Keyboarding

Are you a helicopter or a hunt & peck typist? A helicopter typist points the index finger at the keyboard and moves it in a circle until the letter is found, and then dives in. A hunt & peck typist runs the finger across the rows and then pecks at it. Maybe you do a little of each.

Studies show that to be productive and happy using a computer, you must be able to type as fast as you can write with a pencil. That is usually between 15 and 30 words per minute.

There is a method that professional typists use that allows them to reach speeds of 100 words per minute with accuracy and without looking at their fingers or the keys. They learn to always put the same fingers on specific keys.

This is called touch typing. You can do it too. When you can type as fast as you can write, you will be comfortable working at a computer. A comfortable typing speed to build up to is 35 words per minute.