There are no secret tips or tricks to becoming a faster typist. Although this may disappoint you, the downside is that anyone, with time and practice, can learn to type quickly on the keyboard. Once you are able to type without staring at the keys, you will see that your speed will steadily increase. It's not complicated at all, but you need to maintain good posture and know the correct position of your fingers on the keyboard. With practice and perseverance, you will become a good typist with respectable speed.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Correct Body Position
Step 1. Organize a good workspace suitable for word processing
You should find and arrange a well-lit and ventilated area. Basically, you should type with your computer on your desk and not on your lap. Being comfortable is essential when working for long periods. Make sure all of these details are correct before continuing.
Step 2. Adjust your posture
The right one is seated, with her back straight and her feet flat on the ground, as wide as the shoulders. The wrists should be level with the keyboard, so that the fingers “fall” onto the keys naturally. You should also tilt your head slightly down to look at the monitor, your eyes should be 45-70cm from the screen.
Most office chairs are adjustable. Change the settings several times until you find the perfect height
Step 3. Don't sit like a shapeless sack
Avoid sliding forward as you work. Maintain the correct posture and body position to avoid wrist pain which, in turn, will slow down your writing speed and break the rhythm. Don't hunch your shoulders and back, try to stay straight but relaxed.
Part 2 of 4: Correct Finger Position
Step 1. Study the keyboard
Most keyboards have the same letter arrangement and are referred to as “QWERTY” (from the sequence of the first six letters in the upper left). Many models also have various keys with different functions.
- Most of the keys are used to type the corresponding letter and display it in the text area of the screen. Open a word processor and try to press the various keys to see what happens.
- Practice memorizing the position of the letters and the position of the keys with the most used punctuation symbols. You have to know where they are without constantly searching for them on the keyboard, if you want to become a quick typist.
Step 2. Learn the correct hand position
To type quickly, your hands and fingers must assume a certain posture and you must return them to their starting position when they are at rest. In short, the hands should be slightly arched at the wrists, while the fingers rest gently on the "starting line" of the keyboard. The initial or resting position of the fingers is as follows:
- Left index finger on F.
- Middle left on D.
- Left ring road on S.
- Left little finger on the A.
- Right index finger on J.
- Middle right on K.
- Right ring finger on L.
- Right little finger on the colon / semicolon key (; and:).
- Left and right thumbs on the space bar.
Step 3. Close your eyes and say the names of the keys as you press them
This is a good way to learn their position without looking at them. Keep your eyes on the monitor and say the letter that corresponds to the key as you press it. This technique allows you to quickly memorize the positions. Keep doing this until you feel that you no longer need to say the letters.
Part 3 of 4: Learning the Basics of Typing
Step 1. Measure your initial writing speed
There are many ways to evaluate this figure, which is usually expressed in w / m (words per minute). The best thing to do is to write in a search engine the phrase "calculate the writing speed" and click on one of the first tests that are proposed to you. By doing this you will know your starting level.
- Initial data helps you track your progress over time.
- Sometimes you may find the speed expressed in WPM (in English, "words per minute"), but the substance does not change.
- Remember that it is best to measure speed for a certain period. If you have not typed on a computer for a long time, the result will be quite low, even if you are a good typist; conversely, you can get good speed if you've been using the keyboard for a while. For this reason, always use the same test when you want to track progress.
Step 2. Start slowly
Increasing the speed at which you type is a matter of practice and a skill that develops over time. Typing (typing with a keyboard without looking at it) is generally the fastest technique, once you have mastered it. If you have never tried it before, know that you will need to dedicate some time to this step. Once you are able to stop staring at the keys, your speed will increase.
- At first it is a somewhat frustrating process, which will also make you feel rather strange but, with a little work, you will improve.
- Try to move your fingers only the minimum necessary to reach the keys.
Step 3. Try to respect the right position of the fingers and not look at them
It is important to avoid staring at the keyboard while you type, so as to force your fingers to automatically move towards the keys they must press through constant repetition. If you can't look up from the keyboard, cover your hands with a cloth, such as a tea towel.
At first you will be slower than when you wrote with an improvised technique, but try to be constant. Once the typing becomes an automatic movement, you will be faster and faster
Part 4 of 4: Practice and Improve
Step 1. Practice constantly, there is nothing else to do
Typing is not an easy skill to acquire and master, but once your fingers are in the right position and posture is correct, you can only improve with practice. Set aside time each day to practice, and pay particular attention to both accuracy and speed. Over time, the number of words typed in one minute will steadily increase.
If you can spend as little as ten minutes a day to open a document and type without stopping, you will notice that you will make fewer and fewer mistakes
Step 2. Practice some online games
There are plenty of websites that offer free typing games. Usually they communicate the score obtained and record it, so you can try to beat your personal best and compete with other Internet users.
Step 3. Practice writing from dictation
If you don't know what to type, you can listen to something and rewrite it as you go. There is no limit to the kinds of things you can include in your text, and it might be a good idea to write fun and interesting things, such as an e-book, an online lesson or a radio show.
A TV show could be fine too, so try to be creative and work out while having fun
Step 4. Monitor your progress
Get tested again and track your results on a weekly basis. However, don't obsess about speed, instead think about how much more agile you are and how easier it is to type text with this technique.
Step 5. Consider taking an official course
There are several programs and courses that help you learn typing quickly. Most are guided word processing sessions or games to monitor speed and accuracy. If you are in a hurry to improve your skills, consider investing some money by enrolling in these courses.
- There are many kinds of learning programs. For example, free online tutors are widely available, but there are also programs that you can download for free and others for a fee. Some are more fun than others, but all of them help you get faster.
- Remember that how quickly you improve depends on how hard you practice.
Step 6. Don't give up
Be consistent and you will be able to compete with the fastest typists, who can write 150 words per minute for long periods while also reaching “peaks” of 200 p / m. Good word processing skills are useful for work and study. The faster and more accurate you are, the sooner you finish your tasks.
Advice
- Remember where all the letters are, so you don't have to look at the keyboard instead of the screen.
- Watch the monitor as you write to check for typos as you make them, if you are transcribing a speech.
- If you are transcribing a written document, keep your eyes on it, even if it is not on the monitor. Learn to trust your fingers to hit the right keys.
- Do not give up. It takes training to become a fast typist.
- Alternatively, you can use programs that help you type faster; do some research online.
