User's Manual

164
NEO
User Manual
K EYW ORDS SMARTA PPLET
KeyWords Resources for Teachers
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Teaching the Lesson
Explain to students that there are several basic practices that promote
successful keyboarding. These practices include sitting with the proper
posture, holding the wrists properly, striking the keys correctly, and returning
the fingers to the home row keys. The following steps guide you through the
lesson.
1. Use the Posture and Wrist Placement overhead transparency to show the
correct typing posture and wrist placement. Have students sit at their
desks with their NEOs and demonstrate the correct posture and wrist
placement. Monitor students, helping them make needed adjustments.
2. Use the Key Strike overhead transparency to explain how to strike the
keys. Have students demonstrate and practice striking the keys.
(Students can use AlphaWord Plus on their NEOs to practice striking
keys.) Monitor students, helping them make needed adjustments.
3. Use the Home Row Keys overhead transparency to show the home row
keys. Have students place their fingers on the home row keys and
practice typing A S D F and then J K L ;. Repeat several times until
students can strike the home row keys correctly.
4. Use the Finger Zones overhead transparency to show students the
keyboard zones for each finger. Have students practice striking another
key with one finger and then returning that finger to the home row key.
Practice with several fingers. Monitor students, helping them make
needed adjustments.
5. Show students how to strike the enter key and the space bar. The right
little finger strikes the enter key and then returns to the home row key.
Either thumb is used to strike the space bar. Have students practice
striking the enter key and the space bar and returning to the correct home
row key. Monitor students, helping them make needed adjustments.
6. Explain to students that pressing the enter key moves the cursor to the
beginning of the next line and that pressing the space bar inserts a space
between words.
7. Review the basics of sitting properly, using correct wrist placement,
striking the keys, and always returning to the home row keys.