The most important way to improve your keyboarding skills is to practice typing frequently. Practicing typing text from a book or magazine helps you practice the kind of typing you may eventually need to do at jobs.

TIP: You don't have to practice keyboarding right now, but you can use the suggestions on this page while you're typing in this course and when you have time to practice on your own.

When you practice, make sure your fingers type the keys they're assigned to and then return them to the home row when they're not pressing a key.

If you don't remember which fingers should type each key, review the Keyboarding page from earlier in this lesson.

To improve your typing speed, practice the home row method until you're able to type without looking at your fingers.

If you're having trouble not looking at your fingers, you can attach a sheet of paper to the keyboard to cover your hands as you type.

Sitting up straight at the keyboard with your feet flat on the floor and your wrists up a little can help you type more quickly, too.

Using instant messaging services can be a good way to improve your typing speed. Messages are typed back and forth quickly, so keeping up with the conversation helps you practice typing at a fast speed.

Playing typing games is another good way to practice typing.

TypingWeb™ is a good example of a typing game that helps improve speed. You have a TypingWeb account at this school and will use it from time to time to practice your keyboarding skills (not nearly as often as you did in 6th grade).

After each lesson in the TypingWeb™ program, you will type a 1:00 test.  Retaking the typing test helps you see how much you've improved.