The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of initial touch speed achievement of fifth grade keyboarding students on their touch keyboarding skill retention in seventh grade. This was a longitudinal study generating quantitative data. The subjects for this study were 132 seventh grade students from a suburban middle school in southeastern Wisconsin. Touch timing scores were collected from fifth grade students in nine-week keyboarding classes during the 2004-2005 school year. Approximately two years later in January and April of 2007, the researcher was able to record touch timing scores from these students as they participated in a keyboarding review unit in seventh grade. The highest seventh grade touch speed attained with five or fewer errors was paired with the speed score data from fifth grade and used for statistical analysis using t-tests at the .05 level of significance. Results indicate that when student's initial fifth grade touch speed scores were in the range of 20 or more there was a statistically significant difference in the touch scores in seventh grade. However, when initial fifth grade touch scores were below 20 there was no statistically significant difference in seventh grade touch scores. Results suggest that when students achieved initial fifth grade touch scores of 20 words per minute or better, the likelihood they would retain or gain in touch skill was high. On the other hand, if initially touch fifth grade scores were less than 20, there was only about a 50% chance of maintaining skill. Additionally, the seventh grade students were given a short survey to determine if other factors effected speed level two years later. A finding from the survey was that the mean speed gain consistently increased as students indicated more time spent on the computer after initial fifth grade training. This suggests the more time a student spends doing keying activities after initial training the more gain a student can expect. An implication the findings of this study is the importance of having keyboarding training that develops initial touch skill level above 20 words a minute. Includes 3 appendices. (Contains 10 tables and 8 charts.)