Begin with the home row. Move to words, then the top row, then every letter.
Where to start in 2nd grade
The choices above the game are a starting point for 2nd grade: home row, first words, top row and all letters. They are not a rule. Children start typing at different times, so pick the one that feels comfortable and move on when a lap feels easy. Every other skill is on the practice page.
The focus at this stage: The right fingers on the home row, and careful typing of short words.
What schools publish for 2nd grade
One district we could open gives a number. A keyboarding pacing guide from Omaha Public Schools in Nebraska, revised in 2016, lists a minimum of 10 to 12 words a minute at 85% accuracy for grades 2 and 3, and adds: "In grades 2 and 3, the focus should be on technique and accuracy." That is one district's own target, not a national rule.
Schools set their own goals, and they differ. Our guide to average typing speed by age and grade puts the published targets side by side with their sources. Our guide to typing practice for 1st and 2nd grade has a plan for grown-ups.
A typing test for 2nd grade
A fair starting point at this stage is the typing test for kids on All letters, for 1 minute. It shows keys right and words a minute. If that choice is a struggle, drop back to Home row. Compare a child with their own last month, never with a classmate.
For teachers
Every page here runs in a browser with no accounts, so a whole class can use it on Chromebooks or iPads. Teachers can request free classroom codes for the full game.
Other grades
Kindergarten · 1st grade · 3rd grade · 4th grade · 5th grade
Questions
How fast should 2nd graders type?
There is no national rule. One district we could open, Omaha Public Schools, lists a minimum of 10 to 12 words a minute at 85% accuracy for grades 2 and 3, and says the focus should be technique and accuracy.
Is this free?
Yes. There are no ads and nothing to sign up for.
My child is in 2nd grade and has never typed. Where should they start?
At the beginning, with F and J on the home row. The first lessons go quickly, and nothing is lost by starting there.