I don't have kids, but I imagine that nowadays kids are taught in school how to touch type.Only in business schools actually, and even less than in the typewriter era.
I imagine that nowadays kids are taught in school how to touch type.
I've read a paper about teaching ~5-year-old kids QWERTY and DSK; it was published in the 80's though (...)
Nope. They wanted to know whether so young kids would be capable of learning the 10-finger typing technique as well.I've read a paper about teaching ~5-year-old kids QWERTY and DSK; it was published in the 80's though (...)
I suppose, this kind of article would be narrowly focused on differences between learning QWERTY and learning Dvorak.
I taught myself to touch-type when I was about three years old on the old DOS program CPT Personal Touch-Typing. I attained a high speed of 83 wpm (415 cpm) at age six and 108 wpm (540 cpm) at age ten, which was faster than any of the other students or teachers at Smith Road Elementary.
I'm not a parent, only a self-taught touch typist since the age of 14 (I went cold turkey, because it looked cool).
I've read a paper about teaching ~5-year-old kids QWERTY and DSK; it was published in the 80's though (which means there weren't phones/tablets around).There was a consensus that it wasn't possible to learn touch typing until 10 plus/minus a few years. However, these 5-year-olds learned most of the 10-finger technique quite quickly *on DSK* (but struggled with QWERTY).
Matrix keyboards are highly recommended for such use, because it's easier to find letters on them.I don't have kids, but I imagine that nowadays kids are taught in school how to touch type.Only in business schools actually, and even less than in the typewriter era.
Okay, see
Joyce, Bonnie and Roy Moxley. “Comparing Children’s Typing Skills Using the Dvorak and QWERTY Keyboards on a Microcomputer.” #ED313002.
It isn't what I meant though. Something more comprehensive was published later.
I literally took a typing class in elementary school.
1) How old were you at the time?
2) Was the teacher paying attention to your technique (wrists floating above keyboard, striking key but not hammering on them?
1) The class is offered when we're in fourth grade, so the kids in the class are about 10 or 11 years old.
1) What typing speed did you attain?
2) Were you using this skills actively in the following years?
3) What came easier for you, handwriting or typing?
4) Were you allowed (in elementary) to bring in your written assignments as printouts, or were you required to do them in handwriting?
5) I've seen, you're a fountain pen collector. Do you practice calligraphy too?
Unfortunately most of the nicest keyswitches aren’t small enough to properly design keyboards for, say, 8–10 year olds.
The cursive handwriting style used in American schools is IMO much harder to learn than necessary, and not very legible.
Most American cursive taught in schools looks like this:Show Image(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Cursive.svg/1000px-Cursive.svg.png)
It’s a minor modification of the writing taught via the “Palmer Method”Show Image(http://www.nystamp.org/Ink29.jpg)
Both are supposed to be a simplification of Spencerian script that’s a bit easier for small children. But Spencerian script is a terrible model for anything; it was designed to look fancy (“professional”) for business correspondence in the mid-19th century, not to be legible:Show Image(http://www.iampeth.com/artwork/FlickingerSpec0001.jpg)
Most European writing styles from the 16th–18th centuries seem better than the 19th century American styles.
For what it's worth, I learned Palmer in elementary school.
I guess most young kids these days aren't learning cursive at all.
long live touch typers
In public school they don't teach kids cursive anymore here in central Virginia. I sucked at cursive but at least i can read it.
In public school they don't teach kids typing anymore here in central Virginia. I learned how to type in elementary school, "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing" on a Apple IIGS FTW. It could be an elective though but its not required.
In some parts of Virginia they are giving elementary kids iPads and going pencil-less which is absurd
Schools encourage the hunt and peck method of typing these days, they don't even go over why there are bumps on F and J i bet.
The proper use of a keyboard is dying. I've even heard from friends that police/911 dispatchers are hard to hire in this area because the job requires you type over 80WPM (maybe faster).
long live touch typers