Keyboarding technique is important. Proper technique means: sit properly (back up against the back of the chair, behind in the middle of seat, knees over the front of the seat, feet facing the floor - no feet on seats); about a fist worth of space between yourself and the desk; belly button even with the "B" key; keyboard out towards the edge of the desk; wrists straight (no resting them on the desk); elbows comfortably at your sides; fingers on the home row; eyes on the screen. Here at St. Ignatius, we use "skins" to cover the keyboard. At home, try a lightweight towel or a piece of construction paper to cover the keyboard. Speed will come with practice, but make sure you are still maintaining proper technique while you work on your speed. For students in 5th-8th grades, practice MUST be done outside of class to increase speed and accuracy. Try these sites at home:
Dance Mat Typing http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ **this site is excellent for 3rd and 4th graders!
Typing Club http://typingclub.com/typing-qwerty-en.html (start with lesson 36 for WPM drills)
Ten Fast Fingers http://speedtest.10fastfingers.com/
Typing Test http://www.typingtest.com/
Key Hero Typing Test http://www.keyhero.com/typing-tests-wpm/
Lessons and Practice Tests http://www.freetypinggame.net/default.asp
Typing Speed Test http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/keyboarding_games/keyboarding_games_typing_speed_test.html
For additional information about the importance of keyboarding: