Page 157 - Computer - 9(A&B)

What is Touch Typing?

Touch typing or Touch keyboarding refers to the technique of typing text without looking at the keyboard keys.
In touch typing, the typist uses its muscle memory to locate the required keys to be pressed on the keyboard.
Each fi nger of each hand has dedicated keys assigned to it which can be easily reached. This technique helps the
typist to type quickly and easily without losing accuracy. The typing speed is measured in Words Per Minutes
(WPM) i.e. the average number of words a typist type within one minute. The typing speed can be developed
over a period of time with routine practice.

Benefi ts of Touch Typing
Touch typing is a wonderful technique which provides a variety of customised exercises that help you to improve
your professional keyboard skills in a step by step way. Some of them are listed below:
v Speed: One of the most attractive reasons to learn the touch typing skill is the signifi cant increase in speed
and effi ciency. Touch typing is certain to offer the most productive method for working on the wide-range
of data-entry projects.
v Accuracy: The second most important benefi t of learning touch typing comes with typing correctly and
with accuracy. If you are typing with good speed but are not typing accurately, no one would understand
what you are trying to convey.
v Time: Another benefi t of touch typing is accomplishing the work within a given time frame. The more the
typing speed is, the less will be the time taken to type and accomplish the task.

v Focus: When you type with two fi ngers, the focus gets diverted between fi nding the keys on the keyboard
and the work you are doing on the computer system. Learning touch typing allows you to focus on one
thing instead of two and thus increases the productivity.

Touch Typing Rules
Touch typing can be learnt by practicing the various typing rules in three different steps. These are as follows:

Rule 1: Know the Home Keys: These are the most important keys on the keyboard that help to fi nd the way
to other keys on the keyboard. There are different Home keys for the different fi ngers located in the
middle row, also called Home row. These keys are A, S, D, F and J, K, L, ;. Place your hands on the
Home keys like this:

• Left Hand: Place your little fi nger on the A key, ring fi nger on S, middle fi nger on D and index
fi nger on F as shown in the fi gure.
• Right Hand: Place your little fi nger on ; , ring fi nger on L, middle fi nger on K and index fi nger on J
as shown in the fi gure.
• Thumbs: Place both thumbs on the Spacebar key.
Ring Finger Middle Finger
Index Finger
Little Finger

A S D F J K L : ;

Left Hand Right Hand

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