Keyboarding skills are NECESSARY

Keyboarding skills are most necessary for using word processing software, but are also required if using database software, email or instant message communication. From an academic standpoint, keyboarding skills are a must for students interested in higher levels of education in almost any field.

why is keyboarding important?

There are many reasons why keyboarding is preferred over the “Hunt-and-peck” method of using a computer. Touch typing enhances accuracy as you harness muscle memory in the fingers to assist with spelling. So what do we mean by muscle memory?

Once you have mastered the fingering on the keyboard, and consistently use the same finger for a letter, you automatically remember where the finger goes without conscious thought.

If you ask someone who’s been typing for years, “Where is the letter b?” or any other letter of your choice, they may have difficulty remembering because this is a skill they have internalized so well. The conscious brain will be slower at answering the question than the finger.

Through sufficient repetition, the fingers reach automatically for individual keys when they are needed. You don’t have to consciously think about where the fingers go.

Touch typing makes you faster. This, in turn, means you will be more productive, as it takes you less time to do tasks so you can take on more work or assignments, or alternatively spend less time sitting at a computer. Automatizing the process improves the quality of your writing too. It frees up cognitive energy so you focus on the ideas instead of just the language required to articulate them.

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