Keyboarding Resources
A reasonable goal should be to touch-type (not look at the keyboard) 40 words per minute (WPM) (for calculation, a "word" is every five characters) with 3 or less errors within a minute sample.For example, the sentence:
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.is comprised of 45 characters (including the return key at the end of the sentence).If a person tried to type this sentence as many time as possible within a minute timing, one would need to be able to complete this sentence five times with 3 or less errors in order to type at a rate of 45 WMP.
Another common sentence to practice with is:
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.Try practicing these sentences without looking at the keyboard during one-minute-long time periods. Make a keyboard cover out of cardboard or other material. Another way is to turn the lights off in a dark room so as not to be able to see the keys.To review letters after a long period away from the keyboard, try repeatedly typing the alphabet in lower case. Recalling letter position with this method will help with touch-typing.
Below are resources that will help you with typing skills. The first group of resources include free online typing tests.
Various Links Regarding Keyboarding
- Free Online Typing Test
- The On-line Typing Test
- How fast can you type?
- Dilip's WPM Tester
- Typing Test from TypingPal
- Typing Test from Typing-Test.com
- Typing Test and Lessons from Learn2Type
- EasyType.com
- The On-line Typing Tutor
- Open Directory - Typing
- Typing Test - kagi.com
- The Herzog System of Computer Keyboarding
- The Keyboarding Question, An editorial by Art Rogers
- The Development of Elementary Keyboarding Skills Using Typewriters and Computers - Phil MacIntyre
- A Low-Tech Obstacle to a Higher-Tech Future: The Keyboard Problem - William Grassie
- Teaching Keyboarding - from the Qwerty Center
- "Train the Trainer"--Teaching Keyboarding to Elementary-Age Students
- Newsletter devoted to the topic of keyboarding
- Half-QWERTY
- The Fable of the Keys
- Tips on teaching keyboarding
- Guy who sawed a keyboard in half
- keyboard shortcuts
- Learning to Keyboard
- Keyboard Technical Links - cool graphic typing
- Webopedia - Qwerty
- Cornell - Ergonomics
- Keyboard Tips
- Adding sound to your web page
- Lyman Keyboarding
- Keyboard Ideas and Activities
- Keyboarding Information
- Study Web - Keyboarding (This is good!)
- Keyboarding - Learning Disabilities
- Improving Keyboarding Skills
- Ways to get kids keyboarding
- Keyboarding - good site
- How I teach keyboarding
- Keyboarding Rules and Tips
- Elementary Keyboard Resource - Books