In the modern world, learning how to type is an important skill that can offer numerous benefits for your future career. Here are just a few of the ways that learning how to type can help you in your professional life:
Increased productivity: Typing is generally faster than writing by hand, which means that you can get more work done in less time. This can be especially valuable in fast-paced work environments where productivity is key.
Improved communication: Typing allows you to easily communicate with coworkers, clients, and customers through email and other digital channels. It also enables you to type out documents, reports, and other materials more quickly and accurately, which can improve the overall quality of your work.
Greater flexibility: Many jobs now require the ability to work remotely or to use computers and other digital tools. By learning how to type, you will be able to take on these types of roles more easily and effectively.
Enhanced job prospects: In today’s job market, the ability to type is often considered a basic skill. As a result, learning how to type can make you a more competitive job candidate and increase your chances of landing your dream job.
Better accuracy: Typing allows you to input information into a computer more accurately than writing by hand. This can be particularly useful when working with numbers or data, as it reduces the risk of errors that can occur when writing by hand.
Increased speed: As mentioned earlier, typing is generally faster than writing by hand. This can be especially useful when you need to complete tasks quickly or when you are working under tight deadlines.
Enhanced presentation skills: Typing allows you to easily create and edit documents, presentations, and other materials using software such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. This can help you create professional-looking documents and presentations, which can be beneficial in job interviews and other professional settings.
Greater accessibility: For individuals with disabilities that make writing by hand difficult, typing can provide a way to communicate and complete tasks more easily. Many assistive technologies, such as voice recognition software, are available to help individuals with disabilities type more effectively.
In summary, learning how to type can offer numerous benefits for your future career. It can help you increase your productivity, improve your communication skills, and open up new job opportunities. As technology continues to evolve, the ability to type will likely become even more important in the job market, making it a valuable skill to learn early on.
Touch typing is a technique that creates a structure where you have to place different fingers on specific areas on your keyboard. You are using all your 10 fingers, and each one is in charge of a section or a column on the keyboard and it all starts with the home row.
Touch typing
Typing is something that is becoming more and more prominent nowadays and remains a foundational life skill so getting your child to learn this skill is extremely necessary and will be of benefit to them for the entirety of their life. It can not only help them with their school work but can also set them up with an advantage in later life when it comes to exploring job opportunities. Many jobs in the modern world of work now require quick typing skills, but with advances in technology that’s set to become even more important.
Future job benefits from learning how to type
Being able to type quickly and precisely will give you a significant advantage when applying for jobs. Employers like to know that their employees can type properly because it will increase their productivity and enhance the accuracy of their work.
Every day, a large percentage of us use a computer. It’s not just secretarial and administrative workers who need keyboarding skills in the workplace anymore. Typing is as fundamental to the majority of job seekers as the use of Word or being able to navigate the internet has become a necessity for education and work purposes. This is because mostly everyone sends emails, which would include artists, journalists, teachers, and sales representatives, or completes team projects. If the record-keeping and communication aspects of your job take you several hours, you may not be as competitive as the next candidate applying for the position.
With advances in technology, the rise of robotics, and an ever-changing job market, the ability to touch type is going to become even more important for future careers. Especially currently, given the prevalence of computers in the business world, a typing speed of 50 words per minute is often regarded as the basic minimum for employees to accomplish in order to be considered efficient.
Touch typing
Why is learning how to touch type beneficial for children?
Touch typing aids your child to type faster as well as accurately, without having to look at the keyboard every now and then. Touch typing becomes unconscious after a while, allowing your child to be more creative. Undoubtedly a child can learn faster than an adult. As a result, the earlier they learn, the better. Attempting to learn from a young age will be extremely beneficial as you progress through school, college, and beyond.
Children who touch type can work a lot more quickly as they don’t need to look down at their fingers to look for the correct keys. They will spend less time in front of the computer screen in their free time, doing homework.
They can focus on getting their ideas down rather than spending too much time looking for the right keys to press. This makes drafting and editing easier as ideas can be deleted and changed without messy crossing out. It also assists to reduce the risk of repetitive strain injury as pressure is spread out over all their fingers and good posture is encouraged. A touch typist can type faster and produce work more quickly.
John Sutherland, professor of English literature at University College, said, ‘You want to put wings on the heels of your children? Teach them to touch-type. They’ll bless you for it.’ Learning to type from a young age can help with spelling because it uses muscle memory to learn word patterns rather than trying to remember spellings by sheer repetition. The majority of assignments, projects, and essays in a secondary school as a whole are expected to be typed. Students who begin to touch type can save a significant amount of time when preparing assignments. Furthermore, knowing how to touch-type doesn’t just affect the speed that children work at, but the quality of their work too. It allows thoughts to be captured quicker, so they’re less likely to forget a great idea as it’s an unconscious practice.
