JSS 1 First Term

Learning Objectives

• Locate the main parts of a keyboard.
• Type using correct finger position on the home row.
• Use the Shift, Enter, Spacebar, Backspace and Caps Lock keys.
• Type a short passage at an improving speed and accuracy.

Parts of the Keyboard

The keyboard has four main areas. The function keys across the top carry the letters F1 to F12. The number row holds the digits and the symbols above them. The typing area holds the letters. The numeric keypad on the right holds numbers, usually for quick data entry.

The control keys are used while typing. Shift types a capital letter or an upper symbol. Caps Lock keeps capitals on for the next letters. Enter moves to a new line. Backspace deletes the character before the cursor. Spacebar inserts a space.

Wrist rest means a support that keeps the wrists level while typing.

Finger Position

Correct speed comes from touch typing. Each finger is assigned fixed keys. The left little finger covers Q, A, Z and Tab. The left ring finger covers W, S, X. The left middle finger covers E, D, C. The left index finger covers R, T, F, G, V and B. The right index finger covers Y, U, H, J, N and M. The right middle finger covers I, K and the comma. The right ring finger covers O, L and the full stop. The right little finger covers P, the semicolon, the quotation marks and Enter.

The home row is the resting position for all fingers. It is the row containing A, S, D, F, J, K, L. Keeping the fingers on the home row makes it easy to find every key without looking down.

Typing Practice and Accuracy

Speed without accuracy is of little use. A learner who types forty words a minute with many errors has not improved much. The target for this term is fifteen words a minute with at least eighty per cent accuracy.

Practise in short daily sessions of ten to fifteen minutes. Sit upright, keep the wrists off the desk, and look at the screen rather than the keyboard. Accuracy first, then speed.

Word per minute means the measure of typing speed.

Correct Posture

Sit with the back supported by the chair, feet flat on the floor, and the screen about one arm length away. The top of the monitor should be at or slightly below eye level. Poor posture during typing causes neck, shoulder and wrist pain over time.

The Keyboard Layout

The keys on a keyboard are arranged in a layout. The most common is the QWERTY layout, named after the first six letters on the top row of letters, and it is the standard in Nigeria and most English speaking countries.

Keeping the fingers on the home row lets a typist find every key without looking. Accuracy matters more than speed, because a fast typist who makes many errors still produces poor work.

Practical Work

1. Identify ten named keys on a printed keyboard layout within two minutes.
2. Type the home row letters fifty times each and check your accuracy.
3. Type a thirty word passage and record your words per minute and accuracy.
4. Type a short letter using capitals, full stops and paragraph breaks without using the mouse.
5. Practise for fifteen minutes a day for the rest of the term and keep a progress chart.

Scenario-Based Questions

1. Your Caps Lock is on and your name appears in capital letters in an assignment. Explain how to correct it.
2. A learner types fast but loses marks because of spelling errors. Explain what the learner should work on first.
3. Write the letters of the word COMPUTER and name the finger used for each letter.
4. Explain why the home row position is important for touch typing.
5. Describe the correct sitting position for using a computer, giving four points.
6. A pupil types a long paragraph but cannot correct a mistake in the middle of it. Explain which keys solve the problem.
7. Explain how the Backspace key differs from the Delete key when correcting typing errors.