DIGITAL TECH GRADE 8 LB

CHAPTER 2: KEYBOARDING SKILLS

Chapter Overview

correct posture for working at a

computer
Unit 2.1 Term 1 sections and alphabetical keys on the
Introduction to keyboard
positioning of the fingers, wrists and
keyboading fore-arms

use the correct fingers on the home row

Unit 2.2 Term 1 keys, top and borrom row keys
Mastering the keybaord touch type combination letters and
words
- alphabetical keys use a typing tutor effectively and
efficiently

Unit 2.3
Term 2 practise keyboard drills using other
Chapter 2 Mastering the keyboard
keys and number keys
Keyboarding Skills - other keys and number type speed and accuracy tests
keys

Unit 2.4 use keyboard activities for

Term 3 remedial, accuracy or speed builing
Mastering the keyboard
purposes using all the keys
- special characters and master special characters and
common shortcuts common shortcuts

practise keyboarding skills

Unit 2.5 linking keyboarding to computational
Keyboard proficiency Term 4 thinking
- consolidation and practical practise speed and accuracy
use keyboarding skills to problem solve
task and do a pracical task

Prior Knowledge

No prior knowledge required for

this chapter

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At the end of the chapter you should be able to:

• demonstrate the correct posture for working at a computer

• identify different sections on the keyboard (alphabetical, numerical and function keys)

• identify the cursor, the mouse the Enter key and the Space bar

• demonstrate the correct finger positions for working on a computer keyboard

• master using of the home row keys

• master using the top row keys

• master using the bottom row keys

• touch type alphabetical letter combinations

• touch type alphabetical sentences

• use a typing tutor effectively and proficiently

• use the other keys on the keyboard with the correct fingers

• type 2 to 5-minute speed and accuracy tests proficiently

• use the number keys on the top row of the keyboard

• use the numeric keypad (num pad)

• type special character, symbols and punctuation marks

• use common shortcuts for editing text

• integrate computational thinking concepts and practices

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UNIT 2.1: INTRODUCTION TO KEYBOARDING
In this unit you will learn how to exercise the correct posture when sitting at a computer. You will also
learn about the layout of the computer keyboard and the positioning of the fingers on the keys.

CORRECT POSTURE FOR WORKING AT A COMPUTER

Posture can be described as the way you hold your body when sitting at a computer. You should practise
sitting properly at a computer so that you can type with ease, avoid tiredness and keep your body pain-
free.

When sitting in front of a desktop computer, you need to follow these guidelines:

 Sit up straight
 Keep your feet flat on the floor
 Support your back by keeping it against the back
of the chair
 Centre your body so that your belly button is
line with the G and H keys of the keyboard
 Bend your elbows in an L-shape and keep your
arms close to your body
 Relax your neck and shoulders
 Curve your fingers in a resting position on the
home row keys which are: a s d f ; l k j
 Rest your thumbs just above the spacebar ̶ the
wide horizontal key below the bottom row keys
 Keep your eyes looking at the computer screen
(Ideally your eyes should be in line with the
screen)
Figure 1 Example of the proper posture at a computer
https://
swiftriverlibrary.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/watch-your-posture/
Working on a laptop (notebook) computer on your lap can be bad for your posture. Generally, you should
place the laptop on a desk and follow the same guidelines that are listed above.

If you are working at a computer for a whole day, you need to take small breaks to release muscle tension.
Stretch or stand every 20 to 30 minutes, if possible. You can exercise your hands by stretching your fingers.
You need to rest your eyes from time to time. Every 20 minutes look at something in the distance for 20
seconds.

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THE FOUR SECTIONS OF A KEYBOARD
A keyboard is an input device with keys that you press to enter data and instructions into the computer.
The keys on the keyboard are made up of numbers, letters, punctuation marks, symbols and other
functions. We will be using the keyboard to learn to type accurately and speedily.

The layout of keyboards may differ but generally the following four sections are found on most keyboards:
 alphanumerical keys  cursor keys
 numeric keypad  function keys

Figure 2 The four sections of the keyboard

https://houstonlibrary.org/sites/default/files/basic_mouse_keyboarding_final.pdf

1 Alphanumeric keys (also known as alphabetical and numerical keys)

The alphanumeric keys on the keyboard contain the:
 letters of the alphabet (a, b c, etc.) and
 numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.).

2 Cursor keypad
The cursor keypad is made up arrow keys which enable you to move the cursor between text on
the screen. There are arrow keys to move Up, Down, Left and Right. The other keys (for example:
Home, End, PageUp and Page Down) enables you to get the cursor to jump across larger sections
in a document.

3 Numeric keypad
The numeric keypad is the section of 'calculator' keys on the right-hand side of the keyboard. This
keypad is made up of the digits 0 to 9, an addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), division (/)
sign and a decimal point (.). It also has a NumLock key and an Enter key. The NumLock key must
be activated for the numerical keypad to work.

