Deborah's Typing Tutor

INSTRUCTIONS

Put your fingers as directed for each exercise. Before you start, look at the keys and try to memorize where they are. After you start the exercise, DON’T LOOK.

When you are ready, click in the box under the practice letters and try to type the letters as shown. Use “backspace” to fix mistakes.

To quit or to start over, close the window. When it asks if you want to save, say “No.”

1. Lesson One: LEFT HAND HOME KEYS

Put your left hand on the ASDF keys and your thumb on the space bar. Put your right hand in your lap.

When you are ready, click in the box below and try to type exactly what is shown. Use your thumb to make the spaces after each 4 letters. DON’T LOOK AT YOUR HANDS!

fdsa asdf fdsa adsf sdaf ssda affs sdda fsda fdsf sfda dsds affa afsd fasd

2. Lesson Two: RIGHT HAND HOME KEYS

Put your right hand on the JKL; keys (your little finger on the semi-colon) and your thumb on the space bar. Look at your hands and memorize those four keys.

When you are ready, click in the box below and try to type exactly what is shown. Use your thumb to make the spaces after each 4 letters. Don’t look at your hands when you are typing the exercise. Don’t stop. Keep typing. Type the whole line. If you make mistakes, use the “Backspace” key to erase it all and do it again.

jkl; ;lkj jlk; lkjk jjlk kklj lljk jlk; ljk; klj; kjlk jlkj ljkl jjll kkjj llkk lk;;

3. Lesson Three: HOME KEYS WITH BOTH HANDS

Put your left hand on the ASDF keys, your right hand on the JKL; keys and both thumbs on the space bar. This is the position you should ALWAYS start in when you type. This is called “home position.” There are little bumps on the “F” and “J” keys so you can find them without looking.

When you are ready, click in the box below and try to type exactly what is shown. Use your thumb to make the spaces after each 4 letters. Don’t look at your hands!

asdf jkl; aldk sjaj jskl dslk jfkd lsa; skdl ajlf flsk jdla alsj fkdj ksld ask; dad; fall

4. Lesson Four: HOME ROW - ADD “G” AND “H”

Put your hands in home position (left hand on ASDF, right hand on JKL; and both thumbs on the space bar). Look at your hands and practice reaching in with your index fingers to touch the “G” key with your left index finger and the “H” key with your right index finger. After every “G”, move your left finger back to the “F” key. After every “H”, move your right finger back to the “J” key. ALWAYS return to the home keys as you type.

When you are ready, look only at this screen, not at your hands. Click in the box below and try to type exactly what is shown.

fgfg jhjh gghh gfds hjkl sdfg lkjh asgk lhks hlkh gsld algh khdl gas; had; hall;

5. Lesson Five: UPPER ROW – ADD “E” AND “I”

Put your hands in home position. Practice reaching up with your middle fingers. Your left middle finger reaches up to the “E” and returns back to the “D”. Your right middle finger reaches up to the “I” and returns back to the “K”. Look at your hands and practice a few times before you try the exercise. Keep your index fingers on the “F” and “J” keys so you always know where you are.

When you are ready, click in the box below and then, looking only at the screen and not at your hands, try to type exactly what is shown.

dede kiki deki kide dead sell silk gisk died slid feds kild adek high sled eagh kjde

SENTENCE PRACTICE 1

Type the following sentences to practice the letters you know. Backspace to erase and repeat until it is easy for you!

I had a seed sale she is a sad lass his sled slid high he is a glad lad she fell as lead

6. Lesson Six: UPPER ROW - ADD "R" AND "U"

Put your hands in home position. Practice reaching up with your index fingers. Your left index finger reaches up to the “R” and returns back to the “F”. Your right index finger reaches up to the “U” and returns back to the “J”. Practice a few times before you try the exercise. Feel the little bumps on the “F” and “J” keys so you can return to them without looking.

When you are ready, click in the box below and then, looking only at the screen and not at your hands, try to type exactly what is shown.

frfr juju frju jufr rufj rugh jhur gfru read suik luse jifa alsi ruid iegh jhre fsui lufe

7. Lesson Seven: UPPER ROW – ADD “T” AND “Y”

Put your hands in home position. Practice reaching up and in with your index fingers. Your left index finger reaches up to the “T” and returns back to the “F”. Your right index finger reaches up to the “Y” and returns back to the “J”. Practice a few times before you try the exercise. The “Y” is a big reach. Practice the reach while looking at your fingers.

When you are ready, click in the box below and then, looking only at the screen and not at your hands, try to type exactly what is shown. Use the “Backspace” key to erase and repeat until it is easy for you.

frft ftds gtgt jujy jyjh hyhu frft jujy rest rust tred alas stel list just susy asky rusy

8. Lesson Eight: CAPITAL LETTERS

Put your left hand on the ASDF keys, your right hand on the JKL; keys and both thumbs on the space bar. To make a capital A, press the Shift Key with your right little finger and then tap the A with your left. To make the colon [ : ], press the Shift Key with your left little finger and the semicolon [ ; ] with your right little finger. To make quote mark [ “ ], press the Shift Key with your left little finger while you tap the quote [ “ ] and apostrophe [ ‘ ] key with your right (it’s the one between the semicolon and the Enter/Return key).

