Your fingers know the home row, so your eyes stay on the page and the screen.
The big ideaKeep your eyes up and a marker under the line. Copy in small bites.
How it works
When you copy from a page, keep your eyes on the page and the screen. Your fingers know home, so they do not need watching.
Put a marker under the line you are copying: a ruler, a finger or a strip of paper. It holds your place.
Copy in small bites of three or four words. Say them in your head, then type them.
When a line is done, slide the marker down one line. At the end, check your page against the card.
One line, one bite at a time.
Example 1: Copy one line
Lay a ruler under the line you are copying.
Read three or four words and say them in your head.
Type those words with your eyes up.
Read the next small bite, and type it too.
When the line is done, slide the ruler down one line.
Example 2: Lose your place and find it again
Stop typing as soon as you are not sure where you are.
Find your marker on the page.
Find the last word you typed on the screen.
Read the next small bite from there. Never guess and keep typing.
Example 3: Check the copy
Set your page next to the card.
Slide a finger along each line and compare them.
If one letter is off, tap backspace, fix it, and read the line again.
Check at the end.
Words to know
marker
A ruler, a finger or a strip of paper that you put under the line you are copying.
small bite
Three or four words that you read, say in your head and type.
slip
A letter that is not right yet. Backspace can fix it.
Watch out
Looking down at your hands makes you lose your place. Eyes stay on the page and the screen.
The whole card is too much to hold. Read a small bite of three or four words.
Skipping a line or typing a line twice means the marker did not move down.
A cat on the card does not help. Lift her off, and find your place.
Try it
Name two things that can be a marker under the line.
About how many words make a small bite?
When a line is done, where does the marker go?
You lose your place. What do you do first?
Answers: 1. A ruler, a finger or a strip of paper · 2. Three or four · 3. Down one line · 4. Stop and find your marker
Try at homeAsk a grown-up for a short page, like a recipe or a poem, and lay a ruler or a strip of paper under the first line. Type a few words at a time, slide it down when a line is done, and then check your typing against the page together.
For grown-upsGive your child a short page, like a recipe or a poem, and a ruler or a strip of paper; if they look down at their hands, simply point at the page and let them find the marker again.
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