Typing Words

What is typing?

When you write with a pencil, you make each letter with your hand. When you type, you press a key on a keyboard and the computer makes the letter for you.

Typing is how we write on computers, laptops, tablets and phones. People type messages, stories, letters, lists and homework.

Good typists do not hunt for each key with one finger. They keep their fingers in a special place and move them just a little to reach every key. That is what you will learn in this book.

By the end, you will type words, capital letters and short sentences, and fix your mistakes.

Meet the keyboard

A keyboard has many keys. Each key has a letter, number or sign printed on it. When you press a key, that letter appears on the screen.

Look at the top row of letters. It starts Q W E R T Y. That is why this kind of keyboard is called a QWERTY keyboard. Almost every keyboard in Ghana is QWERTY.

The letters are not in alphabetical order. That can seem strange at first. But once your fingers learn where the keys are, you will not need to look.

Three rows of letters

The letter keys are arranged in three rows.

• Top row: Q W E R T Y U I O P
• Middle row: A S D F G H J K L
• Bottom row: Z X C V B N M

Above the letters is a row of numbers, 1 to 0. Below the letters is a very long key called the space bar.

The middle row is the most important. It is called the home row, because your fingers go home to it between every key.

Try this: Find the letters of your name on the keyboard in the picture. Which rows are they in?

Sitting properly

Before you type, sit well. Good sitting helps you type better and keeps your back and hands from hurting.

• Sit with your back straight against the chair.
• Keep your feet flat on the floor.
• The screen should be about an arm's length away, with the top level with your eyes.
• Keep your elbows bent and close to your sides.
• Let your wrists float just above the keyboard. Do not rest them on the desk while typing.

Try this: Sit at a desk. Check each point on the list. Ask a friend to check you too.

Two hands, ten fingers

Typing uses both hands and all ten fingers. Each finger has its own keys to press.

Hold your hands up. From the thumb outwards, the fingers are: thumb, index (pointing) finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger.

• Your thumbs press the space bar.
• Your index fingers are the busiest. They reach the keys in the middle.
• Your little fingers press the keys at the edges, including Shift and Enter.

Using all ten fingers feels slow at first. Soon it will be much faster than two fingers.

Try this: Wiggle each finger one at a time, saying its name.

The home row

The home row is the middle row of letters. Your fingers rest on eight keys there.

Left hand: little finger on A, ring finger on S, middle finger on D, index finger on F.

Right hand: index finger on J, middle finger on K, ring finger on L, little finger on ; (the semicolon).

Say it like a chant: "A S D F — J K L semicolon."

Your thumbs rest lightly on the space bar.

From the home row, every finger reaches up or down to its other keys, then comes back home.

Try this: Put your fingers on the home row. Lift them off. Put them back without looking.

Finding home by touch

How can you find the home row without looking? Feel the keys F and J.

Most keyboards have a small bump or ridge on the F key and the J key. Run your index fingers along the middle row. When you feel the bumps, you are home.

Put your left index finger on the F bump and your right index finger on the J bump. Let the other fingers fall onto A, S, D and K, L, ;.

Now you can find home with your eyes closed.

Try this: Close your eyes. Put your hands in your lap. Now find F and J by touch. Open your eyes and check.

Try this: home row drill

Open a writing program on the computer, like a word processor or a simple text box. Put your fingers on the home row.

Type these, pressing each key with the correct finger. Press the space bar with your thumb after each group.

1. asdf jkl;
2. aaa sss ddd fff
3. jjj kkk lll ;;;
4. fff jjj fff jjj
5. asdf jkl; asdf jkl;

Go slowly. Say each letter as you press it. Keep your eyes on the screen, not your fingers.

Repeat the drill three times. It gets easier each time.

Worked example: home row words

Did you know you can type real words using only the home row? Let us type sad.

Step 1: S is under the left ring finger. Press it. Return home.

Step 2: A is under the left little finger. Press it. Return home.

Step 3: D is under the left middle finger. Press it. Return home.

Step 4: Press the space bar with your thumb.

You typed sad! Now try these home row words: dad, lad, fad, salad, flask, all, fall, ask.

