Touch typing vs. hunt and peck: does it matter?
Some self-taught typists are as fast as touch typists. But they spend twice as much time looking at the keyboard, and for children that difference matters. Here's what research says.
What's the difference?
Touch typing means every finger has its own keys, fingers return to the home row (A S D F and J K L ;), and you type without looking at the keyboard. Hunt and peck is the self-taught method most people pick up on their own: one or two fingers per hand, eyes going back and forth between keys and screen.
What the research found
In 2016, researchers at Aalto University in Finland filmed 30 everyday adult typists with motion capture and eye tracking (Feit, Weir and Oulasvirta, "How We Type"). Their findings surprised a lot of people:
- Speed was about the same. Trained touch typists averaged about 58 words per minute, and people who had never taken a typing course averaged about 59. Some participants who used only one or two fingers per hand typed as fast as trained touch typists.
- Eyes were not. Self-taught typists spent about 41% of their typing time looking at the keyboard. Touch typists spent about 20%.
- Consistency predicted speed. Fast typists always pressed each letter with the same finger, prepared the next keystroke early and kept hand movement small, whatever method they used.
Keep in mind who was studied: adults with years of daily typing practice. The self-taught typists had reached their speed through a very large amount of experience.
Why it still matters for children
- Attention stays on the writing. A child looking down at the keys for 40% of the time is splitting attention between finding letters and thinking about what to say. For young writers, that thinking is the hard part.
- Consistency is exactly what touch typing teaches. The research found speed comes from always using the same finger for the same key. Touch typing builds that from day one, instead of hoping a child stumbles on it over years.
- Habits set early. Children who type a lot for school without guidance often settle into hunt and peck on their own. Changing a habit is harder than learning the right one first.
- Less strain. Looking up and down constantly is tiring, especially for long assignments.
My child already types fast with two fingers. Should they switch?
If they're fast, accurate and rarely look down, they may be fine. Most children who type with two fingers do look down a lot, though, and their speed tends to stall. Switching feels slower for a few weeks, which is frustrating, so keep sessions short and celebrate accuracy rather than speed while the new habit settles in.
How to start touch typing
- Learn the home row first, with each finger on its own key.
- Add two new keys at a time, always reaching from home and back.
- Keep eyes on the screen. An on-screen keyboard showing the next key and finger helps.
- Practice about ten minutes a day, focusing on accuracy.
- Check progress every few weeks with a short typing test.
Questions parents ask
Is touch typing faster than hunt and peck?
Not necessarily. In a 2016 study of adult typists, trained touch typists and self-taught typists averaged about the same speed. Touch typists looked at the keyboard about half as much.
Should kids learn touch typing?
Yes, for most children. It keeps their attention on the screen and their writing, builds the consistent finger habits that make typing fast, and is much easier to learn before a hunt-and-peck habit sets in.
Can you switch from hunt and peck to touch typing?
Yes. Expect to be slower for a few weeks while the new habit forms. Short daily practice focused on accuracy gets most people past their old speed.