4 Function keys
The function keys, F1 to F12, are found on the very top row of the keyboard. Function keys are
used to perform certain functions such as: getting Help, refreshing a page, etc.

Note that the layout of a keyboard may differ a little from a desktop computer to a laptop computer.

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POSITIONING OF THE FINGERS
The picture below will guide you as to which finger is used to press a key on the keyboard.

To position your fingers over the keyboard, your left-hand fingers should be placed over the a, s, d and f
keys and your right-hand fingers should be placed over the ;, l, k, and j keys. Your thumbs should be
hovering over or lightly touching the spacebar.

https://za.pinterest.com/pin/486318459751965137/

ACTIVITY 2.1
1. Work in pairs. One learner must demonstrate the correct posture at a computer and the position of the
fingers on the home row of the keyboard.
2. The second learner must use this assessment sheet to tick and/or comment on his or her partner's
Figure 3 Finger positioning on the keyboard posture and
finger positioning.

Posture at a computer and finger positioning

Learner name Date
………………………………………………………….………. …………… Comment (optional)
Sitting up straight
Feet flat on the floor
Back against the chair
Body in line with G and H keys
Elbows in an L-shape
Neck and shoulders relaxed
Fingers curved over home row
Thumbs above/touching the spacebar
Eyes looking at the screen
Fingers correctly positioned on the home row
RATING Assessed by:

UNIT 2.2: MASTERING THE KEYBOARD - ALPHABETICAL KEYS

In this unit you will learn about touch typing or rather touch keyboarding. You will learn to master the
home row keys (a s d f ; l k j), the top row keys (q w e r t y u I o p) and the bottom row keys (z x c v b n
m, . / ) with the use of a typing tutor program and a word processing application and the guidance from
your teacher.

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TOUCH TYPING (TOUCH KEYBOARDING)
Most of us use computing devices every day of our lives. It is necessary to develop the skill of being
accurate and fast when using a computing device's keyboard. Typing without looking at the keyboard is
known as touch typing or nowadays, we refer to it as touch keyboarding. Touch keyboarding means that
you use all ten fingers when working with the keyboard. Each key on the keyboard is related to a specific
finger. It is important that you know which finger to use when pressing a letter on the keyboard.

Learning to keyboard can be difficult (and boring) at first but the more your practise the easier and faster it
will become.

TYPING TUTOR
A typing tutor is a program that teaches you how use the computer keyboard properly and how to touch
type. There are many different typing tutors available to help you master the keyboard quickly and
efficiently. You will do this by doing letter, sentence, paragraph drills, speed and accuracy tests and even by
playing games. Some typing tutors can be downloaded from the internet and used for free, while others
can only be used online while you have Internet connectivity.

Before we start learning to master the keyboard, it is important to know something about the following:
the cursor, the Enter key, the Spacebar and correcting errors and saving your work.

CURSOR
A cursor is an indicator (pointer) that you will see on the computer screen. The cursor could appear in
different forms. It can appear as a capital letter I (called an I-beam pointer) or sometimes it is an arrow or a
hand shape. The cursor is usually controlled by the mouse movement. It shows you what place (called the
insertion point) in the document that will be affected when you make a change or type something.

Figure 4 Different forms of the cursor

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/arrow-web-cursors-digital-hand-pointers-
1043768758

MOUSE
A computer mouse is an input device that is used with a computer. Moving a mouse along a flat surface can
move the cursor to different places on the screen. You can use the mouse to select items by pressing or
clicking the left mouse button. A mouse generally has a left and a right-hand button. It also has a scroll
wheel which you can use to move the cursor up and down the screen with.

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 You may use the mouse to position
your cursor on the screen to find the
point at which you want to insert a
letter or some text.

ENTER KEY
The Enter key is pressed with the right-hand pinkie finger and is used to get the program in which you are
typing to start typing on a new line. Generally, you do not have to insert an Enter at the end of a line as the
(word processing) program will automatically move the cursor (or text) to a new line when the text that you
are typing reaches the right-hand margin. This is called text wrapping. However, when you are learning to
keyboard you may need to press the Enter key to start each drill (practice) on a new line – this is done
mainly to give your work a neat appearance while keyboarding.

SPACEBAR
The spacebar is a wide horizontal key in the lowermost row of the keyboard (below the bottom row of the
alphabetical keys). The main purpose of the space bar is to enter a space or a space character between
letters and words when you are typing text.

CORRECTING ERRORS
Most of us will want to naturally correct our work when we make mistakes. However, when you are
learning to master the keyboard leave your mistakes and do not correct them. You need to see how many
errors you have made and later you also need to see how much you have improved!

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SAVING YOUR WORK
In a word processing application, you will save your work by selecting File and then Save As. Your teacher
will tell you where to save your work. Once you have saved your work you may select the Save button to
continue saving while you are working.