Learning to type can also benefit children with specific learning disabilities such as ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyslexia, who frequently struggle to write by hand. A learning disability, which is not a reflection of a child’s intelligence, will frequently hold a child back in the classroom if they feel nervous, embarrassed, as well as frustrated. Learning to type and then use the keyboard efficiently could be useful in situations like this.
For example, typing can help children with ADHD who might otherwise produce messy written work due to a lack of focused attention when writing by hand. Those children with dysgraphia can find it painful to hold a pencil which makes it a struggle to compose hand-written work. They will almost always produce better-written work when typing on a computer keyboard.
With dyslexia, typing can help children to break words up into component sounds. The tactile element required with pressing buttons on a keyboard can help them to manage trickier words and they will find it easier than writing by hand
Touch typing
Typing can help to handwrite as fingers are strengthened and have more dexterity. Typing is a life skill and may seem challenging to master but children learn at different paces.
WPM speed requirement for exams
The great thing about typing is that not only can it help you speed up your work output, but it is also so much easier to do than writing. Writing requires the pen to be held with one hand and the other hand to guide the working copy or paper, but typing involves simply placing your finger on the keyboard and pressing letters as needed.
Trying to write properly also forces your attention onto the very act of writing, with the result that all you are thinking about is the very act of forming words. Typing instead frees you up from having to worry about shaping letters and moving your hand along a page, so that you can think creatively about the content of what you are writing.
Typing has countless other advantages – it is convenient, it makes it easy to share documents, you can print up your work and it also looks so much better than written work.
As previously stated, starting to learn to type absolutely depends on muscle memory (which is used in sports) rather than memory. Typing quickly is also advantageous for examinations where children may use a laptop. Since errors can be deleted when learning to type, there is less emphasis on neatness, pencil grip, and mistakes.
In terms of typing speeds for children, at the primary school level, a typing speed of 10 wpm is generally regarded as sufficient in order for students to be able to present their work without errors. As children grow older and move to higher grades, faster speeds are recommended in order to keep up with the pace and volume of their educational work. Therefore touch typing is vital. Generally, a typing speed of around 20-25wpm is recommended after Junior Cert, rising to 30 wpm and above at Leaving Cert level. The Department. of Education recommends that your child has a typing speed of 25 words per minute if they are going to use a laptop for typing out their exams.
WPM
Students who do not learn proper touch typing and become self-taught two-finger typists will also find they fall behind as time goes on because these so-called Hunt and Peck typists are expected to achieve a maximum speed of just 30wpm under this method. When you consider that a typing speed of 45wpm and higher is required as a basic skill in many jobs and that an average professional typist types at up to 80wpm, you can see just how useful proper touch typing proves in the real world.
Given that a speaking pace of between 150-160wpm is the rate at which a person can be comfortably heard and understood by an audience and that conversational English is spoken at around 110-150wpm, typing at 80 wpm or more should enable you to catch every second word of what your teacher or lecturer says in school or college. Think how useful this would prove for your study notes!
The reality is that once your touch-type training really kicks in, the whole system clicks into place until, suddenly, you find yourself typing faster and faster, so fast you can hardly keep up! Naturally, the more time you practice touch-typing, the quicker your typing speed becomes. Eventually, you will achieve a maximum typing speed to suit you and your work so that whenever you have to type anything, you will be able to do so at a high speed.
Conclusion
Improving your typing skills is certain to make a person more confident working with computers and more likely to take full advantage of what the device can offer. Are you in search of a course or a productive app to achieve your goal of typing fast like a pro without looking, consider using https://searsol.com/
It’s a question that we have been asked several times before and to be honest it’s a difficult one to answer.
Definition of Touch Typing:
Touch typing is the ability to type without looking down at the keyboard. A person who can touch type will know all the letter locations on the keyboard through muscle memory. The term is often used to refer to a specific form of touch typing that involves placing the eight fingers in a horizontal row along the middle of the keyboard
Home Keys
Touch typing is a skill that needs to be learned and it becomes better as you practice using the correct technique. The correct technique is to place your fingers on the home keys, left hand fingers should start with the little resting on the A button and the main index finger on the F button on the keyboard. The right-hand fingers should start with the index finger on the J button and the little finger on the semicolon button (;). If you are interested in learning how to touch type, check out our new typing tutor Typewiz which is specifically aimed at teaching children how to touch type in a fun and interactive way. Also, see our youtube video below on How to touch type using Typewiz which explains the correct procedure to learn how to touch type using our typing tutor Typewiz.
