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Six Absolutely Essential Techniques1: Sit up straight, arms and wrists straight

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Six Absolutely Essential Techniques

2: Eyes on the book or

printed page.

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(The CD has animation/movie clips.)

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3: Correct Fingering

Keep your hands near the home row.

Six Absolutely Essential Techniques

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(The CD has animation/movie clips.)

Keep the “J” finger lightly touching the “J” key when little finger depresses the Enter key.

Keep your eyes on the book. When you reach the end of the line, depress the Enter key.

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4: Try to keep a

reasonable rhythm

Six Absolutely Essential Techniques

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(The CD has animation/movie clips.)

Eliminate pauses

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5: Erase errors properly

Six Absolutely Essential Techniques

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(The CD has animation/movie clips.)

(Keep your finger on the “J” key while the wrist swings up and the little finger depresses the Backspace key.)

The teacher decides whether to allow backspacing to correct errors.

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6: Curve Fingers and Tap Keys Quickly (pretend keys are hot)

Six Absolutely Essential Techniques

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(The CD has animation/movie clips.)

Don’t Mash the Keys (mashing is pressing hard on the keys; usually the arms move up and down)

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Technique Review S – Sit up right, arms and wrists straight E – Eyes on the book C – Correct fingering

R – Reasonable rhythm E – Erase errors properly, or not at all T – Tap keys, No mashing

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You have just been given the secret to good techniques that will help you be an excellent typist.

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Can You Pass The Nickel Test? Place a nickel on each

hand between your wrist and first knuckles.

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Newsflash: By making a small modification to this test, a teacher reported that her students amazed her by very quickly adopting good techniques and increasing their speed and accuracy significantly. She bought a bag of m&m’s and gave each student two at the beginning of class. Students put the m&m’s on their hands just like the nickel test. If the m&m’s stay put for 15 minutes, students can eat them. If they fall off, they go into the trash. It was a challenge and students loved it.

Can you type and not have the nickels fall off?

If you can, you have excellent techniques!!!

(The CD has animation/movie clips.)