Typing is undoubtedly one of the most important skills that anyone can learn. Every worker, from personal assistants to corporate executives, is more productive when he or she knows how to type quickly and accurately. In fact, being able to type at a rate of at least sixty words per minute opens up opportunities for career advancement that would not otherwise be possible!
Most of the products and services we enjoy today involve typing at some level of their production. Instructions have to be typewritten onto packages and manuals. Government and social-service organizations have to enter information into computerized databases. It takes a skilled typist to write magazine articles, to compose emails, to use the Internet, and to do almost anything with computers.
As any child who has played online typing games can tell you, learning to type can be fun and exciting! Innumerable sites offer tutorials, exercises, games, and tests for those who are just learning to type.
TYPING TUTORIALS
• Improve Your Typing – tips and links to sites for improving your typing
• Learn 2 Type – lessons and resources for those just learning to type
• Learn Keyboard Typing – four basic lessons on typing all the individual characters
• Mr. Kent's Typing Course – basic online typing course for beginners
• Peter's Online Typing Course – free and complete typing course
• Sense-Language Tutor – Flash-based site with free typing lessons, games, and more in several different languages
• Typing For Children – short resource page for kids learning to type
• Typing Soft's All Typing Tutors – links page to dozens of downloadable typing tutorials
• Typing Web – free online course for any level and typing tests (registration required)
TYPING EXERCISES AND TESTS
• Advanced Typing Challenges – tests for experienced typists
• Black Dog's Typing Test for Kids – good speed test for kids learning to type
• Good Typing – free online typing speed test
• Nimble Fingers Exercises – hand exercises to improve finger dexterity and flexibility
• Typing Exercise – short and accessible typing exercises
TYPING GAMES
• BBC Dance Mat Typing Game – a great typing game for kids from the BBC
• Free Typing Games – QWERTY warrior and four other typing games
• Links to Typing Games – Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) site with links to twenty-nine fun typing games
• Only Typing Games – twelve fun typing games
• Typing Master Games – two typing games based on Pac-man and undersea life
• Typing Tutorial Game – stop the letters before they hit the ground by hitting the right letter key
TYPING SPECIAL CHARACTERS
Have you ever wondered how people type those special characters like the degree symbol onto memos, logo products, and print advertisements? The following list briefly explains special characters and which key combinations you need to create them.
% – hold down alt, type 37
® – hold down alt, type 0174
§ – hold down alt, type 21
¶ – hold down alt, type 20
• – hold down alt, type 249
~ – hold down alt, type 126
@ – hold down alt, type 64
? – hold down alt, type 248
© – hold down alt, type 0169
™ – hold down alt, type 0153
½ – hold down alt, type 171
¼ – hold down alt, type 172
¡ – hold down alt, type 173
¿ – hold down alt, type 168
œ – hold down alt, type 0156
