5 Typing Tips to Boost Your Child's NAPLAN Writing Score

Why Typing Speed Matters for NAPLAN

From Year 5 onwards, students type their NAPLAN writing response on a computer. Research consistently shows that students who type faster produce longer, more detailed responses — and longer responses correlate with higher scores.

A student typing at 15 words per minute can produce roughly 630 words in 42 minutes. A student typing at 30 WPM can produce 1,260 words. That's twice the content to demonstrate vocabulary, ideas, and structure.

Tip 1: Practice Little and Often

Five minutes of typing practice a day is more effective than one hour once a week. Short, consistent sessions build muscle memory without burning out your child's enthusiasm.

Use our typing practice tool for free, NAPLAN-focused typing exercises.

Tip 2: Focus on Accuracy First, Speed Second

It's tempting to push for speed, but accuracy matters more. In NAPLAN, there's no spell-check available. A student who types accurately at 20 WPM will score better than one who types at 30 WPM with constant errors.

Encourage your child to:

• Look at the screen, not their hands
• Use all fingers, not just index fingers
• Slow down when making frequent mistakes

Tip 3: Practice Writing, Not Just Typing

Typing drills teach where the keys are. But NAPLAN requires composing original text — thinking and typing simultaneously. This is a different skill.

The best practice is writing complete stories or arguments under timed conditions. This builds the connection between thinking speed and typing speed.

Tip 4: Simulate the Real Test Environment

Set up a practice environment that mirrors NAPLAN conditions:

• Use a full-sized keyboard (not a tablet keyboard)
• Set a 42-minute timer
• Disable spell-check in the writing tool
• Choose a prompt and write a complete response

This reduces test-day anxiety and builds familiarity with the format.

Tip 5: Review and Improve

After each practice session, ask your child to re-read their work:

• Does the story have a clear beginning, middle, and end?
• Are there spelling errors they can spot?
• Could they add more detail to their descriptions?
• Do their sentences vary in length?

Self-editing is a skill that improves with practice and contributes to higher NAPLAN scores.

Free Tools to Help

NaplanWriting.com.au combines writing practice with typing practice in one tool. Your child can write stories with NAPLAN-style prompts, a built-in timer, and optional AI assessment — all for free.