A range of factors come into play in deciding how long it will take to learn how to touch type.
Factors to consider are the concentration, motivation, age of the student, and if the student has any learning difficulties.
Concentration:
If a student has poor or weak concentration, then it will take them a lot longer to learn how to touch type. As touch typing requires a lot of concentration and persistence in learning where the keys are on the keyboard.
Motivation:
If a student is not motivated to learn touch typing, then, unfortunately, they will never learn how to touch type. If they don’t see the benefits of touch typing and rather do it their own way then a student will never learn to touch type correctly and will revert to their own ways (Hunt and Peck method).
Age:
The younger the student age the longer they will take to learn how to touch type. At Searsol, we believe the best age to start to touch type is the age of eight. We feel any younger than eight years old, a student is just not ready to learn to touch type successfully due to the size of their hands and lack of concentration.
Learning difference:
If a student has a learning difficulty such as dyslexia, dyspraxia (DCD), or dysgraphia, then this student will take longer to learn how to touch type compared to a student that doesn’t have these learning difficulties. We feel for these students classroom learning is the best solution for a child that has learning differences. At Searsol, we offer a free trial for students who want to experience our classroom learning. A free trial is available by clicking on the following link (Ireland only). We also offer a free seven-day trial online click on the following link
How long does it take to learn how to touch-typing?
So going back to the question, how long does it take to learn to touch type. An average student without learning differences would learn to touch type within eight to ten hours. They might be touch typing at a very slow speed (8 – 15 words per minute).
Bronze standard – 15 words per minute
A student who attains 15 words per minute or greater will be rewarded with our bronze badge on Typewiz. This would take approximately 10 hours to achieve for the average student doing the Typewiz course.
Silver standard – 25 words per minute
The next level on Typewiz is our silver badge which is 25 words or greater. An average student would need to do around 30 hours on Typewiz to get to this level.
Gold standard – 40 words per minute
Forty words per minute is when a student can touch type faster than they can write which is an amazing achievement! It is the gold standard on Typewiz and for most students very difficult to achieve. It requires a student to put in an additional forty hours of practice using Typwiz.
If a student achieves the gold badge on Typewiz. Then this is a great advantage to have for a student, as they progress through secondary school, third level, and onto work. Typing faster than writing without ever having to look down at the keyboard!
Benefits of learning how to touch type
Touch typing, also known as keyboarding or typing, is a valuable skill that allows individuals to type quickly and accurately without looking at the keyboard. Here are some of the benefits of touch typing:
Improved productivity: When you can type quickly and accurately, you can get more work done in less time. This can be especially beneficial in a professional setting, where typing speed is often an important factor in job performance.
Reduced risk of injury: Repetitive strain injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, can be caused by incorrect typing technique or excessive typing. Touch typing helps you use the correct typing technique, reducing the risk of injury.
Easier to type on multiple devices: If you can touch type, you can easily switch between typing on a laptop, desktop, or even a mobile device without having to look at the keyboard.
Increased accuracy: When you look at the keyboard while typing, you are more likely to make mistakes. Touch typing allows you to type without looking at the keyboard, which can help you type more accurately.
Improved memory and cognitive skills: Touch typing requires you to remember the location of keys on the keyboard, which can help improve your memory and cognitive skills.
In addition, touch typing can be especially helpful for individuals with dyslexia, as it can make it easier to type accurately and efficiently. If you are struggling with typing due to dyslexia, learning to touch type can be an important strategy for improving your typing skills.
Tips and strategies for learning to touch type:
Learning to touch type can be a valuable skill that can improve your productivity and reduce the risk of injury from typing. Here are some tips and strategies for learning to touch type:
Start with the home row: The home row is the row of keys that your fingers rest on when you are not typing. It includes the keys A, S, D, F, J, K, L, and ;. These keys form the basis of touch typing, so it’s important to start with them. Practice typing the letters on the home row until you can do it without looking at the keyboard.
Use typing games and exercises: Typing games and exercises are a fun way to practice and improve your touch typing skills. There are many free typing games and exercises available online, and they can be an effective way to practice different typing techniques and improve your speed and accuracy.
Position your hands correctly: Proper hand positioning is important for touch typing. Your hands should be positioned on the keyboard so that your fingers are resting on the home row keys. Your thumbs should be on the space bar, and your index fingers should be on the F and J keys.
Take breaks: Typing for long periods of time can lead to strain and fatigue. Make sure to take breaks and stretch your hands and fingers regularly to help prevent injury.
