The Benefits of Touch Typing:
An Essential Life Skill
In a world where online activity is dominating the way we communicate, being able to touch type (learning to type with multiple the fingers and not looking down) is an invaluable skill - a skill that once learnt will be appreciated forever.
Faster Working
With laptops increasingly being used for schoolwork, the ability to type quickly allows students to complete tasks more efficiently and accurately. A touch-typist is not reliant on looking down at the keyboard, so focus is not wasted on finding the keys. They are also able to identify mistakes more readily.
As they become proficient, they will find that they can type at speeds that match their thought process, which significantly boosts productivity, allowing ideas to flow more easily and improve the overall quality of the work.
Better equipped for Exams
Touch Typing allows students to transcribe their thoughts more rapidly, giving them more time to review and refine their answers, allowing them to complete more questions in the allotted time. NB. Touch Typists can type up to 3 times as fast as a regular typist... getting ahead of the game!
Touch Typing and SEN:
Touch Typing Hub have decades of experience of teaching neuro-diverse children how to touch type...
- Recent research into learning difficulties has concluded that touch typing is not only hugely beneficial for children with learning difficulties, it is often considered to be a necessity.
- When Touch Typing, each finger is responsible for a specific key. This can be advantageous for dyslexic individuals who may struggle with letter / word reversals, as it provides a more organised and predictable system. It also helps with organisation and spelling, as word patterns are learnt using muscle memory.
- Moreover, students with learning difficulties, find handwriting challenging, time-consuming and often very tiring. Touch Typing enables them to edit and produce written work more easily, allowing them to focus better on spelling, grammar and ideas – what they are writing - rather than being hampered by the motor skills involved in how they are writing.
- Typed answers are often more legible and students’ responses are clearer, reducing the risk of misinterpretation by examiners.
- Touch typing generally allows students to work faster than handwriting, which is especially helpful in timed environments such as exams. This can level the playing field for students with SEN, giving them more time to process and formulate responses.
- Intelligent children, who were once falling behind in class, due to having difficulty translating the thoughts in their head onto paper, feel liberated. Self-confidence is boosted, as is the quality of written work produced.
Understanding dyslexia:
Ergonomically Healthy Typing:
Preventing RSI
Touch typing also leads to a more ergonomic typing posture.
By spreading the typing across all your fingers and not just the dominant ones, a touch typist minimises unnecessary movement and can reduce strain on the hands and wrists, lowering the risk of repetitive strain injuries (RSI).
Preventing Back & Neck Injury
Maintaining a correct posture whilst at a keyboard will also protect necks and backs from injury... Students are regularly reminded to sit up straight and take regular movement breaks. This leads to healthier and more sustainable laptop use, thus future proofing the next generation.
A couple of breaks are provided throughout the morning, allowing students to run, play, relax & recharge!