Notice that G and H are on the home row too. The index fingers reach sideways for them: left index for G, right index for H.

Reaching up

The top row is just above the home row. Each finger reaches up and slightly to the left for its top-row key, then comes back home.

• Left little finger: A → Q
• Left ring finger: S → W
• Left middle finger: D → E
• Left index finger: F → R and T
• Right index finger: J → U and Y
• Right middle finger: K → I
• Right ring finger: L → O
• Right little finger: ; → P

Try this: Type we, red, tree, it, you, up, top, pot. After every key, feel for the F and J bumps again.

Reaching down

The bottom row is just below the home row. Each finger reaches down and slightly to the right for its bottom-row key.

• Left little finger: A → Z
• Left ring finger: S → X
• Left middle finger: D → C
• Left index finger: F → V and B
• Right index finger: J → N and M
• Right middle finger: K → , (comma)
• Right ring finger: L → . (full stop)

Now you can reach every letter on the keyboard!

Try this: Type can, van, man, zoo, box, mix, cab, nab. Come home after each key.

Try this: type your name

Now put it all together. Type your own first name, one letter at a time.

Before each letter, say which row it is in and which finger presses it.

Kofi's name: K (right middle, home row), O (right ring, up), F (left index, home row), I (right middle, up).

Abena's name: A (left little, home), B (left index, down), E (left middle, up), N (right index, down), A (left little, home).

Now type the name of your school, your town and your best friend.

Do not worry about capital letters yet. That comes next.

The space bar

The space bar is the long key at the bottom of the keyboard. It has no letter on it.

When you press it, the computer leaves an empty space. We press it once between every word, so the words do not run together.

Without spaces: Amaeatskenkey

With spaces: Ama eats kenkey

Press the space bar with your thumb. Either thumb will do. Most people use the thumb of the hand that did not type the last letter.

Press it once, not twice. One space between words is enough.

Try this: spaces between words

Type each line. Press the space bar with your thumb between the words. Press it once only.

1. a cat sat
2. the red hat
3. we eat rice
4. kofi can run
5. ama and abena go to the market

Look at the screen. Is there exactly one space between every word? If two words are stuck together, you forgot the space. If there is a big gap, you pressed it twice.

Now type a line of your own with at least four words.

Capital letters: the Shift key

So far we have typed small letters. To make a capital letter, we use the Shift key.

There are two Shift keys, one at each end of the bottom row. They often have an arrow pointing up.

Here is the trick: hold Shift down with the little finger of one hand, and press the letter with the other hand. Then let go of both.

• To type a capital A (left hand letter), hold the right Shift with your right little finger and press A with your left little finger.
• To type a capital K (right hand letter), hold the left Shift and press K.

Worked example: typing Ama

Let us type the name Ama with a capital A.

Step 1: The A is on the left hand. So we need the right Shift key. Put your right little finger on it.

Step 2: Hold Shift down. Do not let go.

Step 3: With your left little finger, press A. A capital A appears.

Step 4: Let go of Shift. Bring both hands home.

Step 5: Type m (right index, down) and a (left little, home). No Shift this time.

The screen shows Ama. Well done!

Try this: Type Kofi, Ghana, Accra and Monday, each with one capital letter.

Caps Lock: the trap

Next to the A key is a key called Caps Lock. If you press it, EVERY LETTER YOU TYPE COMES OUT AS A CAPITAL, until you press it again.

Many beginners press Caps Lock by mistake and then wonder why everything is shouting at them.

If this happens, press Caps Lock once more to turn it off. A small light on the keyboard often shows when it is on.

For ordinary writing, use Shift for one capital at a time. Leave Caps Lock alone.

Try this: Press Caps Lock. Type your name. Press Caps Lock again. Type your name. What is different?

Backspace: fixing mistakes

Everybody makes typing mistakes, even grown-ups. The Backspace key fixes them.

Backspace is at the top right of the letter keys, above Enter. It usually has an arrow pointing left.

Each time you press it, it rubs out one letter to the left of the blinking line, called the cursor.

Press Backspace with your right little finger. Reach up for it, then come home.

