Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Typing substantially improves writing? Common?

LOL. I thought it was bad enough to have learned typing on an electric typewriter. The few instances when I was called upon to actually type something on a manual typewriter were "educational" - it's crazy how hard your fingers have to hit those keys.

Dictating is still common in a number of law firms.

I could never understand the concept of it, since I wrote all of my high school papers on a computer, myself.

So, I presume that word processing is the modern equivalent of dictation.

Yes! I really see the contrast between proofs DS types for his AoPS course and the ones he recently submitted for a competition where things have to be handwritten. Questions not that different - but the handwritten ones show his age, where for the typewritten ones I find myself wondering whether the AoPS staff will think I've done it for him. I was wondering whether, as well as the things already mentioned, part of it might be that when it's typed it looks like the kind of thing he sees in textbooks etc, so he words accordingly.

but it's so satisfying! that "clunk" - you can't beat it. (wow, i'm old.)

DD5 is learning to touch-type because she thinks it's cool. that said, the content she produces on the keyboard (via hunt & peck) has always been much, much richer than her handwritten output, probably because she's not so busy making her letter forms just right. it's a great tool for encouraging longer pieces.

You can't teach some old dogs new tricks. In the early days, P.C.s were a lot more expensive so not every associate was supplied with one.

Interesting thought. In fact, I was thinking about typing math stuff rather than literary analysis stuff. I had the same thought as you did but fortunately DS' typing was done at school during school hours so I obviously could not have helped him.

But there is probably a half-second delay to make that "clunk"! In total agreement with you about encouraging more extensive pieces.

I have noticed something similar with my fourth grader. His type written work is more well thought out. I think it is just that he has to slow his mind down to type while he can let it race when he is using hand writing.

I just had a weird experience with him though where he had read a poem and was way off the mark when I asked him a question about the poem. I thought there was no way he didn't get what the writer was saying. Then he handed me what he had typed and he had it right. So, I think it is the same thing where his thoughts are going a mile a minute when he is speaking or writing, but he can't type fast yet, so he is forced to slow down.