How to Master Keyboard Typing
Once your keyboard typing skills are steadily improving, it’s time to learn some techniques to help you master keyboard typing. Read the hints and suggestions below to help you master keyboard typing.
Master Keyboard Typing by Learning Touch Typing
Touch typing is typing without using the sense of sight to find the keys. Specifically, a touch typist will know their location through muscle memory. Touch typing usually places the eight fingers in a horizontal row along the middle of the keyboard (the home row) and has them reach for other keys.
Most computer keyboards have a raised dot or bar on either the F/J keys or the D/K keys (or the keys in the same position, for non-QWERTY keyboards) so that touch-typists can feel them when their fingertips are over the correct home row.
Master Keyboard Typing by Increasing Typing Speed
- Use the proper desk and chair height. It is important that your forearms at a height that allows them to remain parallel to the ground while typing.
- Set your monitor at the appropriate height. Ensure your computer monitor is positioned directly in front of the eyes (don’t look up or down).
- Consider using an ergonomic keyboard. Ergonomic keyboards are primarily intended to provide a more comfortable typing position. It is believed that a more relaxed hand posture will increase typing speed.
- Ensure proper hand placement and use. Make sure that you equalize loads on right and left hands, maximize loads on home row (middle row), maximize alternating hands frequency, and that you minimize same finger typing.
- Consider using games to master keyboard typing. There are many fun and educational games that students can use to master keyboard typing. One of the most popular games used to master keyboard typing is called Typer Shark. Many free versions of this game are available. Increase typing speed by playing Typer Shark for free! (Note: it’s free because you have to watch a 15 second ad before playing). Works best with Internet Explorer.
Master Keyboard Typing by Increasing Typing Accuracy
Given that touch typing is an automatic skill it is logical to associate an expert typist with fast typing but a better description might be accurate typing. However, to improve typing skills, you must improve typing accuracy as well. The principal benefit of touch typing, is that data input via a keyboard no longer requires visual confirmation.
While composing a letter or essay it is no longer necessary for the writer to interrupt their train of thought to scan the keyboard for the location of a particular key, or, to correct a typing mistake.
A touch typist copying from a source text doesn’t need to divide their attention between the source, screen and keyboard as an untrained typist would but can turn their full attention to the source text, confident that their touch typing skill will translate thought into data input without error.
Master Keyboard Typing by Testing, Practicing, and Testing Again
As with any skill you are learning, it helps to track and measure your progress to improve typing skills. Here are a few free resources to help you test and track your typing speed.