MomsintheGarden Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Reg & I were talking about this today, and since we couldn't decide, we thought we'd ask the hive. :) Our children use Typing Instructor Deluxe to teach and drill their skills. It's just a cheapo program, so the program itself doesn't matter to us. Our question is when is it OK to stop drilling? 30 WPM? 40 WPM? Or some higher number? FWIW, we both feel that typing is a very important skill, but we don't have the children spend a lot of time on it. We are all ears about this, so please make comments below. Thanks! GardenMom & RegGuheert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigger Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Depending on the age of the kids.....<10 a good speed is 25-30 WPM, for >10 they should be able to get to 40+ WPM before ending drills, then just daily typing as part of routine will likely increase speed up to somewhere in the 50-70+ range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 (edited) Depending on the age of the kids.....<10 a good speed is 25-30 WPM, for >10 they should be able to get to 40+ WPM before ending drills, then just daily typing as part of routine will likely increase speed up to somewhere in the 50-70+ range. I agree with this basically. I'd want my kid in the 45+ range to consider them comfortable enough to continue improving. A younger child (say that 30 wpm range) might still be in danger of bad habits/hunt n peck so I'd continue regular instruction to build skill. Once a child reaches the mid-40's they will likely continue to improve especially if you have built in practice. I'm saying I'd prioritize regular instruction until I reached the 45ish range. But, assuming a child is able to get there (most can), I would likely continue with a more relaxed approach to provide opportunity to build skill. Edited January 18, 2012 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Kids do a lot more typing these days - so getting to 45wpm was not that difficult. But I am thinking of an age range of 14-18. A lot of people are at 45wpm but still have a few errors. You can decide the margin of error with which you are comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I'd say that 40-50 words per minute would be a good skill for most computer users to have. That said, I probably type about 20 wpm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHowell Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Most companies looking for assistants and such require a speed of 40 plus. I would never stop using the program, no matter what their speed. Once they get to the 50-60 wpm range, I would let them do it less often, but not stop completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 There's a certain point where simply composing papers, lists, or writing things improves typing more than anything else. FWIW, I typed 120+ wpm with 99% accuracy the last test I took, and it's not through drill -- it's through active and constant use of typing as a mode of communication. (Also, my technique is bad. According to someone who watched me, I don't use the correct fingers for the keys. But at this point, I really don't think it matters. :P) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 jobs that do typing tests want a minimum of 60wpm. at least in my day.. . . I have one son who types 113wpm - but he got that fast by iming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Thanks for all of your replies! I like the idea that they should keep up with the typing program on a casual basis to maintain their skills. Wow, 100+ WPM! Now that is something to shoot for! GardenMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krista in LA Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 jobs that do typing tests want a minimum of 60wpm. at least in my day.. . . I have one son who types 113wpm - but he got that fast by iming. My first job out of college required all computer programmers to do at least 80wpm or take a cbt for typing. :confused: I passed but thought it was so stupid since as a programmer, I never just sit and type. For a kid learning to type, I would think 40wpm would be good assuming that they will continue to practice through writing assignments done on the computer or occasional drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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