How long does it take a child to learn how touch-type?

 

First off let’s define what touch typing is:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although the phrase refers to typing without using the sense of sight to find the keys—specifically, a touch typist will know their location on the keyboard through muscle memory—the term is often used to refer to a specific form of touch typing that involves placing the eight fingers in a horizontal row along the middle of the keyboard (the home row) and having them reach for specific other keys.  (Source: Wikipedia)

 

Touch typing is being able to type without having to look down at the keyboard. Just allowing your child to master the keyboard and to be able to multi-task like read and type at the same. Giving them a precious skill and leading to great efficiency and accuracy using the keyboard.

 

For a child to learn how to touch type there are several things to consider. 

Childs age

Child’s age

As a general rule the older a child age is the quicker they will learn how to touch type and master the skill of touch typing. This is down to the ability of a child concentration and the ability to learn in a new skill. We find that for example a 16-year-old will be able to do double the work of 8-year old within an hour period.  So using this example a 16 year would be able to complete our Typewiz tying course usually within 40 hours whereas an 8-year-old would take 80 hours to complete.

Motivation

Motivation

Like learning anything new, if your child is motivated and see the benefits of learning to touch type. Then they will be successful in achieving this goal. In Typewiz, we have several motivation aspects to the course for children. Students will be super motivated to do our Typewiz course as they can earn avatars badges and coins.

They earn these by either completing a lesson or achieving a score greater than 95% or word per minute greater than 15. The coins can be used to access our typing games. Only one game coin can be used per game. Any only one game is available initially until they complete 5 lessons and then the next game gets unlocked.

When a child plays a typing game their result is showing on a leaderboard thus encouraging to earn more games coins so that they can compete.  All these aspects encourage and motivate a child to learn how to touch type 

Practice, Practice and Practice!

Practice

As the old saying goes practice makes perfect. Regular exercise of an activity or skill is the way to become proficient in it. The regular your child practices the skill of touch typing the faster they will get at it. We recommend that a child does a minimum of one hour per week. If they can do more then the will learn quicker. They will generally need to practice at least ten hours to learn to touch type.  

 

In order to earn our bronze badge in Typewiz which is fifteen words per minute, a child would normally on average need to spend ten to fifteen hours to get to that standard. They would need to spend twenty-five to thirty hours to get to our Silver grade which is twenty-five words per minute. In order for a student to get to the gold standard on the course which is forty words per minute usually would require a student to spend forty plus hours to learn how to touch type.

Learning difference

Learning differences

If your child has a learning difference such as dyslexia, dyspraxia (DCD) or dysgraphia then it will take them longer to learn to touch type. This is because they may have additional needs that may slow them down i.e. concentration issues, motor hand coordination issues etc. All these things will lead to a slower time to learn how to touch type but they will learn in their own time and become a proficient typist.

 

Conclusion

 

Overall a child will learn to touch type but it is hard to be very specific as each child is unique and will learn the skill of touch typing in their own time. The times referenced in this article are just estimates and do vary for each child depending on the factors mentioned above. The only way to know for sure is to try your child out with a typing course. At Typewiz we offer a seven-day free trial where your child can try out our typing tutor and see how they get on with it. After the seven day trial, your child will know if the ability to continue on with course.