Backspace is like a rubber for a pencil. But it is quicker, and it leaves no smudge.

Worked example: fixing a mistake

Kwame is typing kenkey, but he types kenkwy by mistake.

Step 1: He looks at the screen and sees the wrong letter: the w should be an e.

Step 2: He counts how many letters are after the mistake... and including it. "w, y" — that is two letters.

Step 3: He presses Backspace two times. Now the screen shows kenk.

Step 4: He types e and y. The screen shows kenkey.

Fixed! Kwame did not need to delete the whole word, only the part after the mistake.

Tip: Check the screen after every word. Small mistakes are easier to fix than big ones.

Try this: fix these words

Type each wrong word exactly as it is written. Then use Backspace to fix it so it is spelt correctly.

1. trotrp → trotro
2. markrt → market
3. scholl → school
4. Ghanq → Ghana
5. bananna → banana

For each one, think first: how many letters do I need to rub out? Then press Backspace that many times. Then type the right letters.

Now type a word, make a mistake on purpose, and fix it. Practise until Backspace feels easy.

Full stop and Enter

A sentence ends with a full stop. The full stop key is on the bottom row, pressed by the right ring finger.

Type the full stop straight after the last word, with no space before it. Then press the space bar before starting the next sentence.

The Enter key is a big key on the right side. Press it with your right little finger to start a new line. Use it when you finish a paragraph or want to write a list.

Try this: Type I like rice. Press Enter. Type I like fish. Press Enter. Now you have two lines.

Typing a short sentence

A sentence needs three things when you type it:

1. A capital letter at the start (use Shift).
2. Spaces between the words (use the space bar).
3. A full stop at the end.

Here is a sentence: The goat is under the tree.

• T is a capital. Hold Shift.
• Space after every word.
• Full stop after tree, with no space before it.

You already know every key you need. Now it is just about doing them in the right order.

Worked example: Ama eats kenkey.

Let us type Ama eats kenkey. step by step.

1. Hold right Shift, press a → A. Let go.
2. Type m, a. → Ama
3. Space bar.
4. Type e, a, t, s. → Ama eats
5. Space bar.
6. Type k, e, n, k, e, y. → Ama eats kenkey
7. Press the full stop key. → Ama eats kenkey.

Check the screen. Capital at the start? Yes. One space between words? Yes. Full stop at the end? Yes.

That is a perfect sentence.

Try this: three sentences

Type these three sentences. Remember the capital, the spaces and the full stop. Press Enter after each one.

1. Kofi rides in a trotro.
2. The market is busy today.
3. We live in Ghana.

Then write one sentence of your own about your family, and type it.

When you finish, read all four sentences on the screen. Use Backspace to fix any mistakes.

Count how many words you typed in total. Write the number in your exercise book. Next week, see if you can type more.

Eyes on the screen

The biggest habit to build is this: look at the screen, not at your fingers.

If you look at the keys, you cannot see your mistakes until later. If you look at the screen, you see each letter as it appears and can fix it straight away.

It feels hard at first. Your eyes want to peek. That is normal. Here are some tricks:

• Put a light cloth over your hands while you type.
• Use the F and J bumps to find home without looking.
• Go slowly. Speed comes later.

Try this: Type asdf jkl; five times with a cloth over your hands.

Accuracy before speed

Some pupils want to type fast straight away. But fast and wrong is worse than slow and right.

Think of learning to ride a bicycle. First you learn to balance. Then you go faster. Typing is the same. First learn the correct fingers. Then the speed will come by itself.

A good rule: if you make more than one mistake in a line, slow down.

Try this: Type The sun is hot. three times. Count your mistakes each time. Try to get zero mistakes before you try to go faster.

Typing on a phone or tablet

Many families in Ghana have a phone or tablet but no computer. These have a keyboard too, but it is on the screen. It only appears when you need to type.

The letters are in the same QWERTY order. There is a space bar at the bottom, a Shift key (often an up arrow) and a Backspace key (often an arrow pointing left with an x).

On a phone, most people type with their thumbs. On a tablet, you can use more fingers.

The rules are the same: capital at the start, one space between words, full stop at the end.

Try this: With permission, type one sentence on a phone.