Use a typing tutor: A typing tutor is a software program that can help you learn to touch type. Typing tutors provide lessons and exercises to help you practice different typing techniques and improve your speed and accuracy.
Practice regularly: The more you practice, the better you will get at touch typing. Make sure to set aside time to practice regularly, even if it’s just a few minutes a day. As you practice, you’ll find that your typing speed and accuracy will improve.
By following these tips and strategies, you can learn to touch type and improve your typing skills. With practice and persistence, you’ll be able to type quickly and accurately without looking at the keyboard.
Typewiz.com – a new innovative way to learn how to touch type!
Typewiz online typing tutor for kids
Our new typing tutor typewiz.com is now available to any student that wants to learn how to touch type.
Typewiz is a new fun and interactive way to learn to touch type.
Students get to select different avatars as they progress up the lessons.
Students can earn coins based on their performance on the course.
Coins can then be used in our games arcade where each coin spent allows the student to access one game.
Students can earn different word-per-minute badges (Bronze, Silver, or Gold) as they become faster at typing.
Students can earn lesson badges as they progress up the lessons.
Realistic hands with a green finger show the user what keyboard button to press.
Graphs of all previous percentage scores with Words Per Minute (WPM) are available to access the student at all times.
Typewiz is a self-paced course that allows students to work at their own pace in a classroom environment or at home.
Typewiz is also available through our Searsol centres monitored by our professional Searsol tutors (Ireland only).
If you are interested in finding out more information about Typewiz. Visit our website at www.typewiz.comFree seven-day trial is available.
We were recently why was there still a need to touch type in the 21st century. It was a good question and with the advent of new technologies, such as smartphones, tablets, hybrid laptops and text to speech. Maybe there isn’t such a need for touch-typing or was there?
Hunt and Peck
The hunt and peck typing method is a very popular method to input text on the keyboard. This is where a person types but moves his fingers around the keyboard until the find the correct letters. Where a person can type sufficiently using the hunt and peck method, it is still error-prone and can reduce the efficiency of the person typing compared to a person who can touch type.
Touch typing/keyboarding
Touch typing (also called keyboarding) is typing without using the sense of sight to find the keys. Specifically, a touch typist will know their location on the keyboard through muscle memory. In today’s competitive job market, it is important for anyone applying for any job that involves the use of computers to learn to touch type. And it is not stretching it to suggest being able to type fast without looking at the keyboard is a 21st-century basic skill in computers.
Advantages of touch typing
The main advantages of touch typing are as follows:
Speed
Touch typing training can improve an individual’s typing speed and accuracy dramatically. The accepted average typing speed is 40 WPM (words per minute), professional career typists can exceed 100 WPM repeatedly and continuously (secretarial, data entry, etc.). Every individual learns at a different pace, and routine practice is required to maintain a high typing speed and accuracy.
Reduced switching of attention
A touch typist does not need to look down at the keyboard (that is obscured with fingers and maybe poorly lit) and other areas that require attention. This increases productivity and reduces the number of errors.
Overall the payback from learning how to touch type outways the inefficiency of other input methods. Once you have the skill it will stay with you for the rest of your life. So how do you start to touch-type? Why not try our seven days free trial of our typing tutor Typewiz? For more information go to www.typewiz.com
Touch typing (also called keyboarding) is typing without using the sense of sight to find the keys. Specifically, a touch typist will know their location on the keyboard through muscle memory. In today’s competitive job market, it is important for anyone applying for any job that involves the use of computers to learn to touch type. And it is not stretching it to suggest being able to type fast without looking at the keyboard is a 21st-century basic skill in computers.
Voice-recognition software allows you to convert voice to text. This has been available on computers and software such as Dragon Software, Text Aloud or Express scribe has allowed computer users to convert voice to text. But put it on a smartphone, and it comes to life. All of the frustrations of trying to control your PC by voice, fiddling for a microphone, repeating yourself, again and again, resisting the urge to relent and turn to your trusty keyboard.
These are eliminated when you use the same technology on your mobile phone. Mobile apps such as Google voice, Vlingo and Siri have allowed people to convert voice to text on the go with ease. So is the new way of doing things and should we not bother to learn how to type as these apps are doing the same job as typing?
The main disadvantage of voice recognition software are as follows:
Lack of Accuracy and Misinterpretation
Voice recognition software won’t always put your words on the screen completely accurately. Programs cannot understand the context of language the way that humans can, leading to errors that are often due to misinterpretation. When you talk to people, they decode what you say and give it a meaning. Voice recognition software can do this but may not be capable of choosing the correct meaning. For example, it cannot always differentiate between homonyms, such as “their” and “there.” It may also have problems with slang, technical words and acronyms.
