East Amwell Township School

43 Wertsville Road      Ringoes, New Jersey 08551

Cougars ROAR! R-Respect O-Others, A-Accept R-Responsibility!

Computer Lab:

Keyboarding Websites

                     Keyboarding Documents 

Black and White Keyboard Blank keyboard
Colored Keyboard Colored fingering keyboard
Technique Illustration of proper technique

                       Keyboarding Practice Sites  
Computer Circus Choose the keys you want to practice for older students
Dance Mat Typing From BBC; learn and practice keyboarding for younger students
Keyboarding Practice Type a letter on the keyboard and watch it light up on the screen for younger students
Typing ABCs Practice typing the letters of the alphabet for younger students
Powertyping Typing For 4th grade to 8th grade
Typing Exercise  
Advanced Typing Exercises 50 Lessons of Structures Exercises
Learn 2 Type Typing Tests
Typing Lessons Hard Hitting Lessons
 

 

 


A Typical keyboard.
  1. Why are the keys all mixed up? ... Give up? Click here for a clue.
  2. What letters are associated with the home row keys?... Give up? Click here for a clue.
  3. What is the keyboard's official name?... Give up? Click here for a clue.
  4. When was the first keyboard invented?... Give up? Click here for a clue.
  5. List 5 of the 7 tips for better posture/technique at the computer.  Give up? Click here.
  6. List 4 of the less intense postures/technique positions.  Give up? Click here.
  7. What is the magic behind good typing ability?... Give up? Click here for a clue.
  8. List 4 keyboarding Tips and Rules.... Give up? Click here for a clue.
 

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science concerned with designing safe and comfortable machines for humans.  Following these rules will increase your speed and accuracy at the computer as well as helping your body cope with long sessions at the keyboard.  Check out these 7 tips for better posture! Click here-> 

If these tips seem just a little intense check out this set. Click here-> 
 

The Magic behind keyboarding

There really is no "magic" or secret about good typing ability. It just takes time and lots and lots of practice. However there are some important things that will help you in the process: 


**NOTE It is also important to strike the keys with a short quick stroke. 

The HOME ROW!

Typically your biggest challenge is learning where all the keys are located and learning which fingers hit which keys. However some people find that keeping fingers on the Home Row is the hardest thing to learn. 
Home Row Keys.. (Click on the keyboard to return to the top) 
 
Another thing to keep in mind is that your goal at first should be to learn the keys and HOME ROW before you begin to build speed. Accuracy is much more important to a beginning typist. 

Below is a finger chart showing which fingers strike which keys: 

Why are the keys all mixed up?

The reason for all the keys are mixed up was to speed up typing while slowing down the typist.  True, history shows that Christopher Latham Shole in 1872 invented the machine called the "Type-Writer."  Strangely enough, the first typewriter finally was designed to slow down the typist. Sholes had developed his machine for convenience, but was faced with a huge problem: the keys jammed if the typist went too fast. Sholes tried for months to fix this problem.  Finally, in desperation, Sholes took a step that still remains today with our keyboard.  Sholes redesigned the layout of the letters on the keyboard to force the typist to slow down. We call his layout the "QWERTY" keyboard (after the first six letters of the typewriter's second row).

 
What is the keyboard's official name?

The official name of the keyboard is "Qwerty". The keyboard is named after the top row of letters on the keyboard. If you don't think so just look on your keyboard. 

 

 

When was the first keyboard invented?

The first keyboard was first invented in 1864. 

 
  

 
 

Tips and Tricks

Please Read the following:

Learning to keyboard is not easy.  It will take lots of self discipline and patience.  Sometimes it takes weeks to show just small improvements.  If you look at keyboarding as a skill that can be mastered with lots of practice you will do fine.  One key factor to mastering keyboarding is good technique.

Correct technique is the most important skill any beginning typist can learn.  Speed and accuracy are all built around good technique.  Therefore you will be given a technique grade every two weeks.  The grade will be based on the following five areas:  (Please copy areas I and V  in your notes)

I.  Memorize the letters by not looking at your hands while typing.  (40 points)
II.  Feet flat on floor.  Hips touching back of chair.  Back straight and sitting up tall.
III.  Fingers curved.  Arms close to body.  Wrist straight and not touching keyboard
IV.  Begins typing immediately.  Has sheet out each day.   Works entire time.
V.  Strikes keys with proper finger & then returns fingers to homerow keys
 
 


 

Technique Grade

Keystroking:
Correct key stroking.  You must use the correct finger to stroke each letter you are typing.  Keep fingers curved.  Don't look at your hands to type.  Home Row Position.  You should always return your fingers back to home row after you have reached for a key.

Position:
Posture.  You should sit straight up but lean forward slightly from the waist.  Feet should be placed firmly on the floor.  The body should be about a hand span from the front of the keyboard and centered opposite the J key.  Keyboard:  Pull keyboard to the edge of the computer desk.

I will try and walk around the room each day pointing out where you need to improve and encouraging those who are practicing good technique.  The most important thing you can do is to learn the correct keystroke for each letter we are practicing.
 

Your Daily Drills

There are a total of 19 lessons in MicroType Multimedia.
 

Lesson Objective
1
HomeRow
2
Review
3
H and E
4
I and R
5
Review
6
N and G
7
LShift and .
8
Review
9
U and C
10
W and Rshift
11
B and Y
12
Review
13
M and X
14
P and V
15
Q and ,
16
Review
17
Z and :
18
Caps and ?
19
Tab

Each day when you come into class you are required to type the entire required amount of time (10 - 20 minutes depending on the day's AKS's).  You will not have to record your scores because MicroType Multimedia will do it for you.

Grading Scales for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades: (Please copy your grade level in your notes)
 
 

Keyboarding Grading Chart
6th Grade
100 % 
10+ Drills
95 % 
9
90 % 
8
85
7
76
6
72
5
60
4
55
3
50
2 -
7th Grade
100 % 
15 + Drills
98 % 
14
96 % 
13
94
12
92
11
90
10
85
9
80
8
76
7
72
6
60
5
50
4 -
8th Grade
100 % 
16 + Drills
97 % 
15
93 % 
14
90
13
88
12
85
11
80
10
76
9
72
8
60
7
50
6 -
Do not skip any drills.  Keyboarding makes up 25 % of your grade in computer science.  Remember you will get a progress grade, 4 keyboarding technique grades and one (Testing / MS Excel)  line chart grade).