Keep your index fingers down on the “F” and “J” keys. Always use the opposite Shift Key so one hand “shifts” while the other types the letter. Practice pressing the Shift key with your right, then left, then right, then left. Remember to move back to the home keys after each shift key.

When you are ready, put your hands in home position. Click in the box to begin. Go slowly the first time. Don’t look at your hands. Repeat until you can do it faster.

A”S: DLFK GJRU EITY AHDL SJFU D”EK GLAJ HUFR SAL” DIRT SLED

9. Lesson Nine: LOWER ROW – ADD “M” AND “N”.

Put your hands in home position. Practice reaching down with your right index finger. Your right index finger reaches down to both the “M” and the “N”. Practice moving your right index finger to the “N” and back to the “J”, to the “M”, and back to the “J” several times before you try the exercise.

When you are ready, click in the box below and then, looking only at the screen and not at your hands, try to type exactly what is shown. Some are capital letters. Remember to use the opposite Shift key.

mjnj Mjnj mJnj mjNj mjnJ jkmn jhnj kjmj nest must mist Rest rent mint Last

SENTENCE PRACTICE 2

Type the following sentences several times to practice the letters you know. On the first try, don’t stop. Just keep typing until you are done with the line, then erase it all and try it again.

A man must rest if he likes his energy high. She runs under the mast.

10. Lesson Ten: THE BACKSPACE KEY

Practice moving your right little finger up to the Backspace key and back to the semicolon [ ; ]. Try to reach while your right index finger stays on the “J” key. If you can’t reach that far, keep your right thumb on the space bar and then feel for the little bump on the “J” key to put your hands back in home position. Practice until you can use the Backspace key and return to the home keys without looking at your hands.

When you’re ready type the words below, correcting mistakes as you go. Make the capital letters. Don’t look at your hands. Return to home position after each correction.

Right Left Father Sister Study Learn Run Eat Drink Man Light The Same One.

11. Lesson Eleven: LOWER ROW – ADD “B” AND “V”.
Put your hands in home position. Practice reaching down with your left index finger. Your right index finger reaches down to both the “M” and the “N”. Your left index finger reaches down to both the “B” and “V.” Practice moving your left index finger to the V and back to the F, to the B, and back to the F several times before you try the exercise.

When you are ready, click in the box below and then, looking only at the screen and NOT at your hands, try to type exactly what is shown.

fvfb bfvf vbgf fgbv fgjh fvjm fbjn fvjm fbjn frfv jujm ftfb jyjn beds vase nest must

12. Lesson Twelve: LOWER ROW – ADD “C” AND THE COMMA [ , ].

Put your hands in home position. Practice reaching down with your middle fingers. Your right middle finger reaches down to the comma. Your left middle finger reaches down to the “C.” Practice moving your middle fingers from the D to the C and from the K to the comma several times before you try the exercise.

When you are ready, click in the box below and then, looking only at the screen and NOT at your hands, try to type exactly what is shown.

dcdc k,k, asdc ;lk, edcd ik,k dcfv k,jm cat, fish, bird, net, sad, lick, red, cent, get

13. Lesson Thirteen: UPPER ROW – ADD “W” AND “O.”

Put your hands in home position. Practice reaching up with your ring fingers. Your left ring finger reaches up to the “W” and returns back to the “S”. Your right ring finger reaches up to the “O” and returns back to the “L”. Practice a few times before you try the exercise.

swsw lolo swlo desw kilo wowo slsl slow asks load walk work grow how; now; cow

14. Lesson Fourteen: MORE PUNCTUATION
a) period [ . ]    You make the period with your right ring finger.Practice moving to the period and back to the “L” key.

b) comma [ , ]    You make the comma with your right middle finger. Practice moving to the comma and back to the “K”.

c) apostrophe [ ’ ]    You make the apostrophe with your right little finger. Practice moving to the apostrophe and back to the semicolon. Look at the keys.

d) quotes [ “ ]    The quote mark is at the top and the apostrophe is at the bottom on the same key. Press the key to get the apostrophe (one line), hold down the Shift key while you press it to get the quote mark (two lines).

e) colon [ : ] The colon is at the top of the semicolon [ ; ] key. Keep your right hand in home position. Press the Space bar with your left little finger and the colon/semicolon key with your right little finger.

f) question mark [ ? ]    To type a question mark, press the Shift key with your left little finger while you press the “?” with your right little finger.

g) exclamation point [ ! ]    The exclamation point is a big reach. It’s on the top of the number “1” key.   See if you can do it with your left little finger, keeping your left index finger on the “F” key. If you can’t reach that far, you can do it with your left ring finger, keeping your thumb on the spacebar. Return immediately to the home keys so you always know where you are. Put your right little finger on the Shift key and reach up to the exclamation point with your left.

