Keyboarding

Lesson 1:

Home Keys (fdsa jkl;)

1A: Work Area Arrangement
• The keyboard should be directly in front of you. You should be sitting directly in front of the
keyboard, not sitting sideways etc.
• The front edge of the keyboard should be even with the front edge of your desk or table.
• The monitor should be placed where it is easy to view and tilted to reduce glare.
• Mouse should be placed within reach
• Book should be placed at the right of the keyboard directly behind mouse.

lB: Access the Word Processor

• To access the Microtype word processor, do the following:
o Start Microtype
o Log in to Microtype
o When the Microtype home screen or main screen appears, click the Open Screen
button. The word processor screen then appears.
o Because we won’t be using any formatting tools at this time go up to VIEW in the
menu bar and hide the ruler and the toolbar. This will allow you to see more of the
work area on the screen.
• Close Open Screen and Close Microtype.
• Practice what you have learned:
• Start the software application Microtype again
• Access the word processor Open Screen

1C: Keying Position

Refer to the posters around the room for reference to the following.

• Fingers curved and upright over home keys

• Wrists low, but not touching the keyboard or table
• Forearms parallel to the slant of keyboard
• Make 2 fists and put them together, one on top of the other with the pinky of one hand place
over the thumb of the other. Put the butt of your bottom hand into your stomach and place
between you and the table. That is approximately how far away you should be sitting.
• Drop your arms to your sides and now only raise arms at the elbows and place on keyboard.
This is correct arm position. Adjust sitting distance until elbows are at your sides.
• Body erect (sit up straight), sitting back in your chair
• Feet flat on the floor for balance
• eyes on copy (not looking at fingers)
1D: Home-key Position
Use the charts around the room for reference to the following:

• Locate and place your fingers on the home keys on your keyboard with your fingers well
curved and upright (not slanting).
o A-Left Pinky
o S-Left Ring
o D-Left Birdie
o F-Left Pointer
o Left Thumb only presses the Space Bar when Mr. Right Thumb is missing or doesn’t
work!
o Space Bar-Right Thumb
o J-Right Pointer
o K-Right Birdie
o L-Right Ring
o ;-Right Pinky
• Remove your fingers from the keyboard; then place them in home-key position again,
curving and holding them lightly on the keys.

1E: Home-key Position

Remember to put your name, period, and date (at the top) on all the work you will ever do.
If your name is not computerized, it will not be accepted.

• Place your fingers on the home-keys again as you did in exercise 1D.
• Strike (press quickly) the key for each letter in the exercise below, press the spacebar
between letters or groups of letters.

fdsajkl; f d s a j k l ; ff jj dd kk ss ll aa ;;

• Review exercise 1C above for proper position then repeat this exercise again.

1F: Hard Return at Line Endings

After reading the information below, practice the Return/Enter key reach several times.

• Hard Return:
o To return the insertion point to the left margin and move it down to the next line,
strike Enter/Return on they keyboard. This is called a Hard Return. Use a hard return
at the end of all drill lines. Use two hard returns when directed to Double Space
(DS).
• Hard Return Technique:
o Reach the little finger of the right hand to the Return/Enter key, tap the key, and
return the finger quickly to the home-key position.
1G: Home-key/Space Bar Practice
Place your hands in the home-key position (left fingers on f d s a and right fingers on j k l ;).
Key the lines below as shown; single spaced (SS) with a double space (DS) between 2 line
groups.

f ff l ll j jj a aa ; ;; d dd s ss k kk; lad; sad;

f ff l ll j jj a aa ; ;; d dd s ss k kk; lad; sad;

j jj s ss f ff ; ;; k kk a aa l ll d dd dad; fall;
j jj s ss f ff ; ;; k kk a aa l ll d dd dad; fall;

fl fl ak ak js js d; d; lf lf ka ka sj sj ;d ;d aa
fl fl ak ak js js d; d; lf lf ka ka sj sj ;d ;d aa

jfj jfj kak kak dld dld s;s s;s aja aja kld kld f;
jfj jfj kak kak dld dld s;s s;s aja aja kld kld f;

1H: Return/Enter-key Practice

Key the lines below as shown; single-spaced (SS) with a double-space (DS) between 2-line
groups.

aa kk dd
aa kk dd

jj ss ll ff ;;
jj ss ll ff ;;

dd ;; a all ss kk ff
dd ;; a all ss kk ff

jj jk ;l df sa af ds j; lk
jj jk ;l df sa af ds j; lk

f;f f;f jdj jdj lal lal sks sks;

f;f f;f jdj jdj lal lal sks sks;

ss;; ss;; aakk aakk jjdd jjdd llf; llf

ss;; ss;; aakk aakk jjdd jjdd llf; llf
1I: Home-key Mastery
Key the lines as shown; strike the Return/Enter key twice to double-space (DS).

a a as as fad fad jak jak ask ask sad sad all all;

ads ads jak jak dad dad add add lad lad fall fall;

ask dad; all fall; ask jak; a fall ad; ask a lass;

a lad ask; all fall ads; a salsa salad; a sad dad;

Re-key the drill again at a faster pace.

a a as as fad fad jak jak ask ask sad sad all all;

ads ads jak jak dad dad add add lad lad fall fall;

ask dad; all fall; ask jak; a fall ad; ask a lass;

a lad ask; all fall ads; a salsa salad; a sad dad;

1J: Program Commands

Learn to use program commands.