THE HOME ROW (A S D F ; L K J)

The row of keys with the letters a s d f ; l j is called the home row. To be able to touch type you need a starting
position which will be the home row. It should become second nature for your fingers to leave their home and
find or reach for another key and then to return home again. You must memorise the home key that each finger
rests on. You can only master the keyboard through constant repetition and practice. The positions of the home
row fingers are:

Figure 5 Finger positions on the home row keys

https://www.typing-

lessons.org/
lesson_1.html

You will notice that

as you place your
left hand fingers on the letters a, s, d, f and your right-hand
fingers on the ;, l, k, j keys that there are small raised
markers on the f and j keys. The purpose of these markers is
for you to feel the f and j keys beneath your index fingers
and for you to know that your fingers are correctly
positioned.

https://turbofuture.com/misc/How-to-Learn-Typing

Figure 6 Raised markers on the F and J keys

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GUIDED ACTIVITY 1
1. Use a word processing application.
2. Make sure you are sitting properly at your computer
3. Use the Finger positions chart to guide you.
4. Make sure that your fingers are correctly positioned.
5. Use the left pinkie finger to type the letter a
6. Press the letter a with the left pinkie finger and create a space by using the right thumb to press the
spacebar. Repeat 5x, then press Enter with the right pinkie finger.
a a a a a
7. Press the ; key with the right pinkie finger and create a space by using the right thumb to press the
spacebar. Repeat 5x, then press Enter with the right pinkie finger.
; ; ; ; ;
8. Type 5 sets of: a ; (for example: letter a, space ; key, space) then press Enter with the right pinkie
finger.
9. Type 5 sets of: aaa ;;; (three a's, space, three ;'s) then press Enter with the right pinkie finger.
10. Use the ring fingers and repeat steps 5, 6 and 7 for the letters or keys: a and l
11. Use the middle fingers and repeat steps 5, 6 and 7 for the letters or keys: d and k
12. Use the index fingers and repeat steps 5, 6 and 7 for the letters or keys: f and j
13. Use the index fingers to type 5 sets of the following: f fg fgf j jh jhj
14. Save your work as GAct1.

GUIDED ACTIVITY 2
1. Use a word processing application.
2. Practise the home row keys by typing each line as many times as you can.
asas ;l;l asas ;l;l asas ;l;l
adad ;k;k adad ;k;k adad ;k;k Try to get into a rhythm as you
afaf ;j;j afaf ;j;j afaf ;j;j type and say the keys out loud
afgf ;jhj afgf ;jhj afgf ;jhj or whisper them as you press
them.
sasa l;l; sasa l;l; sasa l;l;
sdsd lklk sdsd lklk sdsd lklk Sit properly.

sfsf ljlj sfsf ljlj sfsf ljlj Use the correct fingers.
sgsg lhlh sgsg lhlh sgsg lhlh
Do NOT look at the keyboard
dada j;j; dada j;j; dada j;j;
when you are typing!
dsds jljl dsds jljl dsds jljl
dfdf jkjk dfdf jkjk dfdf jkjk
dgdg jhjh dgdg jhjh dgdg jhjh

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 3. Use both hands to practise keyboarding by typing a line of each the following as many times as you can.
a;a; ;a;a alal lala adad kaka afaf jaja agag haha
s;s; ;s;s slsl lsls sksk ksks sjsj jsjs shsh hshs
d;d; ;d;d dldl ldld dkdk kdkd djdj jdjd dfdf hdhd
f;f; ;f;f flfl lflf fkfk kfkf fjfj jfjf fgfg hfhf

4. Type words with the home row keys. Type each line as many times as you can.
sad; dad; add; fad; lad; had; all; ask; lass; fall;
dads; adds; fads; lads; asks; falls; flask; alas;
ash lash slash gash dah flash shall hall gall glass
5. Save your work as GAct2.
6. If you can, print your practice and circle all your errors. If you unable to print, then use the
text highlighter to highlight your errors. The text highlighter can be found in the Font Group
in Word.
Figure 7 Text highlight colour button

ACTIVITY 2.2 [TYPING TUTOR ACTIVITY]

1. Your teacher will show you to access/load a typing tutor program.
2. Select the option to learn and practice the home row keys.
3. Do as many lessons and activities as you can to practise the home row keys.

Sit properly.

Use the correct fingers.

Do NOT look at the keyboard

when you are typing!

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THE TOP ROW (Q W E R T Y U I O P)
Now that you have mastered the home row, you are ready to learn the keys on top row of the keyboard.

Figure 8 Top row keys

https://www.typing-lessons.org/lesson_11.html

The first six letters of the top row are Q W E R T Y which is the name given to the standard keyboard, because of
the arrangement of the keys.

The top row keys are q, w, e, r, and t keys for the left hand and y, u, i, o, and p keys for the right hand.
 The left index finger will control the letters r and t
 The right index finger will control the letters y and u
 The left middle finger will control the i key
 The right middle finger will control the e key
 The left ring finger will control the w key
 The right ring finger will control the o key
 The left pinkie finger will control the q key
 The right pinkie finger will control p key

You will have to stretch a finger from its home row position to a top row key in order to press it and then you
must return that finger to its home row position, to improve your speed and accuracy.