Time Costs and Productivity
You might think that computerising a process speeds it up, but this isn’t necessarily true of voice recognition systems, and you may have to invest more time than you expected into the process. You’ll have to factor in time to review and edit to correct errors. Some programs adapt to your voice and speech patterns over time; this may slow down your workflow until the program is up to speed. You’ll also have to learn how to use the system. For example, you must find the right pace and tone — if you talk too fast or indistinctly, you’ll increase spelling and grammar errors. Getting used to using a system’s commands and speaking punctuation out loud is not always easy. This can affect the flow and speed of your speech.
Accents and speech recognition
Voice recognition systems can have problems with accents. Even though some may learn to your speech patterns over time, you have to learn to talk consistently and clearly at all times to minimize errors. If you mumble, talk too fast or run words into each other, the software will not always be able to cope. Programs may also have problems recognizing speech as normal if your voice changes, say when you have a cold, cough, sinus or throat problem.
Background Noise Interference
To get the best out of voice recognition software, you need a quiet environment. Systems don’t work so well if there is a lot of background noise. They may not be able to differentiate between your speech, other people talking and other ambient noise, leading to transcription mix-ups and errors. This can cause problems if you work in a busy office or a noisy environment. Wearing microphones or noise-cancelling headsets can help voice recognising software reduce the effects of noise.
Physical Side Effects
If you use voice recognition technology frequently, you may experience some physical discomfort and vocal problems. Talking for extended periods can cause hoarseness, dry mouth, muscle fatigue, temporary loss of voice and vocal strain. The fact that you aren’t talking naturally may make this worse and you may need to learn how to protect your voice if you’ll use a program regularly.
To summarise voice recognition can have its benefits, such as being able to input voice to text on the go using smartphones. But the main disadvantages outline above makes voice technology a handy add on to the basic input of touch typing. So there will always be a need to touch type. Why not learn how to touch typing using our online typing tutor Typewiz designed specifically for children? More details are available on Typewiz.com Searsol provides touch typing courses in check out the nearest typing centre near you by clicking on the following link.
Touch-typing is a skill that grows from training your fingers to automatically hit the correct characters on a keyboard in order to type the words and sentences you wish to compose. The method is called touch-typing because, over time, your fingers are trained to find the relevant letters by touch as opposed to look – so that you no longer need to look at the keyboard. This frees you up to look directly ahead at the screen and concentrate on what you are typing and how you want to present it. Thus making you more efficient and capable of multitasking.
Hunt and Peck typing, on the other hand, refers to typing through looking at the keyboard, hunting around for the character key you wish to press – and then pecking at it! The Hunt and Peck method is less efficient as it forces your attention onto the keyboard in order to find characters, instead of onto the screen, where you need to look to monitor your work. The hunt and peck method of typing is not a method as such, it is not fixed, therefore there is no rhyme or reason to it. Consequently, any finger can hit any key at any time, which leaves little room for developing proficiency or typing speed. Thus making you less efficient and incapable of multitasking.
How touch-typing works:
The QWERTY keyboard – so-called from the word QWERTY – which can be made up from the letters on the top row of the keyboard – is specifically designed to work for touch-typing. The layout of the entire keyboard complete with all letters of the alphabet, punctuation marks, numbers, and symbols, is fashioned in a manner that optimises correct finger movement for touch-typing. If you want to read more about the QWERTY keyboard check out our blog on why the QWERTY keyboard has survived so long compared to other easier input methods.
In essence, the method entails teaching individual fingers specific letters and characters to press on the keyboard – and then memorising these movements. Each finger types a fixed selection of letters and nothing else. Once all fingers know where they must go – so to speak – they can work in combination to efficiently and effectively cover the entire alphabet and keyboard.
With practice, touch typing becomes much easier and once the system ‘clicks’, the learner can go on to achieve higher typing speeds and build up their words-per-minute rate.
Touch-typing – correct technique
Touch typing is the ability to type without looking down at the keyboard. It is a skill that needs to be learned and it becomes better as you practice using the correct technique. The correct technique is to place your fingers on the home keys, left-hand fingers should start with the little resting on A button and the main index finger on F button on the keyboard. The right-hand fingers should start with the index finger on J button and the little finger on the ; semicolon button. If you are interested in learning how to touch type, check out our new typing tutor Typewiz which is specifically aimed at teaching children how to touch type in a fun and interactive way.
On a practical basis, the system can be explained as follows:
Typewiz.com – be a wiz at typing!
Left hand – what letters your left fingers should be typing:
Little finger (pinkie): types the letters A, Q and Z.
Ring finger: types the letters S, W and X.
Middle finger: types the letters D, E and C.
