Touch Typing - An All or Nothing Approach

So I've come up with a technique for learning to touch type that embraces an 'all or nothing' attitude, kind of like quitting bad habits 'cold turkey'. This is not the first time I've tried such a thing but this is the most accessible approach I've come up with.

Essentially, one scrambles the keycaps so that looking at them is not only discouraged but actually hurts you. There are a couple caveats however.

Scrambled keycaps & Printed Layout

The first is that not all key caps are the same shape, so you need to keep keys on their original rows. Second, the F & J keys need to be easy to locate without looking. This can be addressed by using the extra keys available on some nicer keyboards, which are modified to feel different to the other keys. In my case, I drilled depressions big enough to feel but not too deep as to make a hole. Alternatively, just swap these keys and keep using the existing touch indicators.

Depression drilled in F & J keys

Lastly, to ease the transition, print out the correct keyboard layout so you have something to look at if necessary and place it near your screen.

This approach is a little painful but pays big dividends if you can stick with it. I'm using it for my child as she learns to touch type using browser-based software. If her experience is anything like someone I used to work with who learned to type effectively from a young age, she'll thank me when she gets older.

One last thing worth mentioning is that typing passwords can be quite frustrating. If this continues to be a problem then keep an old, cheap keyboard plugged in and handy. This may even serve as the visual reference instead of the printed layout.