The Sylacauga School System is taking a novel approach to meet a growing educational need in its elementary schools.

There was a time when typing skills were only offered to older students — usually high school and occasionally junior high or middle school — because that was the age when students would begin to need that ability. It was necessary for long school reports and similar assignments.

But times have changed, especially in the past four or five years. The growing dependence on computers and the infiltration of that technology into every aspect of our lives means children need to learn those skills at much younger ages. Basic keyboarding skills need to be taught as early as possible before students develop bad typing habits, which teachers say are hard to correct once they set in.

While the need is there, the resource to pay for typing teachers at every elementary school is not.

That’s where keyboarding teacher Carol Sprayberry at Sylacauga High School and a group of dedicated students there come into play.

The high school students are going out to elementary schools to teach the younger children how to properly type on computers.

The elementary students learn an important skill, while the high school students gain experience in planning the lessons and working with other people.

As an added bonus, the program will save the school system money — not just for the instructional services the SHS students are providing now, but also in all the money the system won’t have to spend for additional classes and other educational expenses for the elementary students in years to come.

The program is on hiatus next term, but the school officials hope to continue it again next year. We hope so too — it’s a winning situation for the students and the system.

We commend everyone involved for creating the keyboarding classes. It’s this kind of innovative thinking that will continue to move our school systems forward.