Index finger: types the letters F,R,V,B,G, and T
Right hand – what letters your right fingers should be typing:
little finger (pinkie): types the following characters Semi-colon(:), P and Full stop (.) only.
Ring finger: types the characters L, O and comma (,).
Middle finger: types the letters K, I and M.
Index finger: types the letters J,U,M,N,H, and Y
Already you can see from looking at the keyboard that just learning these three-finger movements will help you cover nine letters in the alphabet and a good left-hand portion of the keyboard. Complete touch-typing will show you where all eight fingers go on the keyboard (the thumbs are only used to press the Space Bar) so that, when working together, your fingers can fly around the keyboard as you touch-type and build up your typing speed.
Our new typing tutor typewiz.com is now available to any student that wants to learn how to touch type.
Typewiz is a new fun and interactive way to learn to touch type.
Typewiz is run through our Searsol centres monitored by our professional Searsol tutors (Ireland only).
Students get to select different avatars as they progress up the lessons.
Students can earn coins based on their performance on the course.
Coins can then be used in our games arcade where each coin spent allows the student to access one game.
Students can earn different word per minute badges (Bronze, Silver or Gold) as they become faster at typing.
Students can earn lesson badges as they progress up the lessons.
Realistic hands with a green finger which shows the user what keyboard button to press.
Graphs of all previous percentage scores with Words Per Minute (WPM) are available to access for the student at all times.
Typewiz is a self-paced course that allows students to work at their own pace in a classroom environment or at home.
If you are interested in trying out typewiz. Chat with us online or contact Searsol at info@searsol.com.
As every parent knows it is difficult to be a teacher and parent with your child. While a parents role is to nourish, encourage and motivate your child achievements. A teachers job is to instil a routine of learning that helps a student learn their subject in the easiest way based on the student’s abilities. Where the problem arises is when you become both the teacher and the parent.
The problem is that sometimes you be in your best attention try too hard to encourage your child to learn a subject, that you become the pushy parent and your child rebels and won’t listen to you. The end result is that your child doesn’t learn and it is up not learning the subject matter that you wanted them to learn. It really depends on your relationship with your child, your teaching abilities and the child focus on success and motivation to learn a subject.
To learn touch typing requires effort and dedication. A student would need to put in the least 20 hours of solid learning before they will be able to master the keyboard. Even then their speed would be quite slow but they would be aware of the keyboard buttons and be able to select them without looking at them.
As a parent, if you want your child to learn to touch type, the options are as follows:
Hope that your school teaches touch typing as part of the computer curriculum. Most schools don’t so best check with your school on this.
Learn how to touch type at home. This is a great idea but it really depends on your child and set about a dedicated time to achieve this. A child needs to be actively monitored and ensure that correct fingers are on the home keys.
Send your child to a trained professional who has taught children how to touch type. This is really the ideal way to learn how to touch type. Your child is an environment with similar children of the age profile learning how to touch type.
Learning how to touch type does require patience, motivation and concentration but it can be learnt by anyone. We recommend the ideal start age is for a child to be the primary age group from eight onwards. If a child picks learns how to touch type before they enter secondary school then they have managed to master a major skill that will benefit them in the long run.
As Searsol, we offer the possibility to learn how to touch type online with our online typing tutor (www.typewiz.com). More details are available on www.typewiz.com. We also offer dedicated typing centres in Ireland. To check out the location, click on https://searsol.com/find-centers/. We also run intense computer camps that teach touch typing over Easter and Summer, to check out our camps, click on the following link http://searsolcomputercamps.com
Touch typing is the ability to type without looking at the keyboard. It is a memory skill that requires practice and patience. Correct habit formation can help you learn how to touch type successfully.
Ensure that you are sitting correctly with two feet on the ground and the keyboard in alignment with your body. Sit up straight, feet to the floor, elbows at my side, eyes only on the text and never on the keyboard.
Introduce your hands to the home keys – left hand will use asdf, the right hand will use jkl;. Curve your fingers on the home keys and only ever move the finger that needs pressing on the key. The F and J keys will have a little bump on them to help you find them without looking down at the keyboard
Always return your fingers to home keys before selecting another key on the keyboard.
Try and maintain a rhythm when you are typing.
Use the thumb to press the spacebar.
Always correct errors by raising your little finger up to the backspace button
Take regular breaks when learning how to type.
Don’t use the cap locks button when trying to capitalise a letter, use the shift keys instead. There is two shift keys on a keyboard, the shift key to left operates the buttons to right and shift key to right operates the key to the left.
Take your time when learning how to type, speed will come naturally once you have memorised the keys on the keyboard.
