Learning to type. Formally.

[Rusty Claymore]

Tutorials seemed the best place for this question: Anyone know a good "learn to type" program? After giving my house a good three-over, I decided my old (10+ years old) one was officially lost.
I know I could technically just copy some sort of documentation and slowly get better, but if there is a more intuitive approach I'd prefer going with that. XD

[Furen]

Normally I'd try to tell you a magical program that makes all your efforts not needed, but the best I can give you is force yourself to use the full hand approach and learn where things go, it helps, I used to type at a snails pace but I'm getting better.

Anyway sorry about no magical solution, hope this helped

[ich1990]

I learned with Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, which costs around $20. I am sure there are free alternatives available as well.

The biggest factor in learning how to type is not the software you use or things you copy, it is whether you are looking at the keys while you type or not. Simply put: if you want to learn, you can't look. When I was learning using the above software, I cut out a cardboard box to place over the keys and two slots for my hands. With the box, I couldn't look at the keys and was forced to learn their locations by memory.

The program started me out with two keys, which were used over and over again in varying combinations. This was followed by two or three letter words strung together (composed of whatever keys I had already practiced with). Once the whole keyboard had been covered in this fashion, I was moved on to entire paragraphs.

Finally, as with anything practice makes perfect. If you are already online a lot, try to combine your practice with your day to day internet use to save time. Just leave the cardboard over the keys while you do so.

[Rusty Claymore]

I used Mavis too! But as I said I lost my copy. >.< The box idea is brilliant! I'll try that right away! Yeah, I already started to force myself to proper type when I post. It doesn't save time though. XP (slow typer...)

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

I used Mavis when I was younger but that never really seemed to help. Honestly, I found the best program is just to type a lot. If you have friends on Facebook or some other IM service that you like, talk to them a lot. Since most of my friends I've made are at various church regional gatherings, most of them live quite a ways away, so I used to Facebook to talk to them a lot, which slowly increased how fast I could type.

[Tsukuyomi]

I don't know of any programs, but the "Home Row Typing" is nice ^__^

You may want to look for tuts online I'm sure there are free ones.. Like, this one http://www.powertyping.com/qwerty/lessonsq.html I don't know how it works though ^^

[Okami]

I'm thinking Mavis was the program my middle school computer classes used. Although, I believe they used something different for me...because of my physical disability I was supposed to get a left-handed keyboard (which never happened) and from there, they got this program for me on how to type on a regular keyboard with left hand, starter keys JHGF. Uh, yeah...try reaching to Q and 1 with your pinky on F when you've got short hands. Thankfully my instructor let me take off the "blind" so I could see.

However, I later decided that typing that way was much too difficult (As I'm sure you could understand) and I self-taught myself how to type, so I could type as fast as those around me. I use a variation of my right index finger with my left thumb and index finger (Sometimes other fingers, as well) and I have a typing speed that is generally considered above average. And I usually only glance at the keys before typing and can look at the screen to watch what I am typing when I am typing it, like a "normal" person.

However, this little wolf will never obtain a job where formal typing is needed.

[ChristianKitsune]

I guess just keep in mind the whole "Home Row" keys, I've been typing without looking since Jr. High though, so I am sorry but I guess I can't recommend any programs in particular. Everything I learned, I learned in school :/...

but the whole tip about typing without looking is good, just focus on the screen, and maybe you can start to type out a document without looking at it, and gradually get better. That seems to be an effective way to do it, and free too!

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I used Mavis Beacon back in high school. It was a real drag at the time and I hated every minute of it but the rote learning works well (it's just boring as anything). I never want to hear about the sheik and his freakin' camel ever again!

[Valkaiser]

GTypist is a good free one. http://www.gnu.org/software/gtypist/
It's a no-nonsense, text only, typing tutor.
I've used it.

[Bobtheduck]

I learned on some proprietary software that ran on 386 computers, on floppy disks I had to use at home that would record my hours and scores on the disk.

Then I got mavis beacon. I think it's funny when the kids see me type here. They're all amazed I can type so fast (even if I use the backspace key so much, my typing teacher would have fainted)

[Bobtheduck]

I used Mavis Beacon back in high school. It was a real drag at the time and I hated every minute of it but the rote learning works well (it's just boring as anything). I never want to hear about the sheik and his freakin' camel ever again!

You could, when I used it anyhow, use your own text documents so you could type something more interesting. Just make sure it isn't full of ascii art or something.

EDIT: Ok, oops... sorry for the double post...

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

This was back in maybe 1997. I didn't know you could do that Bob. Interesting!

[armeck]

practice, practice, practice, is all i can say, i type a lot so i eventually got pretty good at it. so more important that a program is simple just practice

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Capital letters and full-stops are your friend!

[ChristianKitsune]

Also, I've found that IMing and stuff has probably been a key reason for my awesome typing skills.