Touch typing course

Owain_Moneysaver

Speed tests used to be done with a carbon copy so the examiner could see where you'd backspaced and corrected errors with lift-off tape.

Tiddlywinks

Gawd, a trip down memory lane...

We used to also have to remember how many spaces across / lines down for A4 / A5 etc sized paper so that things like headings could be centred correctly.

The teacher / examiner would fold the paper length and then width ways and hold to the light to make sure that you had positioned the text correctly.

Now? You just let Word do all the working out for you - now that IS progress.

shazza40

I completed course in college using mavis beacon. can still remember fff jjj f j fff jjj , you learn middle row (home keys),then move across for gh then row below. then top row, some people still type fast using two fingers.

wh smith also sell typing book, cant remember name "friend" borrowed book

anamenottaken

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Gawd, a trip down memory lane...

We used to also have to remember how many spaces across / lines down for A4 / A5 etc sized paper so that things like headings could be centred correctly.

The teacher / examiner would fold the paper length and then width ways and hold to the light to make sure that you had positioned the text correctly.

Now? You just let Word do all the working out for you - now that IS progress.

Another youngster! Quarto and foolscap were standard when I was first introduced to the art.

Owain_Moneysaver

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Gawd, a trip down memory lane...

We used to also have to remember how many spaces across / lines down for A4 / A5 etc sized paper so that things like headings could be centred correctly.

And ruled tabulations. Gawd how I hated ruled tabulations.

anamenottaken

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

And ruled tabulations. Gawd how I hated ruled tabulations.

And using red ink to do the lines?

hcb42

and how to type an envelope properly...;)

PasturesNew

Mavis Beacon's typing course has been around donkeys years - and is highly recommended.

I learnt to type over 35 years ago, on a manual typewriter. I used to teach it took, 25 years ago, on manual typewriters.

You should have an image of a keyboard in front of you, stuck on the wall, so there's no excuse to peek at the keyboard.... in fact, back then, a lot of people who were teaching themselves would put Band-Aids over the keys so they couldn't cheat.

Cheating seems good... but you'll never build up speed and accuracy if you're not doing it right.

The books we learnt from are still available on ebay. Search for books by AM Drummond. First Typing Course and Applied Typing.

Owain_Moneysaver

Professionals just use a blank keyboard

hitatotatus

Aimed at kids, but you might like to look at this BBC Bitesize site

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/