Skills to Boost Your Kids
“In the sci-fi world of rockets and robots, computer keyboards don’t exist. Humans always talk to their computers, giving them orders, commands and requests. In the blockbuster film Avatar, touch screen technology was the big deal. But until these high tech visions are realized, the 88-key QWERTY keyboard – together with the mouse — will remain the main interface between man and machine. And yet, it’s amazing how many people still haven’t mastered their keyboard. “Hunt and Peck” remains a trusted method for data entry for over 25% of computer users.”
Kevin Lerner, The Presentation Team
As a very speedy touch-typist myself, I have always received jealous glares from colleagues and even my husband and children as I bash away at my keyboard effortlessly. My dexterity makes them look like palookas. And I have always battled to find assistants who could work faster or more accurately than me which has been so frustrating because they could never keep up with my productivity.
Touch typing is definitely one of the skills I would like my children to master long before they leave school. Did you know that it boosts productivity on a keyboard by up to 60%? Who wouldn’t want to do that? I learnt to touch type in Australia when I was an 18 year old exchange student. Back then I never realised that taking this practical subject would benefit me so much in the long-run. To this day, I marvel at the ability of the human brain and how trainable it is. Touch typing is such an excellent example of this.
Learning how to read is another skill that often blows my mind. That we can make sense out of such abstract symbols as letters and numbers — a decoding system, if you will — is an incredible feat. But in a world of increasing digital speed and connectivity, it’s no longer enough to be able to read. You need to be able to read at speed and to be able to comprehend what you are reading. Interestingly we also live in an era of rapidly declinging literacy rates — not a good thing for children who are already drowning in information from the first time they do a Google search for a school project in grade 1. And information overload will continue at a pace.
So, if your child’s school doesn’t offer speed reading and touch-typing as subjects or extra options, then do make sure that at some point you create an opportunity to give your child the benefit of acquiring these skills that will not just boost their productivity but their confidence and self-esteem too. They will go a long way to helping our children to love learning, helping them to contribute to, and shape the body of knowledge that we are all co-creating — at speed — in addition to predictive text and voice activated software among others. As learning is one of the five key X-factors for success in the future world of work, we need to do everything we can to make learning easier and more enjoyable — they are going to be doing this for life!
“Speed reading and touch typing are excellent skills for greater efficiency in life. Being able to operate and navigate technology confidently — from cellphones to computers to the Internet and other electronic gadgets — will enable learners to manipulate, disseminate and acquire infomation quickly. Competence in this area will assist with time management and enhance communication and presentation skills.”
Nikki Bush & Dr Graeme Codrington,
Future-proof Your Child (Penguin, 2008)
