Suzanne has taught all levels PK-graduate school and has a PhD in Instructional Systems Design. She currently teachers literacy courses to preservice and inservice teachers.
You can learn to type faster if you learn to type correctly. Many people use one finger to find the keys they need to press, but this takes a long time. Typing this way is called 'hunt and peck' typing because your finger looks like a chicken hunting for food--it finds a piece of food, pecks at it, then wanders around looking for the next piece. To type quickly, learn to use all your fingers when you type.
Almost all keyboards have the letters and symbols in the same places. Why aren't the letters in alphabetical order? To answer this question, let's look at the invention of the QWERTY keyboard.
Before computers, we used typewriters. The first typewriters were used in the U.S. almost 150 years ago! Some people still use typewriters, but they're becoming rare.
 |
At first, the letters were in alphabetical order, but people found this layout limited how fast they could type. So, inventors thought about which letters were used most often and in what order. About ten years later, the QWERTY keyboard was developed and has been used ever since.
If you look at a keyboard, you'll see that the first six keys on the top left row of letters are in this order: Q W E R T Y. That's where the name comes from.
To learn to type without looking at the keys, you need to learn where to put your fingers. First, find the home row of keys, which are the keys you rest your fingers on when you're not using them. Put the index finger of your left hand on the letter F on the keyboard. Put the index finger of your right hand on the letter J. Many keyboards have a bump or a ridge on those two keys to help you find them quickly without looking!
 |
Once your index fingers are in place, put the rest of your fingers on the keys in that same row. The fingers of your left hand will be on the A, S, D and F keys, and the fingers on your right hand will be on the J, K, L, and ; keys. This is the home row of the QWERTY keyboard.
In the colored QWERTY keyboard image, the home row letters are circled. So what do you do with your thumbs? They will be used to press the space bar, which is the longest key in the bottom row. It is used to put a space between words. You can use either your right or left thumb to hit the space bar.
 |
To type the other letters, stretch your fingers to reach the keys that are closest to them. Look at the colored keyboard image again. Do you see that Y, U, H, J, N, M, and the numbers 6 and 7 are all pink? That means those letters should all be pressed with the same finger--your right index finger. The letters in red should all be pressed by your left index finger. The index fingers are used to press the most keys because they are the strongest fingers.
Practice keyboarding by putting your fingers on the home row and then hitting the keys that belong to each finger. Once you get used to where the keys are on the keyboard, you will be able to type without looking!
To type correctly, learn where the letters and symbols are on the keyboard. Start by putting your fingers on the home row of the keyboard and then practice until you know which keys should be pressed by which fingers. The QWERTY keyboard has the keys arranged so that you can type quickly.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Already a member? Log In
BackAlready registered? Log in here for access
Did you know… We have over 200 college courses that prepare you to earn credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. You can test out of the first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. Anyone can earn credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level.
To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page
Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Study.com has thousands of articles about every imaginable degree, area of study and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you.
Back To Course
Career, Life, & Technical Skills Lesson Plans6 chapters | 165 lessons
{{courseNav.course.topics.length}} chapters | {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons | {{course.flashcardSetCount}} flashcard set{{course.flashcardSetCoun > 1 ? 's' : ''}}
Your Cart is Empty. Please Choose a Product.
Watch 5 minute video clips, get step by step explanations, take practice quizzes and tests to master any topic.
Study.com has a library of 550,000 questions and answers for covering your toughest textbook problems
I love the way expert tutors clearly explains the answers to my homework questions. Keep up the good work!
- Maritess, College StudentStudy.com video lessons have helped over 30 million students.
"I learned more in 10 minutes than 1 month of chemistry classes"
- Ashlee P.
"I learned more in 10 minutes than 1 month of chemistry classes"
- Ashlee P.
"I aced the CLEP exam and earned 3 college credits!"
- Clair S.
Over 65 million users have prepared for {{displayNameByProductKey[registrationData.product || testPrepCocoon]}} and other exams on Study.com
"The videos have changed the way I teach! The videos on Study.com accomplish in 5 minutes what would take me an entire class."
- Chris F.
Over 65 million users have prepared for {{displayNameByProductKey[registrationData.product || testPrepCocoon]}} and other exams on Study.com
Over 65 million users have prepared for {{displayNameByProductKey[registrationData.product || testPrepCocoon]}} and other exams on Study.com