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GUIDED ACTIVITY 3
1. Use a word processing application.
2. Practise the top row keys by typing each line as many times as you can.
juj frf juj frf juj frf juj frf
ded kik ded kik ded kik ded kik Remember to keep your
sws lol sws lol sws lol sws lol fingers in a curved position
slightly above the home
aqa ;p; aqa ;p; aqa ;p; aqa ;p;
row keys.
Use right-hand thumb to
3. Type words with the top row keys. press the spacebar!
equip equity erupt power poetry Press the Enter key with
pepper purity query quiet quite your right pinkie if you
need to.
quote repertoire route twitter tower
typewriter territory toupee wiper write

4. Type words with the home and top row keys.

kid red did rid fed riff sir ire ide use
hid gig lug lid ask ark aid ail jug age
fuse ruse lure dill file side kiss less
Type each line
jerk desk disk fail fake rake sake lake as many times
lids slid slide laid reads fare luge as you can!

slider shake shade gads gags sage slur

shares skids fuss gassed frill drill hags
kisses haggle kidder udder rudder
5. Save your work as GAct3.

ACTIVITY 2.3 [TYPING TUTOR ACTIVITY]

1. Use a typing tutor program.
2. Select the option to learn and practice the top row keys.
3. Do as many lessons and activities as you can to practise the top row keys.

Sit properly.

Use the correct fingers.

Do NOT look at the keyboard

when you are typing!

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THE BOTTOM ROW (Z X C V B N M , ./)
Now that you have mastered the home and top rows, you are ready to learn the bottom row keys.

Figure 9 Bottom row keys

https://www.typing-lessons.org/lesson_14.html

The bottom row keys are z, x, c, v, and b keys for the left hand and n, m, , and . keys for the right hand.
 The left index finger will control the letters v and b
 The right index finger will control the letter n and m
 The left middle finger will control the c key
 The right middle finger will control the , key
 The left ring finger will control the x key
 The right ring finger will control the . key
 The left pinkie finger will control the z key
 The right pinkie finger will control / key
You must stretch a finger from its home row to a bottom row key in order to press it and then you must
return that finger to its home row position, to improve your speed and accuracy.

GUIDED ACTIVITY 4
1. Work in a word processing application.
2. Practise the bottom row keys by typing each line as many times as you can.
fvf fbf fvbvf jnj jmj jnmnj
dcd k,k dcd k,k dcd k,k dcd k,k
sxs l.l sxs l.l sxs l.l sxs l.l
aza ;/; aza ;/; aza ;/; aza ;/;

3. Type words with the letter z

adz, jazz, zag, zags adz, jazz zag, zags

4. Type words with the letter c

caff, calf, calcs, call, cash, cask,
chad, chaff, chalk, clack, clash, class,
flack, hack, jack, jackal, jackass,
jacks, lack, sack, scald, shack, slack,

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 5. Type words with the letter v
halva, java, lava, valval, vas, vasal,

6. Type words with the letter b

abash, abba, baba, bad, bag, bald, balk,
ball, ballad, basal, bash, bask, bass,
blab, blah, dab, flab, gasbag, jab, lab,

7. Type words with the letter n

afghan, an, and, ankh, ankhs, dank, fan,
fang, flan, flank, gang, gangland, gland,
hand, hang, hank, land, landfall, nag,
nan, nasal, sand, sandal, sandglass,
sands, sang, sank, shank, slang, snag,

8. Type words with the letter m

alms, am, amass, dam, damask, ham, jam,
llama, mad, madam, mag, mall, mammal,
mass, mash, mask, slam, small, smash

9. Type the following words/phrases using all the keys

zebras are not exactly known for being
quiet animals.

you can make a lot of lemon zest with

even larger sized lemons;

six foxes quickly woke axel just in time.

he caught five jelly fish, six octopus

and two sea urchins for my buddy.

He/she would very likely just play along

for a while;
Did you keep your fingers in a curved position
10. Save your work as GAct4. slightly above the home row keys?
Did you use right-hand thumb to press the
spacebar?
Did you press the Enter key with your right pinkie
when you needed to?
Did you type without looking at the keyboard?

ACTIVITY 2.4 [TYPING TUTOR ACTIVITY]

1. Use a typing tutor program.
2. Select the option to learn and practice the bottom row keys.
3. Do as many lessons and activities as you can to practise the bottom row keys.

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UNIT 2.3: MASTERING THE KEYBOARD – OTHER KEYS AND NUMBER
KEYS
In this unit you will learn about the other keys and the number keys found on the computer keyboard

OTHER KEYS (SHIFT, CAPS LOCK, BACKSPACE, DELETE, TAB, CTRL+ALT+DELETE)

We have already learned to how use the Enter key and the Spacebar. Remember to keep your fingers in a
curved position slightly above the home row keys. Let's learn about the other keys on the keyboard.

