The big ideaEven taps, with no stops and starts, make typing smooth.
How it works
Typing is like rowing: every key you press is one pull of the oar.
Uneven taps stop and start, some close together and some far apart. Even taps leave the same gap every time, and that is a steady rhythm.
Pick a slow beat, and give easy keys and tricky keys the same beat. Hum a tune or count in your head, and your fingers follow the beat.
When a tricky part comes, do not rush the easy keys and then freeze. Slow the whole beat down, so every tap stays even, and if a key is off press backspace once and carry on.
Bumpy taps and steady taps.One slip, handled calmly.
Example 1: Find the beat
Pick a slow beat: tap, tap, tap, with the same gap each time.
Hum a tune or count in your head.
Let your fingers follow the beat.
Example 2: Type to a song
Hum the rowing song slowly: pull and rest, pull and rest.
Type Row, row, row your boat, one tap to each beat.
No stops and starts.
Example 3: A tricky part
Tricky keys are coming, so do not rush the easy keys.
Slow the whole beat down instead.
Every tap stays even, easy keys and tricky keys alike.
Example 4: Fix one slip
Notice the slip, like one oar pulling too soon.
Press backspace once and fix the key, without starting the whole line again.
Pick the beat up again and carry on.
Words to know
rhythm
The pattern of your taps. A steady rhythm leaves the same gap every time.
beat
A slow count or tune that your fingers follow.
gap
The pause between one tap and the next.
backspace
The key that rubs out the last key, to fix one slip.
Watch out
Hitting each key as hard as you can does not make typing smooth: the gap matters, not the force.
Do not rush the easy keys and then freeze at a tricky one.
Starting the whole line over after one slip makes typing bumpy: fix only the one key.
Stopping to stare at the mistake does not help: fix it and carry on.
Try it
What is a steady rhythm?
A tricky part is coming. What do you do?
A key is off. What do you do?
Why did Ines's boat zigzag?
Answers: 1. The same gap between every tap · 2. Slow the whole beat down · 3. Press backspace once and fix it · 4. Her pulls were uneven
Try at homePick one line from a book. Hum a slow beat and type the line, with the same gap between taps. If a key is off, one backspace, then pick the beat up again. Ask the grown-up beside you to tap the beat on the table, if that helps. No clock needed: it only has to feel smooth.
For grown-upsTap a slow beat on the table while your child types a line from a book, and praise the smoothness of the gaps; no clock is needed.
Open these notes on screenScan the code, or go to tutorpip.com.