How to Learn Where to Keep Your Fingers While Typing

Beginning typists start the learning process by learning the home keys on the keyboard. The home keys are the keyboard keys where a typist places his fingers as he prepares to begin typing. When the fingers are in the proper position on the home keys, every other key on the keyboard is within easy reach of a finger. This will enable a typist to learn the keys and build up typing speed.

Things You'll Need

• Keyboard

Instructions

1. Sit at the keyboard in a chair that provides comfortable back support. Rest your feet on the floor beneath your chair and keep your upper body squared to the keyboard. Sit with straight posture and keep your shoulders and arms relaxed.

2. Reach your hands out to the keyboard. Make sure the keyboard is at a distance that allows you to bend your arms comfortably at the elbows.

3. Place the tip of your right fifth finger onto the semicolon key, the tip of your right fourth finger onto the "L" key, the tip of your right third finger onto the "K" key and the tip of your right index finger onto the "J" key.

4. Place the tip of your left fifth finger onto the "A" key, the tip of your left fourth finger onto the "S" key, the tip of your left third finger onto the "D" key and the tip of your left index finger onto the "F" key.

5. Position the thumb of your dominant hand onto the space bar. Allow your other thumb to hover comfortably over the space bar.

6. Keep your fingers on these home keys whenever your fingers need a place to rest on the keyboard. As you type and you use your fingers to reach the other keys of the keyboard, always return your fingers to their assigned home keys when they finish hitting the keys.

References

• Web Institute for Teachers: Lesson 1 Typing