SHIFT KEY
There are two shift keys on the keyboard; one to left and one to the
right side of the row below the home row.

The Shift key is called a modifier key that is used to type capital
letters. To type a capital letter, you need to hold down the Shift key
with the pinkie finger of one hand while you press a letter with one
of the fingers on the other hand. So, one hand hold the Shift key
while the other hand types.

When there are two characters on a key, pressing the key lets you
type the bottom character. To type the top character, you need to
hold down the Shift key while pressing the key.
Figure 10 The Shift, Caps Lock, Tab, Ctrl and Alt keys

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shift_key

CAPS LOCK
The Caps Lock key is used to type several consecutive capital letters. If you press the Caps Lock key once, all
the typing that you do thereafter switches to capital letters (also called upper case letters). If you press the
Caps Lock key again, the typing switches back to small letters (lower case). The Caps Lock light will be
switched on while you are in Caps Lock mode.

ACTIVITY 2.5 [TYPING TUTOR ACTIVITY]

1. Use a typing tutor and select the option to practise capital letters.
2. Do as many lessons and activities as you can to practise the bottom row keys.

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ACTIVITY 2.6
1. Work in a word processing application.
2. Type the following text to practise the capital letters.
WOW. Four Jacks And One Queen, I Win. Please Do Not Go Up
There Now. Zack Needs MORE Caramel Kettle Corn ASAP. Nobody
Even HAS Any Purple Vests. Xavier Let Seventy Yellow BEES
Into Our Cabin. YIKES. Good Lemons Are HARD To Pick. Do Not
Watch Karen; She Is VERY Nervous.

3. Save your work as Act2_6.

https://www.how-to-type.com/touch-typing-lessons/how-to-type-capitals/

BACKSPACE
The Backspace key deletes the character to the left of the
cursor. You can use the Backspace key to correct an error if you
see it while you are typing.

DELETE
The Delete key deletes the character to the right of the cursor.
So, you can use the Delete key in much the same way as you
would use the Backspace key.

Figure 11 Two ways to delete

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Computer-Poster-Backspace-VS-Delete-674576

TAB
The Tab key is used to align text so that it appears to be in a column.

Later, when you work with word processing tables you will use the Tab key to move the cursor to the next
cell (block) in the table.

CTRL + ALT, DELETE

You may find that sometimes an application 'hangs' or freezes and that you cannot continue using it. Press
the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys on the keyboard at the same time to open a menu from where you can choose
to restart the application. By using the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys you will be calling up the Task Manager, which
will then enable you shut down or restart an application.
The Ctrl+Alt+Delete command is common to the Windows operating system.

Figure 12 The Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys

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PAGE UP AND PAGE DOWN KEYS
When you press the Page Up key, the cursor will move one page up and
when you press the Page Down key, the cursor will move one page down.
(The number of lines that fit on the screen counts as one page.)

HOME AND END KEYS

When you press the Home key, the cursor will move to the beginning of the
row. When you press the End key, the cursor will move to the end of the
row.

ARROW KEYS
The arrow keys move the cursor one line up or down, or one space left or
right, depending on which arrow key you press. The arrow keys can also be
used for directional movements when you play computer games. Figure 13 The Cursor keypad

UNDO AND REDO BUTTONS

The UNDO and REDO buttons are very useful. The UNDO button removes any typing or formatting that you
did, and the REDO button will retype or insert what you removed.
The shortcut for the UNDO button is Ctrl+Z and the shortcut for the REDO button is Ctrl+Y.

PRINT SCREEN
The Print Screen key, often abbreviated as Prt Scr or Prt Sc, is a useful key found on most keyboards. When
you press the Print Screen key the computer (program) will send whatever images and text that are
currently on the display screen to memory, or to specified software or to a printer. Some graphics programs
use the Print Screen key to obtain screenshots, also called screengrabs or screen captures.

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ACTIVITY 2.7
1. Work in a word processing application.
2. Type in the following: =rand() [Alternatively, you can open the file called Activity 2_7]
3. Experiment with all the other keys (discussed in this section) to move around in the document, and to
move, delete and insert text, undo and redo, etc.
4. Take a screenshot of your work by using the Print Screen key and then paste (use Ctrl+V) it into the
document you are working in.
5. Save your work as Act2_7.

ACTIVITY 2.8 [TYPING TUTOR ACTIVITY]

1. Use a typing tutor program.
2. Select the option to type a 2 to 5-minute speed and accuracy test.
3. Do the test and record your speed and accuracy.

NUMBERS
Knowing how to type numbers is a very useful and rewarding keyboarding skill, especially if you do a lot of
work with numbers.
There are two sets of numbers on a typical keyboard:
 The numbers row at the top of the keyboard and
 the numeric keypad (also called the num pad or numbers pad) to the right of the keyboard.