Use a keyboard cover, to cover the keys on the keyboards. We recommend the use of speekskin cover, this is the one we use in our tying centres.
Practice at least one hour per week. Practice! Practice! Practice!
When learning how to touch type, expect typing to decrease initially compared to how you normally would touch type.
Know your keyboard. Familiarise yourself where the keys on the keyboard are by clicking on keys suggested on the typing tutor you are using. By making mistakes initially you are learning to touch type successfully in the long term.
Stretching – when you fingers get stiff. Take a rest and give them a good shake for a minute. This will help increase the blood flow into your fingers.
Accuracy – it is more important to be accurate when starting off at typing. Accuracy helps you learn the keys on the keyboard more quickly.
A key has to pressed by the same finger all the time on the keyboard.
Keep a record of your problem keys and practice correcting them.
Take breaks from typing by playing typing games.
Practice using real words and sentences, this can be used in real-life projects.
Stay motivated and enjoy as the reward from learning how to type will be the biggest skill that you ever learn.
Typewiz
Typewiz is a fun and interactive way to learn how to touch type.
Typewiz offers the following benefits:
It is a new fun and interactive way to learn to touch type.
Your child gets to select different avatars as they progress up the lessons.
Kids can earn coins based on their performance on the course.
Coins can then be used in our games arcade where each coin spent allows the student to access one game.
Your child can earn different word per minute badges (Bronze, Silver or Gold) as they become faster at typing.
Kids can earn lesson badges as they progress up the lessons.
3D hands with a green finger which shows the user what keyboard button to press.
Graphs of all previous percentage scores with Words Per Minute(WPM) are available to access for the student at all times.
Typewiz is a self-paced course which allows students to work at their own pace.
For more information about Typewiz, check out typing tutor at www.typewiz.com
Do you know why QWERTY keyboard has survived so long? We outline the history of keyboard layout to you.
Mechanical Typewriters: 1870’s
In 1872, Remington Company produced the first mechanical typewriter, patented by Latham Sholes. Typists soon mastered the skill to typing that they were going so fast that were jamming the typewriter keys which flew up to hit the typewriter ribbon. In the late 1870’s, instead of solving the problem of why the typewriter was jamming, Remington redesigns the keyboard layout so as to slow down the typist by introducing the QWERTY keyboard. The “improved” QWERTY layout was designed to slow down typing and prevent typewriter keys from jamming anymore by slowing down the typist.
Electric Typewriters: 1930’s – Dvorak
Electric typewriters solve the problem of the keys jamming and new keyboards layouts were introduced. In 1936, August Dvorak patented a new layout to reduce finger reach and strain by putting common letters on the home row and to avoid awkward use of key pairs to improve speed. Here’s the Dvorak keyboard:
Design criteria sound good, so what’s wrong with this keyboard? Almost all letters move from their familiar QWERTY locations. The change was too big and relearning of this new keyboard layout would have taken people a month to get familiar with the Dvorak keyboard. Hence the uptake on this new design was poor with typist preferring to stick with QWERTY keyboard for typing.
Personal Computers: 1970’s
With the introduction of the personal computer in 1970’s, there was another opportunity to change from the standard QWERTY keyboard layout. But the QWERTY keyboard remained as Computers manufactures wanted the typist to engage with the computers. To make the change over to computers less of a hassle and to reduce the learning curve, the keyboard design was not changed.
Colemak
In 2006, a programmer named Shai Coleman released an alternative keyboard layout called Colemak. Just as Dvorak was a response to QWERTY’s shortcomings, Colemak addresses the failures of Dvorak but does so in a way that doesn’t alienate current QWERTY users. The intended result is a layout that aims for speed, efficiency, minimal repetitive stress injuries, and an easy learning curve for QWERTY typists.
The beauty of Colemak is that there are only 17 differences in key placement between it and QWERTY, yet those 17 differences are more than enough to create a radically improved typing environment. All other keys remain the same. As such, QWERTY users should not be afraid to learn Colemak.
Colemak eliminates virtually all cases of frequent letters in “stretched finger” locations. For example, Dvorak places ‘L’ in the QWERTY ‘P’ spot, which requires frequent stretching of the pinky. The positions of other keys have also been optimized with Colemak, such as moving the high-frequency ‘R’ and ‘I’ keys to the home row.
So should you change from QWERTY to learn a new keyboard layout?
If you spend most of your day typing on a computer, it’s worth looking into. The speed gains and injury reductions are real and they do add up over time. However, there are some things that you’ll want to keep in mind.
