Words made only of the blue keys never make a finger leave home.
The big ideaSlow and right beats fast. Words from the home row use keys you already know.
How it works
A word made only of the home row letters a, s, d, f, j, k and l never makes a finger leave home.
Dad, ask, lad, sad, all, fall, salad and flask are home row words.
Slow and right beats fast, so look at the screen and not at your hands.
If a key is off, use backspace to rub it out and fix it. Fixing a slip is part of typing.
Ask is typed a, s, k: three keys and three fingers, all at home.
Example 1: Type dad
d: the left middle finger.
a: the left pinky.
d: the left middle finger again.
Three keys, and all of them are at home.
Dad uses D and A.
Example 2: Type ask
a: the left pinky.
s: the left ring finger.
k: the right middle finger.
Three keys and three fingers, all at home.
Ask uses A, S and K.
Example 3: Type salad
s: the left ring finger.
a: the left pinky.
l: the right ring finger.
a: the left pinky again.
d: the left middle finger.
Five letters, and not one finger leaves home.
Salad uses S, A, L and D.
Example 4: Spot a word that leaves home
Look at the word fork.
The f and the k are home row keys.
But the o and the r are on the top row, a reach away.
So fork makes fingers leave home, and flask does not.
The O and R in fork are a reach away.
Words to know
home row word
A word made only of home row letters.
backspace
The key that rubs out the last key you typed.
reach
A finger's trip to a key away from home.
Watch out
A word can start on the home row and still need a reach: fork has f and k, but also an o and an r.
Cake looks easy, but the c and the e are a reach away. Only the a and the k are home row letters.
Look at the screen, not at your hands, and use backspace if a key is off.
Try it
Is flask a home row word?
Is fork a home row word?
Which key fixes a key that is off?
Which letter in the word cake is a home row letter: c, a or e?
Answers: 1. Yes · 2. No · 3. Backspace · 4. a
Try at homeThink of a word that uses only a, s, d, f, j, k and l, like salad, flask or fall. Next time, type it slowly with your fingers home.
For grown-upsWatch for a finger that leaves home on a word like fork or cake, and ask your child to find which key was the reach; praise careful typing, never speed.
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