Figure 14 Finger positions for numbers

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The number keys are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 are typed with the left hand and the numbers 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0 are typed
with the right hand.
 The left index finger will type the numbers 4 and 5
 The right index finger will type the numbers 6 and 7
 The left middle finger will type the number 3
 The right middle finger will type the number 8
 The left ring finger will type the number 2
 The right ring finger will type the number 9
 The left pinkie finger will type the number 1
 The right pinkie finger will type the number 0

GUIDED ACTIVITY 5
1. Work in a word processing application.
2. Practise the number row by typing each line as many times as you can.
aq1qa ;p0p; sw2ws lo9ol de3ed ki8ik fr5rf ju7uj frt6 jhy7
fr4rf fr45rf ju7uj juy6yj fr4rf fr45rf ju7uj juy6yj
aq11qa sw22ws de33ed fr44rf ju77uj ki88ik lo99ol ;0p0p;
a1a s2s d3d f4f fg5g ;0; l9l k8k j7j jh6h
3. Save your work as GAct5.

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ACTIVITY 2.9
1. Work in a word processing application.
2. Practise the number row by typing each line as many times as you can.

jjj jyj jy6 666 6 and 5 keys

fff ftf ft5 555
666 65 665 566 6655 665
6 backpacks 65 trains; 566 tickets; 656 stations

jjj juj ju7 777 4 and 7 keys

fff frf fr4 444
444 47 774 477 7744 447
4 desks; 74 chairs; 447 pillows; 7477 lounge chairs

kkk kik ki8 888

3 and 8 keys
ddd ded de3 333
333 38 338 883 8833 833
3 mosquitoes; 338 dolphins; 3883 chimpanzees

lll lol lo9 999

2 and 9 keys
sss sws sw2 222
222 29 229 299 9922 922
2 seals; 22 kittens; 292 porcupines; 9929 skunks

qaa aqa a1a 111

1 and 0 keys
;;; ;p; ;p0 000
111 10 100 011 0011 011
1 spider; 10 ducklings; 101 dalmations; 1000 dragonflies
3. Save your work as Act2_9.
Adapted from: https://thepracticetest.com/typing/lessons/

20
NUMERIC KEYPAD (NUM PAD) AND THE NUM LOCK KEY
The top row numbers are difficult to use for speed typing because the
distance between number row and the home row is far apart. For continuous
number work, it will be more beneficial to use the numerical pad (num pad).

Most keyboards also have a numerical keypad to the right-hand side of the
alphabetical keys. The Num Lock key (at the top left of the numeric keypad)
must be switched on before you can use the numeric keypad. On some
computers the Num Lock key is automatically switched on. You will have to
check and switch it on or off as you need to. This numeric keypad also has an
Enter key which has the same use as the Enter key on the alphabetical side of
the keyboard.
The numeric keypad is especially useful for people who input numbers on a
continuous basis.
When you are keyboarding for speed and accuracy it will be better to use the
alphabetical letters the numbers at the top of the keyboard as you will find it
much easier to stretch the home row fingers upwardly.

ACTIVITY 2.10 [TYPING TUTOR ACTIVITY]

Figure 15 Finger positions for the num
1. Use a typing tutor program. pad

2. Select the option to practise typing numbers.

3. Do as many lessons and activities as you can.

21
UNIT 2.4: MASTERING THE KEYBOARD – SPECIAL CHARACTERS AND
COMMON SHORTCUTS
In this unit you will be revising alphabetical and numerical keys. You will learn about the special characters and
punctuation marks. You will also learn about the common shortcuts to help you with your keyboarding
proficiency.

REVISE ALPHABETICAL AND NUMERICAL KEYS

You should do keyboard exercises every day or on a regular basis to improve your accuracy and build up your speed.
The best way would to be to use a typing tutor to practice typing alphabetical and number keys.

One of the most popular methods to remember the location of the keys is to create your own rhymes (called
mnemonics). For example, for A, S, D, F it could be All Said and Done Finally (home row – left hand).

ACTIVITY 2.11
Practise,
1. Use a word processing application.
practise,
2. Type the following mnemonic phrases:
practise,
 Select J, K, L - Just Keep Loving (Home row, right-hand)
and practise
 Q, W, E, R, T, Y (Top row, left-hand except the letter Y) some more!