Note: Many punctuation marks are at the top of their keys. To get the top symbols [ @ # $ % * ( ) ] instead of the numbers, hold down the Shift key while you press the number key.

When you are ready, put your hands in home position. Click in the box to begin. Press the space after each punctuation mark. Use the shift key to make the capital letters.

. . . . , , , , ; ; : : ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ . . ; ; , , “ “ “ “ ? ? ! ! Yes. “Hi” a key? It fits. “It is.” Is it?

SENTENCE PRACTICE 3 Practice typing the following sentences including capital letters and punctuation. Don't stop while typing. Finish and then backspace to erase and do it again. When you're ready, click in the space and type these sentences:

I now know how to write most of the letters on the keyboard. Soon, I will learn the last! Type these sentences to practice the letters you know.

15. Lesson Fifteen: UPPER ROW – ADD “P” AND “Q”
Put your hands in home position. Practice reaching up with your little fingers. Your left pinky finger reaches up to the “Q” and returns back to the “A”. Your right pinky finger reaches up to the “P” and returns back to the semicolon [ ; ]. Practice a few times before you try the exercise.
Aqaq ;p;p aq;p asaq ;l;p aqua plan play hope quit diet pray clap nope pals Iraq

16. Lesson Sixteen: LOWER ROW – ADD “X” AND “Z”

Put your hands in home position. Practice reaching down with the 4th and 5th fingers of your left hand. Your left ring finger reaches down to the “X” and returns back to the “S”. Your left pinky finger reaches down to the “Z” and returns back to the “A”. Practice a few times before you try the exercise. Remember to keep your index finger on the “F” key throughout the exercise. That way, you can always feel where you are.

azaz sxsx asdf aszx saxz xasz azsx xsaz Ajax Alex Fuzz fizz wax, six, fox buzz

17. Lesson Seventeen: REVIEW – 4^TH AND 5^TH FINGERS

Look at and practice with your left hand: wsx qaz. Keep your index finger on the F key. Look at and practice with your right hand: p;/ ol. Keep your index finger on the J key. If you always keep your index fingers on the F and J keys, you don’t have to look at your hands to find the next key!

qpwo z/x. qpz/ wox. ?./. qaza p;/; wsxs ol.l as;l pull zoo? poxx wolz owlz aqpa waxo plax

SENTENCE PRACTICE 4

Type the following sentences on the lines.

Now you have finished learning all of the letters. Some are easier than others. Practice will help.

Never look at your hands. Only look at this screen. Repeat all of the exercises until they are easy for you.

18. Lesson Eighteen: PRACTICE THE ALPHABET
Type the alphabet as shown. Remember to use the Shift key on the opposite hand. The second set is the most famous sentence for typing practice. It uses all of the letters.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Abcd Efjh Ijkl Mnop Qrst Uvwx Yzab Cdef Ghij Klmn

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

19. Lesson Nineteen: RHYTHM AND SPEED

Now that you are using the correct fingers for the letters, you need to work on your speed. Put on some music that you like. It needs to have a steady rhythm. If the steady beat is too fast, type a letter on every other beat. Anything from Bach to rap music will work.

The goal is to not stop after each word, but keep typing in a steady rhythm. Don’t look at your hands! Practice with the alphabet. Don’t stop until you get to Z. When you're ready, click into the box and type the line below.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Abcd Efjh Ijkl Mnop Qrst Uvwx Yzab Cdef Ghij Klmn

Now try this sentence. As you type, don’t say the words, but the letters. “T – H – E – space – R – H - Y - T - H - M…” Practice just saying that sentence out loud in rhythm without stopping. Give the same timing to the spaces as the letters. Say, “space – I – S – space – I – M – P – O…” Say "space" where you see the underline.:

T h e _ r h y t h m _ i s _ i m p o r t a n t .

20. Lesson Twenty: RHYTHM AND SPEED 2

Now, with the music playing, type the following.

Chant the letters as you are typing to the music. Don’t stop. Type a letter for each beat in the song whether it is the correct letter or not. Don’t stop until you have finished the line: Chant these letters as you are typing to the music. Don’t stop until you finish the line.
If you type in rhythm and keep typing until the end, you will become a fast typist.

21. Lesson Twenty One: SPEED PRACTICE

Type the following paragraph without stopping. Don’t press Enter at the end of the line. Just keep going. Try to keep rhythm with the music. Don’t stop for errors. Just keep going!

It is great to know how to type. I can now type all of the letters and most of the punctuation. I am working on my speed. I never, never look at my hands when I am typing. I keep going in rhythm and don’t stop between words. I only look at the screen or the paper I am typing from. I can fix my mistakes later after I have finished the paragraph.