5 Touch Typing Tips For Students: Lessons That Work

Touch Typing Tips That Work

Touch typing is assuredly the most important skill a student can learn before leaving school. If you go to college, your professors will often not accept handwritten assignments, as typed pages are much easier to read and edit. An entry-level job at a local Wal-Mart or fast food place will require at least some basic typing skills so that you can enter customers quickly or accurately or order information.

Unfortunately, most schools today have forgotten the importance of touch typing for students and that is why such typing classes and lessons have been left out of the curriculum in terms of other important skills. We've put together some tips and tricks to help you learn how to touch type properly, with or without the help of your school, to combat this intentional ignorance.

1) Know where you stand. 

The first step towards learning how to type is to learn where your typing skills are right now. The simplest way to do this is to take an online word per minute test with wpmtest.org. These tests are designed to test the speed and accuracy of your typing and to analyze your current typing techniques. They will provide you with three numbers: total typing speed and accuracy percentage and adjusted typing speed.

Hunt and Peck typists, or people who have to look at the keyboard to find the location of each key, usually adjust about 20 words per minute. An unskilled touch-type typist can easily do more than this by using the right typing technique. Beginners can typically manage about 35 words per minute and practiced typists are at a distance of more than 100 WPM. The world record for typing on a QWERTY keyboard is 216 words per minute(WPM).

2) Mind your lessons. 

Once you understand what your adjusted words per minute are, it’s time to practice. Almost every website that offers typing tests will also offer customized lessons based on your initial test. These lessons will focus on the right-hand placement, sitting posture, and which fingers to use for each key.

By following the tutorials you can easily start adopting the right touch typing technique in your daily life. When you choose to take a typing test, consider creating an account on that website. That way, every time you visit a website you will be able to record your results and keep track of your progress without starting over.

3) Don't rush. 

We know you want to get to those typing tires as soon as possible, but running from your typing lessons won’t help anyone. Take your time when you just start learning the right touch typing techniques. Not only will this help you to immerse yourself in the lessons but it will also help you to avoid making many mistakes while learning. Remember that accuracy is almost always more important than typing speed.

That's why after you take the typing test, you are given a word digest at a faster rate per minute. You might be able to type 100 words per minute, but if there is an error in every word you type, you probably won't even type. Most jobs that require specific words per minute often assign an overall accuracy rating. For example, if you are applying for a job as an administrative assistant, they may request applicants who can type 65 words per minute with only 95% accuracy.

4) Practice, practice, practice.

When you start lifting weights you don’t expect to get up one morning to get a perfectly sculpted body in the mirror. It takes practice, repetition, and perseverance. Learning proper touch typing techniques works the same way. Touch typing isn’t something you’re choosing overnight because a lot of it depends on muscle memory.

Your key fingers will learn where each key is kept and can detect it without the aid of your eye. Once you find each key without looking at the keyboard, your typing speed increases exponentially and the more you practice, the faster you get.

5) Reward yourself!

There is a reason why people are rewarded for their accomplishments: it motivates them to reach higher levels of success. There's no reason why you shouldn't use the same logic to reward yourself for making progress in your touch typing lessons. Set small, easily achievable goals (e.g. a 10 WPM increase in your typing speed) and reward yourself once you're done!

It’s nothing weird or expensive. Just go to the store and buy your favorite ice cream, or get yourself a manicure or something. Not only is this fun for you but it also gives you a little extra motivation that you may need to keep practicing.

Improvement in Reading and Spelling 

If you have ever struggled with learning difficulties or differences or want a refresher course on English spelling, starting a typing program is a step in the right direction. Because repeating the words in the course not only teaches you how to type but also makes you faster to recognize which strengthens the visual skills. The multi-sensory approach helps learn how to write words through phonetic skills and muscle memory improves spelling.

More Career Opportunities

If you are looking for a promotion to your current job or are considering a career change, mastering typing skills can qualify you for a new role. The faster you are at the computer-based writing tasks, the more valuable you are to your employer. At the same time, typing skills can open up career avenues you may not have considered before. Learn more about jobs that require typing skills.

Don’t give up

If you've made this out of a lot of beginner lessons and find typing a challenge, analyze it. Maybe using a new keyboard will benefit you. Some people’s hands are either too big or too small for the traditional, so the new device will make all the difference.

And if it's not hardware, this is probably the method you're trying to follow. Consider signing up for a new course. Touch-type reading and spelling is a successful tool for children, students, working adults, and experienced hunters and packers. You might be looking for a multi-sensory and self-speed approach.

Conclusion  

If your school or college has neglected your typing lessons, it will not be too late to start learning on your own. Click on the link above to take your first typing test and go on your way to becoming a successful and accurate touch typist. Good luck!