The big ideaSome words come back in every book. Learn them as tunes, and your fingers never hunt.
How it works
Some words come back in every book. These are common words, such as the, and, you, was and said.
Common words are small, and we use them all the time. When a word lives in your fingers, you never have to hunt for it.
Learn a common word as one little tune. Often your two hands take turns: in the, the hands go left, right, left.
Some words use only one hand: was is all left hand, and you is all right hand.
Which hand types the word?
Example 1: Type the
t: the left pointer.
h: the right pointer.
e: the left middle finger.
Left, right, left: the hands take turns.
The: T, H, E.
Example 2: Type and
a: the left pinky.
n: the right pointer.
d: the left middle finger.
Left, right, left again.
And: A, N, D.
Example 3: Words with one hand
Was is w, a, s: all typed with the left hand.
You is y, o, u: all typed with the right hand.
Was uses W, A, S. You uses Y, O, U.
Example 4: A line of common words
Type you and the dog.
Say each common word as one little tune.
Keep your eyes on the screen, not on your hands.
Words to know
common word
A small word we use all the time, such as the, and, you, was and said.
take turns
Left, right, left: the two hands type one letter each in turn.
Watch out
Common words are not the longest words: elephant and umbrella are fun words, but they hardly ever come back.
Look at the whole word and type it as one little tune, instead of hunting for each letter.
Said uses both hands, even though was uses only one.
Try it
Name a common word.
Which hand types the word was?
Which hand types the word you?
Does the word the use both hands?
Answers: 1. Any one of the, and, you, was or said · 2. The left hand only · 3. The right hand only · 4. Yes
Try at homeOpen any book and find the, and, you, was or said. Count how many times one of them shows up on a single page. Then type that word three times at a keyboard. A grown-up can count along with you.
For grown-upsOpen any book and count how many times the word the shows up on one page, then type it three times together; praise careful typing, not speed.
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