computer- Commodore 64.
    I remember giving kids in Infants classes a go on the typewriter too. There is something more ‘tangible’ isn’t there about making that mark!
    One thing, at least you are going to have some fun when Immy is older. “look Mum, I am typing!!”
    Denyse

    1. We had a Commodore 64 as well, Denyse. When you look back now the programs were so primitive 🙂 I think it is wonderful for young children to experiment with all sorts of mark making.

  4. Margaret Elvis says:

    You certainly need finger strength to use one of those manual typewriters. I know ‘cos I used one for probably about 25 or more years before we had an electric machine at work and I think my thumbs and fingers suffer from it today. That said I think it is a great idea for youngsters to learn to use one and no danger from electricity at all. I remember looking at your ‘FAMILY NEWS’ and think it was a wonderful idea for children in a family to write one similar to that. Hope young mums take that on board so that years later they will have a record of it as you have. A really great idea.

  5. This is a great idea for one of my children who struggles with handwriting and rebels against the OT exercises we have been recommended but loves pressing any kind of buttons. It will be good for stimulating spelling awareness, fine motor development and finger strength. Thanks for reminding me of something I loved as a child.
    Rebecca
    PS I LOVE your family news and I think it’s wonderful that your parents kept it. Treasure indeed!

    1. I hope this works for you, Rebecca. It is fun to find relics from my own childhood. Immy loves to ask, “Did you do this/watch this/sing this/etc when you were little?”

  6. Lyndsey Martin says:

    The kids at school love playing along with their ‘air’ typewriters to the Jerry Lewis typewriter skit. I simply stream it from YouTube and they play along. It’s a hoot!!!
    Sometimes we even sit one child on a chair and one on the floor and use the top of our partners heads as the typewriter. However we do it they always have fun and it’s one of my most requested music activities.

  7. Love that issue of The Family Times… I think Mum still has the old Imperial I learned to type on, the very same typewriter she used too. I probably should borrow it for the Munchkin. He can make the keys stick like I used to – the ‘S’ is a particularly tricky one. I loved having to send them all back to their place in order. They wouldn’t go any other way. Most of all I loved the writing. Wished I’d done a Family Times… wished I’d remembered earlier.

    1. Over the past few years my grandmother and Mum have both found little bits and pieces of my childhood and it is always such a trip down memory lane. I will have to dig out some of the others to share here 🙂

  8. My kids love to ask about “when you were little” too – tragically half the stuff they take for granted now such as non-stop TV channels, emergency iPhone games for waiting rooms and ripstiks weren’t even invented when I was little. Groan – I’m sounding like my mother who I used to ask “was life in black and white when you were little?”!! My kids won’t even know what black and white means ;D

Comments are closed.