You’ll experience a big drop in typing speed while learning a new layout. A typical person trying to learning would need to set aside a whole month to learn a new keyboard layout. However, with the help of typing tutors such as our own Typewiz which helps you learn how to touch type in a fun and interactive way. For more details about Typewiz check out our website www.typewiz.com
Keyboard shortcuts can be an inconvenience. Due to Dvorak’s drastically different layout, shortcuts like CTRL+C (COPY), CTRL+ V (Paste) and CTRL + X (Cut) can be a pain. Colemak is less of a pain due to its similarities to QWERTY, but the differences still exist and you may find yourself frustrated from time to time when you accidentally hit the wrong shortcut keys.
Lastly, other computers will still be QWERTY. This isn’t a big deal but if you are using multiple devices it can be problematic if you switch computers a lot, or if other people use your computer it can cause problems and time delays in typing.
For me, the QWERTY keyboard is here to stay and it has been part of keyboard history and will not be changed. So it importing to learn typing on a QWERTY keyboard using a typing tutor is important. Why not book a free first session trial at our course centres where your child can learn how to touch type assisted by our trained professional tutors..
Will you stick with QWERTY or switch to an alternative? Or maybe you have already switched? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
It is more beneficial for your child to learn how to touch type at Searsol’s after school typing centres than at home for the following reasons:
A nationwide network of after school typing centres
Searsol offers a nationwide network of after school typing centre. We cover all the major cities in Ireland and are currently expanding our network of centres.
Each centre provides the same course and ensures high-quality training, delivery and success on after school typing courses.
Children and young people
Training is targeted at children and young people in order to help them develop typing skills – ensuring that the next generation learns correct typing skills during this technological age in which typing is a key skill. The training is done in a group situation but it is self-paced so each child learns how to type at a level that is happy with.
Dyslexia and dyspraxia
Children with dyslexia and dyspraxia are specifically catered to at Searsol in order to equip them with valuable touch-type skills as they progress through education. While writing and holding a pen can be difficult for students with dyslexia and dyspraxia, touch typing is a skill most young people can readily master. Typed homework and assignments ensure that students’ work can be properly assessed and graded as there is no issue around legibility – as is often the case with handwritten work.
After school training
Searsol after school touch typing courses takes place on weekdays after school or at the weekend, making it convenient for children to attend and for parents to arrange pick-up. Classes are for one hour each week with the course schedule arranged to synchronise with normal school terms.
Unique programme
Searsol pioneered its own unique touch-type programme that takes learners from beginner to advanced level through a series of organised lessons. Individual students are given their own private log-in details so that at each session they can record their progress and pick up from where they last left off.
No homework required
There is a natural progression as students move through the lessons following the Typewiz programme. All practice can take place during the course so there is no need to do additional work at home. On completion of the course, the student will be able to touch type proficiently which will enable them to use their new skill to deliver course work going forward.
Learn at your own pace
There is no onus on students to finish the course within a fixed time. Searsol runs parallel to school course terms one after the other so that students can continue practising and learning at their own pace until they complete the course. Students do not compete against each other. The goal is simply to complete the lessons in their own time.
Progress report
In addition to the week-to-week progress reports recorded on the system for each student, Searsol tutors also personally review student progress during each lesson, guiding and encouraging students as they learn and helping them overcome any challenges.
After school typing centres
Searsol centres offer free introductory first session trials so parents can see first-hand how the course works and children can enjoy a free trial assessment to get a feel for the programme. Parents are advised to book trial places in advance at their nearest course centre.
Established provider with a proven record
Searsol has been successfully running its touch-type service since 2008 teaching children all over Ireland how to touch type. The service offers qualified garda-vetted tutors experienced in teaching children how to touch type. Make sure your child is not left behind by engaging with Searsol now and booking a place on the course.
Testimonials
See testimonials on our website attesting to how Searsol is helping children develop concentration skills and grow confidence through learning how to touch-type.
Our course centres are now nationwide, click the image below to get your free first session trial!!
So you want to improve your typing speed? How do you do this and what successful ways can you implement to improve your typing speed?
Searsol recommends that you do at least an hour of typing practice a week. We provide typing courses where students can learn how to type in a controlled environment where the skill of typing is encouraged. We also provide online courses for those students that access our course centres.
In order to improve your typing speed, you must go beyond the minimum recommendation of one hour per week. We suggest a triangulation approach to learning how to type. First we recommend that you do the one hour practice at our course centre or online. Then combine this with any typing that you need to do at home or at school. Please note that at all times your fingers need to be on the home keys. This will ensure correct finger position at all times. By doing this will improve your typing speed and reinforce the learning you already have.
If you are unable to make our typing centre, we recommend trying out online typing course at www.typewiz.com
