The goal is to be able to type accurately faster than they can write by hand. Students should be able to type at a rate of 30 words per minute in fifth grade, having increased roughly 5 wpm per year. Emphasis is still placed on posture and technique.

How fast does the average student write?

Handwriting. For an adult population (age range 18–60) the average speed of copying is 40 letters per minute (approximately 13 wpm), with the range from a minimum of 26 to a maximum of 113 letters per minute (approximately 5 to 20 wpm).

How fast should a 6th grader write?

Studies compiled by Amundson (1995) show that copying rates using handwriting at the 1st grade level are about 5 words per minute (WPM) on average, but by the end of elementary school at the 5th and 6th grade level are about 10 to 12 WPM.