• Click the Menu command on the Menu Bar at the top of the window to display a pull-down
menu of commands, features, and options.
• Click a button on the toolbar to execute a shortcut command that would normally be found in
the Menu Bar.
• Click the Maximize button, in the Title Bar at the top of the window, to change the screen
size.
• Click the Close button, in the Title Bar at the top of the window, to close the word processor.

1K: Save command

Learn to save a document that you have created.

• To save a document do the following:

o Click File on the Menu Bar above.
o Click Save. The Save As dialogue box appears.
o Make sure you save to the correct folder/directory.
o Key the filename in the File Name text box and click Save.
o Save often to prevent having to key in large amounts of text again.
• Once you have saved a file and have given it a name, the next time you click save, the
computer will automatically save your work to that same file name.
1L: End-of-Lesson Routine
Follow this routine at the end of each section and lesson.

• Save the document if you have not already done so at the end of each section.
• Use the word “Lesson” and the lesson number for the filename unless you are told to use a
different file name by me.
• Once you have saved after the first section just select the save option every time you save
afterwards during the lesson. This will save all of your work as the same file name.
• If you accidentally select Save As in the File Menu, just save it as the same lesson and when
the box comes up and asks you if you want to replace the existing file, click yes.
• Exit the word processing software (Open Screen).
• Work on your MicroType Lessons until the bell rings.
• When the bell rings Log-out.
• Return any test or keyboard cover as you walk out the door.

1M: Home Keys (fdsa jkl;) Review

Go back to the beginning of Lesson 1 and review sections 1A – 1D.
Demonstrate your understanding of proper keyboarding technique from now-on. (This will be
significant part of your grade).
Key the lines below as shown, single-spaced (SS) with a double-space between 2 line groups.

j jj f ff k kk d dd l ll s ss a aa ja; ls; kf; ld;

j jj f ff k kk d dd l ll s ss a aa ja; ls; kf; ld;

f ff a aa d dd s ss j jj l ll k kk fa; lj; sd; kd;

f ff a aa d dd s ss j jj l ll k kk fa; lj; sd; kd;

f;f sls dkd aja jfj lal ksk ;d; jaja lsls kfkd d;d
f;f sls dkd aja jfj lal ksk ;d; jaja lsls kfkf d;d

1N: Home-key Reinforcement

key the lines as shown single-spaced (SS) with a double-space (DS) between 2-line groups.

j jj s ss k kk f ff d dd ; ;; a aa l ll ak; dsj f;
j jj s ss k kk f ff d dd ; ;; a aa l ll ak; dsj f;

aa jj ;; dd ss ff kk ll af ds jl ;k al jf d; sk dk
aa jj ;; dd ss ff kk ll af ds jl ;k al jf d; sk dk

aja kfk d;d lsl jaj fkf ;d; sls ajaj kfkf lsll ;d;
aja kfk d;d lsl jaj fkf ;d; sls ajaj kfkf lsll ;d;
1O: Hard Return at Line Endings
Key each line as shown single-spaced (SS); double-space (DS) between 2-line groups.

all flasks
all flasks

ask a; all fall

ask a; all fall

a jak; as dad; a lad

a jak; as dad; a lad

all ads; ask dad; a salad

all ads; ask dad; a salad

all fall fads; ask a sad lass;

all fall fads; ask a sad lass;

all salads; a flask; ask a sad lad;

all salads; a flask; ask a sad lad;

1P: Home-key and Space Bar Mastery

Key the lines once as shown; single-spaced (SS) with a double-space (DS) between 2-line
groups.
Review the End-of-Lesson Routine (1L) when completed.

• fjf fjf; aka aka; ldl ldl; ;s; ;s; jaj jaj; dkl dkl; f;
• fjf fjf; aka aka; ldl ldl; ;s; ;s; jaj jaj; dlk dkl; f;

• as as; lad lad; jak jak; asks asks; add add; fall fall;
• as as; lad lad; jak jak; asks asks; add add; fall fall;

• lass lass; sad sad; dad dad; salad salad; fad fad;
• lass lass; sad sad; dad dad; salad salad; fad fad;