 P, O, I, U, Y - Park Over In Upper Yard (Top row, right-hand)

 Z, X, C, V - Zoology eXercise Completed (Bottom row, left hand)

 M, N, B - Monika Never Bores (Bottom row, right-hand)

 G, H - Go Home (Home row, centre keys)

3. Try to create your own rhymes or mnemonics so that it becomes easier for you to remember the
location of the keys.
4. Type some more mnemonics created by a lady called Almena Jingle. Each sentence represents an
alphabet starting from the top towards the bottom. (from: AlmenaTyping.com.)
 Quiet Aunt Zelda (Left-hand pinkie finger)

 Want Something eXtra (Left-hand ring finger)

 Every Dollar Counts (Left-hand middle finger)

 Run From Vicky To Get Betty (Left-hand index finger)

 You Have Nothing Uncle Joe's Mad (Right-hand index finger)

 I'm King Comma (Right-hand middle finger)

 Over Longer Periods (Right-hand ring finger)

 Pretty (Left-hand pinkie finger)

Save your work as Act2_11.

https://turbofuture.com/misc/How-to-Learn-Typing

22
ACTIVITY 2.12 [TYPING TUTOR ACTIVITY]
Do keyboard
1. Use a typing tutor program. exercises on a
regular basis!
2. Select the option to practise alphabetical and numerical keys.
3. Do as many lessons and activities as you can.

PRACTICE SPEED AND ACCURACY KEYBOARDING

After you have mastered the keyboard, you must practise your speed and accuracy keyboarding skills as
often as possible. This can be done by doing regular speed and accuracy tests on a typing tutor program.

ACTIVITY 2.13 [TYPING TUTOR ACTIVITY]

Practise your speed and
1. Use a typing tutor program. accuracy as often as
2. Select the option to do a speed and accuracy test. possible!

3. You can select to do a 2 to 5 minute speed test.

4. Do as many speed and accuracy tests as you can.

23
SPECIAL CHARACTERS AND SYMBOLS
A special character is a character that is not an alphabetic or numeric character. Punctuation marks and
other symbols are examples of special characters.

Figure 16 Special characters and symbols on the keyboard

https://www.typing-lessons.org/lesson_25.html

Here is a list of special characters, symbols and punctuation marks on the keyboard and which fingers to
use when typing them.

! exclamation mark Use the A finger

@ at sign Use the S finger

# hash sign Use the D finger

$ dollar sign Use the F finger

% percentage sign Use the F finger

^ caret or circumflex Use the J finger

& ampersand or 'and' sign Use the J finger

* asterisk sign Use the K finger

( open bracket Use the L finger

) close bracket Use the ; finger

_ underscore Use the ; finger

< less than Use the K finger

> greater than Use the L finger

24
BASIC PUNCTUATION
Can you imagine a paragraph without any capital letters or fullstops? It would be unreadable.
A fulltop is also sometimes referred to as a period. Parentheses are brackets. This chart shows the basic
punctuation marks.

Figure 17
Basic

Punctuation marks

https://afribary.com/blog/850/15-rules-of-punctuation-and-how-to-use-them/

We follow the basic grammar rules for punctuation marks. When typing or keyboarding and when you
format text and paragraphs you should follow these basic rules:

 each new sentence starts with a capital letter

 leave one space between words in a sentence
 there is no space before punctuation marks, i.e. fullstop (.), comma (,), colon (:), semi-colon (;),
exclamation mark (!), question mark (?), etc.
 leave one space after all punctuation marks
 press the Enter key once to force the cursor/text onto the next line
 you can press Enter key twice to create an open line between paragraphs*

When you move on to using a word processing application for creating documents you will not need to
enter twice between paragraphs as you will learn about Paragraph settings!
ACTIVITY 2.14

25
 1. Work in a word processing application.
2. Practise the typing special characters by typing each line as many times as you can.

#4 hotdogs, 50% off, @ 1$ ea. for Jim & I

(*** w/o ketchup)!
I use CTRL^C 90% of the time
(and CTRL^X the other 10%.
I'm your #1 fan!
I'll have a #9 & a #5 & a #47.
That will be $20,847,817.92 (*** plus 5% tax!
Learn keyboarding, make $$$! Fact #417:
2^8 is 2^(2^2)*2^(2^2))!

3. Save your work as Act2_14.

ACTIVITY 2.15 [TYPING TUTOR ACTIVITY]

1. Use a typing tutor program.
2. Select the option to practise typing special characters.
3. Do as many lessons and activities as you can.

ACTIVITY 2.16 [TYPING TUTOR ACTIVITY]

1. Use a typing tutor program.
2. Select the option to practise typing speed and accuracy test
3. Do as many lessons and activities as you can.

26
COMMON SHORTCUTS
There are some useful shortcuts that will help you. These shortcuts are created by using Ctrl key together
another key. Hold down the Ctrl (control) key and press the other key, for example, Ctrl+B will enable you to
type in bold.

Ctrl + B bold

Ctrl + I italic

Ctrl + U underline

Ctrl + Z undo

Ctrl + Y redo

Ctrl + Enter page break/new page

Ctrl + C copy

Ctrl + X cut

Ctrl + V paste

Ctrl + A select all

Ctrl + P print

Ctrl + S save

Ctrl + N new

27
ACTIVITY 2.17 [TYPING TUTOR ACTIVITY]
1. Use a typing tutor program.
2. Select the option to practise typing speed and accuracy test.
3. Do as many activities as you can.

