StairStepper
This is the ultimate speed drill. The results are remarkable. Do this drill correctly, and it will also have a beneficial effect on your clarity and hesitation. No cheating allowed.
This drill requires more mental preparation than most. You are going to be writing faster than you thought possible. If you want the dance to the tune, you must pay for the piper. That means that you will get the benefits of the drill if you prepare properly.
Start the Speed Teacher.
Set the Number of Words between 5 and 10 words per minute. Set it low if you are in a low-speed class. Set it higher if you are in a high-speed class.
Select an easy drill for Testimony practice. Easy drills include all of the Common Words drills, the three-letter words, four-letter words, and five-letter words from the EMMAnator drills for Testimony, Numbers, and Vowels.
Select a medium drill for Literary practice. Suggested drills are: the five-letter words from the EMMAnator or the higher drills for Testimony; any of the EMMAnator drills for Literary practice; Prefix drills, Suffix drills, the Names drills.
Before you select a speed, you must understand the concept of the drill. Suppose you are in 160 class. You want to be able to write at 180, 200, 225 and higher, don't you? Guess what? You already do, but you cannot sustain the speed. The StairStepper is designed to draw out your natural abilities so that you learn to sustain that high speed that you crave. The speed that you choose for the drill is only the starting speed. The StairStepper will rapidly increase the speed.
To select a speed, choose a speed that would seem unbearably slow if you were to drill on it constantly. You need this slow speed to prepare yourself for the ultra-fast drill. Concentrate on rhythm and smooth stroking as the drill begins. This is very important. The StairStepper will soon be pushing you beyond your limit. You need to prepare yourself mentally better than you prepare for any other drill. The beginning of the drill is slow. Do the beginning correctly, and you will do the high-speed portion correctly.
Click on the StairStepper button. This reveals a control panel that allows you to choose one of five buttons that are labeled Four Seconds, Five Seconds, Six Seconds, Eight Seconds, and Ten Seconds. This is the amount of time that the StairStepper will stay at one speed level. In other words, the drill will increase in speed every six seconds if you choose Six Seconds. Choose a low number if you are in a high-speed class. Choose a high number if you are in a low-speed class.
The controls are now set for the drill. Start the drill. Write smoothly. Do not race across the screen. Write with rhythm. As the speed increases, increase your hand speed. Do not stop the drill if the screen changes before you finish writing. Simply pick up with the next group of words. Stop the drill when your writing deteriorates. If you start hesitating, stop the drill. If your lose your clarity, stop the drill. Otherwise, continue to drill.
Notice the speed setting that now appears in the Speed control. It is much higher than it was before. The StairStepper increased the speed while you were drilling. You have to reset that control to your original starting speed before you begin the next drill.
When the next drill starts, concentrate even harder on rhythm and clarity. You must be writing well at the low speeds or you will not conquer the high speeds. If your clarity has deserted you, stop the drill. Turn off the StairStepper. Work on clarity for a minute or two. Do the same thing if you are hesitating. Turn off the StairStepper, and work on low-speed material until you do not hesitate. Then go back to the StairStepper.
Remember that it is not important whether you get every word in every line. It is important that you keep your hands moving at high speed as long as possible. Keep stroking. You are learning finger speed. When you drill in class, you will notice that you are able to stroke quicker, stronger, and with a higher degree of clarity than you thought possible.
Keep at it. This drill works wonders.
The StairStepper is a product of the mind of the great Barb DeWitt.
Stephen Shastay
Steno Rebel
