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improving typing speed

V

vic user

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Joined
Sep 12, 2003
Messages
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Location
Ottawa, Canada
My daughter is starting to type in her school projects more and more on the computer, and i noticed that her typing speed was painfully slow.

Although i took one course in junior high on typing, and learned the where to put my fingers on the typewriter and all that, i found over the years that i still use the "two finger" method for typing.

perhaps i should have stuck to the proper way of typing, as i am sure i would be more productive, but for a few reasons (one being laziness) i have stayed in two finger mode.

mind you, i found my typing speed increased drastically, after spending a couple of months on GEnie's chat lines, back in the early 90's, as i had to keep up with all the chatting :)

anyway, i am trying to help my daughter increase her typing speed, and am using two methods.

1) using standard typing programs (like typing fff fff etc..) on a few computers around the house, so she can get used to the feel of different keyboards and get used to where to put her fingers on the keyboards.

2) we play a game, using two computers hooked up to each other over the RS232 ports, where one person starts typing in a sentence, then send the sentence over to the other computer, and then the other person has 20 seconds to finish the sentence and start a new one, and so on.

i am hoping these two techniques will make her more porductive when she types in her reports.

chris
 
Although I also took a class in typing, using the TRS-80 Model 100 as my primary writing platform for so many years ruined me as a typist. I got into the habit of one-handed typing, holding the laptop in the crook of my left arm. I still have a tendancy to one-hand it to this day.

If you think it'll help, I have a copy of Mario Teaches Typing kicking around here somewhere, from when the kids were little. I'll try and dig it up and send it to ya, if you can cover the postage.

--T
 
I learned to type in junior high school and it always stuck with me. Once you get used to keeping your fingers on the home keys and using the correct fingers, it's just automatic. I never look at the keyboard or even consciously think about what letters I'm typing half the time. The one thing that ALWAYS screws me up is the little raised dots on the Apple IIc. For some reason they're on the home keys for the middle fingers (D and K) instead of the home keys for the forefingers (F and J) like all newer keyboards.
 
i learned on a compaq prolinea 466 in high school it took me about a month
of 45min classes 3 times a week learning on one of those programs. can't remember the name. i think my speed was something like 50wpm, 45wpm accurate.

you might also check this out i came across it not long ago.
http://www.powertyping.com/qwerty/lessonsq.html

intersting side note about my typing. you are suppost to use your left pinky
for z however i use my ring finger for z. and your suppost to use
your ring finger to type x however i use my middle finger for that.
your middle finger for c however i use my index finger for c, v ,b , g, t, & r
it's intresting because my right hand works the way it's suppost to i dont know
why this happend it just happen. the only person to ever notice was my computer teacher.

pinky: qa
ring: wsz
middle: edx
index: rfctgv
 
you guys are right, i should teach her the proper way (me too for that matter :)

i whipped out my old smith corona as well, so she can get a feel for a properly spaced keyboard.

one thing to tell people...

if you think you won't be using your typewriter for a long period of time, don't store it with a ribbon that has the white corrector stuff. it comes loose and leaves oily flakes all over the typewriter, and no blasts of air gets it off :shock:

chris
 
awesome!

she will be turning twelve in the fall.

i will ask her how serious she is about learning to type, before arranging for shipment and all that.

thanks again!

chris
 
i am expecting a big fat backpay cheque in the next few weeks, and once it is in i will contact you.

thanks again!

chris
 
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