Practise with games

The best way to get better at typing is to practise a little every day. Typing games make it fun.

There are free typing games on the internet, like Dance Mat Typing from the BBC and TypingClub. They start with the home row, just like this book, and give you a new key when you are ready.

If you have no internet, you can still play.

• One pupil calls out letters; the other types them without looking.
• Race a friend to type a sentence with no mistakes.
• Type the words from your spelling list.

Caring for the keyboard

A keyboard is delicate. Keys can stick, break or stop working if we are careless.

• Wash and dry your hands before typing. Oily or sticky fingers make the keys dirty.
• No food or drink near the computer. One spilt drink can ruin a keyboard.
• Press gently. Keys do not need to be hit hard.
• Do not pull the keys off, even if you are curious.
• Cover the keyboard when it is not in use, to keep out dust, especially in the harmattan.

At school, a keyboard is shared. Leave it clean for the next pupil.

Rest your hands and eyes

Typing for a long time can tire your hands, your eyes and your back. Take care of yourself.

• Every twenty minutes, stop and look at something far away for a few seconds. This rests your eyes.
• Shake out your hands and wiggle your fingers.
• Stand up and stretch your back.
• Blink often. Screens make us blink less, and our eyes get dry.

If your wrists or fingers hurt, stop typing and tell an adult.

Try this: Set a timer for twenty minutes next time you type. When it rings, do the four things above.

Worked example: a sentence about Ghana

Abena's class is typing one sentence each about Ghana. Here is how Abena does hers.

Step 1: She thinks of her sentence: Ghana has a black star on its flag.

Step 2: She puts her fingers on the home row and finds the F and J bumps.

Step 3: She holds Shift and types G. Then hana.

Step 4: She types each word, with a space between, looking at the screen.

Step 5: She types a full stop at the end.

Step 6: She reads it back. She typed flsg instead of flag. Backspace twice, then ag. Fixed.

Step 7: She presses Enter and raises her hand.

Try this: a typing week

Here is a plan for one week of practice. Five minutes a day is enough.

• Monday: Home row drill. asdf jkl; ten times.
• Tuesday: Top row words: we, you, tree, pot, it.
• Wednesday: Bottom row words: can, man, box, zoo.
• Thursday: Capitals. Type the names of five friends.
• Friday: Three full sentences with capitals, spaces and full stops.
• Saturday: Fix five wrong words with Backspace.
• Sunday: Rest!

At the end of the week, type Ama eats kenkey. and time yourself. Write down how long it took. Try again next week.

Mistakes to watch for

Typing with one finger. Use all ten. It is slow now, fast later.

Looking at the keys. Look at the screen. Feel for the F and J bumps.

Forgetting the space. Words run together. Press the space bar after every word.

Two spaces. One is enough.

Caps Lock on by accident. EVERYTHING IS SHOUTING. Press it again.

Space before a full stop. The full stop goes right after the last letter.

Hitting keys hard. Press gently.

Try this: This line has three mistakes. Find them: the goat is under the tree .

What we learned

Well done! Here is everything from this book.

• A QWERTY keyboard has three rows of letters.
• Your fingers rest on the home row: A S D F and J K L ;. Feel for the bumps on F and J.
• Each finger reaches up or down for its own keys, then comes home.
• The space bar (thumb) puts one space between words.
• Shift (little finger, other hand) makes a capital letter. Avoid Caps Lock.
• Backspace rubs out the letter before the cursor.
• A sentence needs a capital, spaces and a full stop.
• Eyes on the screen. Accuracy first, speed later.

Keep practising a little every day!

Learn more

• BBC Dance Mat Typing — a free typing game for children that starts with the home row
• TypingClub — free online typing lessons, one key at a time
• Typing.com — free lessons, tests and games for learning to type
• Ratatype — a free typing tutor with a speed test
• Code.org — free computing activities for children once you can type

Watch more

Think about it

1. Why do you think the home row is called "home"?
2. Why are there two Shift keys instead of one?
3. What would happen if there were no space bar?
4. Is it better to type fast with mistakes, or slowly with none? Why?
5. What is one thing you will do differently next time you type?