Learning the functions of the mouse will help elementary school children navigate their way around the computer screen. Start by showing the children how the mouse on the desk moves the pointer on the screen. Ask the children to move the pointer to various objects on the screen to get comfortable with how it works. Demonstrate how double-clicking with the left-mouse button opens a program by clicking on its icon. These basics will help the students complete other tasks using the computer in elementary school.
Introduce elementary school students to the world of word processing. Show the students where the letters are in the keyboard. Once they have located the letters, have classroom-typing Olympics. Give the students lists of words to type. Whoever can type them the fastest with the fewest errors is the winner. Not only will this teach typing skills, but spelling as well.
Just like keeping their desks organized in the classroom, keeping a computer screen neat and organized can make it easy to find files when the students need them. Explain how to create new folders on the computer using the right-mouse button and selecting the New option and folder selection. Show the students how to name the folders by double-clicking on the name. Students then create their own folders and save their files in the folders so they are easy to find the next time they need to work with that file.
Demonstrate basic functions of Internet browsers for the students. Show them how to use a search engine, and where to type their search words. Demonstrate how to search for words in that exact order by including them in quotation marks. Demonstrate how to create a bookmark in the Web browser, as well as how to open bookmarks that are already saved in the favorites section on the browser.