Typing quickly is a necessary skill in today’s digital world. The reason behind wanting to type quickly should not only be motivated by practicality but also for a desire to reach those online with the Gospel. I have personally benefited from being able to type quickly when reaching gamers over the internet via online games such as MMORPG’s. I’m particularly excited to preach the Gospel in Everland, a game based around social interactions, when it is released.
In this kind of environment you want to be able to type as fast as you can talk and not be limited by your lack of dexterity on the keyboard. I suggest setting a goal to be able to consistently type at 80-100 wpm with an accuracy rate of 95%. Do a quick test now on some of the most common English words to see how you do.
Where To Start?
If you have never sat down and purposefully learned how to type then you have probably unknowingly inherited some horrible typing practices. Simple things like having your hands in the wrong position on the keyboard or the way you are sitting at your desk will all affect your ability to type quickly.
I used to play a lot of PC games. As a result, my left hand was always centered around the WASD keys. I typed like a gamer when I should have been gaming like a typist with my hands positioned on the ESDF keys. I now game using the SDFX (X to move backwards) keys because of my typing habits.
The best place to learn how to type with correct hand positioning is at the Typing Club. You will gradually be introduced to more and more keys as you learn to master the basics before moving on to typing sentences and paragraphs. I have used this website to teach 6 year olds how to type and have had great results.
Accuracy > Speed
Your ability to type quickly is based on your ability to communicate effectively. If you type so quickly that you are making many mistakes and having to constantly hit the backspace or Ctrl+Backspace to remove words or letters, your overall typing speed will be reduced dramatically. Consider improving your accuracy before your speed.
Below is a list of words I have compiled from some of the most misspelled words and also the most frequently defined on Webster’s dictionary. You can always create your own list here.
Type Test: Commonly Misspelled Words
Get Friends Involved
Once you have mastered the basics at the Typing Club and practiced your most common misspellings above, it’s time to get friends involved to help motivate you to improve. Honestly I only got better at typing once I started competing against my wife. A good place to do this is on TypeRacer.com. You can race each other while typing the Bible so it is a great way to read scripture, practice your typing skills and have some fun too. Click “Race Your Friends” to get a URL you can email people you want to race.
Notable Mention
If you are less concerned with your typing speed and more concerned with memorising scripture, then BibleMemory would be a good website to check out too.