FUNCTION KEYS (F KEYS)

Figure 18 The Function keys on a keyboard

The function keys are found on the topmost row of the keyboard and are labelled as F1, F2, F3 to F12.
These keys act as shortcuts and perform certain functions such as saving files, printing or refreshing a page.
The function of these keys can differ by operating system and software application.

Some function keys that you may find useful are:

F1 often used for Help in many programs

F5 refresh a web page or Find and Replace in Word

F7 check spelling and grammar

F10 activates the menu bar in Microsoft Word

F12 mostly used for saving (as)

28
In many cases, the functions keys must be combined with the Shift, Ctrl or Alt keys for them to work in certain
applications.

Figure 19 Shortcuts for selecting text

Figure 20 Shortcuts for jumping through text

In Microsoft, characters that do not have a dedicated key may be entered by using the Alt code method.
This method uses a combination of keyboard keys.

There is an Alt Codes list available (on the internet) which will give you the shortcuts to special symbols.
You can use this list, especially when you want to use a special symbol that is not shown on the keyboard.

29
UNIT 2.5 CONSOLIDATION
In Unit 2.1 we learned about sitting correctly at the computer and about the keyboard. In Unit 2.2 we
learned about mastering the keyboard; namely, the alphabetical keys with the use of a word processing
application and a typing tutor. We learned to type speed and accuracy tests with a typing tutor. In Unit 2.3
we learned how to master the other keys on the keyboard and the number keys, including the use of the
numeric keypad. In Unit 2.4 we learned about the special characters on the keyboard and how to use the
common shortcuts to improve our speed when keyboarding. In this Unit 2.5 we will consolidate everything
so that we have the necessary keyboarding skills to complete a practical task.

LINKING KEYBOARDING TO COMPUTATIONAL THINKING

Computational thinking (CT) is a set of problem-solving methods that involve expressing problems and their
solutions in ways that a computer could execute.

Computational thinking can broadly be defined as a set of cognitive skills and problem-solving processes
that include (but are not limited to) the following characteristics:

 Using abstractions and pattern recognition to represent the problem in new and different ways

 Logically organising and analysing data

 Breaking the problem down into smaller parts

 Approaching the problem using programmatic thinking techniques such as iteration, symbolic
representation, and logical operations

 Reformulating the problem into a series of ordered steps (algorithmic thinking)

 Identifying, analysing, and implementing possible solutions with the goal of achieving the most
efficient and effective combination of steps and resources

 Generalizing this problem-solving process to a wide variety of problems

Adapted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computational_thinking

In this chapter on keyboarding skills you have already mastered or used some computational thinking skills
such as the characteristics that appear in bold text in the bulleted list above. For example:

You are now able to recognise keyboard patterns.

You can organise your keyboard skills in a logical way, that is, we started off with the home row keys and
then moved on to the top row and then the bottom row keys, etc.

The goal of learning to use the keyboard is to type accurately and with speed. You have learned to break
down this challenge (problem) into smaller parts and in the end, you have mastered the keyboard in a
logical and systematic way.

In Chapter 4 you will learn all about computational thinking but for now know that you are ready for the
challenge!

30
SPEED AND ACCURACY TEST
You should use a typing tutor program to do a formal speed and accuracy test during teaching time. A mark out
of 20 will be allocated for each 5-minute speed test as follows:

Component Mark
Speed 10
Accuracy 10
Total 20

The acceptable speed intervals for Grade 8 are 10 wpm, 15 wpm and 20 wpm.

Most good typing tutors would allow the you to select the duration of the speed test: i.e. 5 minutes. They
will give immediate results such as the Gross speed, the Accuracy % and the Net Speed.

It is a good idea to 'warm-up' by typing 1 and 2-minute drills or a 2-minute pre-test to before you do your
formal 5-minute speed test.

We will use the following table to allocate a mark out of 10 for the net Speed:

GRADE 8 GRADE 9
Net WPM Net WPM
Mark Mark
(Words per minute) (Words per minute)
20 or more wpm 10 30 or more wpm 10
19 wpm 9 29 wpm 9
17 to 18 wpm 8 27 to 28 wpm 8
15 to 16 wpm 7 25 to 26 wpm 7
13 to 14 wpm 6 23 to 24 wpm 6
11 to 12 wpm 5 21 to 22 wpm 5
10 wpm 4 20 wpm 4
Less than 10 wpm 0 Less than 20 wpm 0

The Accuracy mark out of 10 will be rounded up or down based on the Accuracy of the Gross speed, i.e.
81% will rounded down to a mark of 8/10 and 86% will be rounded up to mark of 9/10, etc.
EXAMPLE:

Figure 21 Results received from a typing tutor

31
According to the results above a Grade 8 learner would be allocated marks as follows:

Net Speed: 10/10

Accuracy: 8/10
Total: 18/20

We hope that you will receive a Certificates of Accomplishment for your speed and accuracy, and that you
add it to your portfolio, for example:

Figure 22 Example of a Certificate of Accomplishment

32