Tech Tip #61: How to Get Youngers to Use the Right Mouse Button

In my fifteen years of teaching and tutoring tech, I’ve seen everything–and come up with solutions for all of it. I’ll share those with you. My goal: That students (of all ages) feel empowered not frightened by technology, that it is fun not frustrating. These tips will get you there with you and your kids.

Kids always get confused when I’m explaining directions that require the right mouse button. I’ve found an easy way to clarify. Here’s an example:

“Right click with your mouse”

Student promptly clicks with their left mouse. I know–doesn’t make sense. It does to them. They’re happy to focus on the right hand and have no idea they need to go one level further. My comeback:

“The other right.”

Always works. And, they don’t feel stupid (which they aren’t). They remember it.

Questions you want answered? Leave a comment here and I’ll answer it within the next thirty days.


Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

Author: Jacqui
Welcome to my virtual classroom. I've been a tech teacher for 15 years, but modern technology offers more to get my ideas across to students than at any time in my career. Drop in to my class wikis, classroom blog, our internet start pages. I'll answer your questions about how to teach tech, what to teach when, where the best virtual sites are. Need more--let's chat about issues of importance in tech ed. Want to see what I'm doing today? Click the gravatar and select the grade.

4 thoughts on “Tech Tip #61: How to Get Youngers to Use the Right Mouse Button

  1. I just purchased the Kindergarten Technology 32 lessons book and in the back it references internet sites that you can use with K5 – it also says to visit Ask A Tech Teacher for links – where are the links?

  2. I realize this is an older post but one thing I’ve done with my kindergarten students (and occasionally 1st graders) is to put a foam sticker on the right button to help remind them. It has worked wonders!

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