Untitled

Touch Typing Course in QWERTY

Draft

Lesson 0

This lesson teaches you the hand position on the keyboard. If you know it already, and know what a home row is, and how you're suppose to move your fingers, you can proceed to Lesson 1 directly.

First, Some Terminology

• Finger numbering:
  • First finger is your index finger (one you point with);
  • Second is your middle finger, one you learn to use in driving school;
  • Third is the next finger, many can't remember how it's called, neither can I;
  • Forth is the pinkie, the little finger.
  • Finally, Thumb is, um, the thumb, the big finger. You know that one.
• The Home Row is the middle row of keys on the keyboard: asdf g h jkl;.
• Shift key is the one that lets you type capital letters while it's pressed.
• Caps Lock is the key that toggles capital and lowercase letters. Absolutely useless unless you read the note about the Control Key.
• Control key, though never used in this tutorial, it's the one marked with Ctrl, and is used to do some wacky computer-related stuff. Since programmers and computer typists use it a lot, and on PCs it is located in the most unfavorable position (that is, you can't reach it with your thumbs, and need to bend your wrist dangerously to punch it with your pinkie, and after doing it 1000 times a day it can really hurt!), I suggest to swap it with the Caps Lock key (which is useless otherwise, as I mentioned). Basically, the Control key must be where God (and SUN Microsystems) meant it to be: to the left and in the same row with `A'. However, I don't know how to swap it under Windows, and if you're a UNIX guy, you already know how to do it. I hope...

Hand Position

Now, get a keyboard... Already have one? Good. For the kicks, you can get a Microsoft Natural keyboard, the split kind. I find it about the only product this company actually has done right, and it's probably the best ergonomic keyboard out there, but I'm digressing...

Ok, now. Find the letters F and J and put your index fingers on them. Put the other fingers on the same row, one finger per key. You should end up with your left hand touching ASDF, and your right hand touching JKL; keys. Rub the F and J keys with your index fingers slightly. Feel the bumps on the keys? If not, try the keys under the second fingers (some Macintosh keyboards have bumps on D and K keys). These bumps are there to help you find this home position without having to look at the keyboard.

Your wrists must not rest anywhere, they should be held over the keyboard at a height of about half your fingers' length. You can, however, rest your elbows on your chair arms, if it has any. Curl your fingers so that they form the half-dome shape and meet the keys vertically. Right, like on the piano. Do you play piano? Well, never mind then. Keep your thumbs over the space bar. Both of them. They won't be used in touch typing other than for pressing the space bar. You can, however, use your thumbs to press the Alt keys, or even the `Microsoft' keys (on the PC104 keyboard), but that's out of the scope of this tutorial.

Your arms must be strictly parallel to the floor (and the table), and your wrists must be on the same line with your arms, not bent up, down, left or right. Exactly straight. Adjust your chair and table height to make it right. What, you can't? There, here's a nickel, go buy a better equipment. Since the distance between F and J is normally smaller than the distance between your elbows, it means your arms would come at an angle to the keyboard, but your fingers would want to be on the line perpendicular to your arms. Tell your fingers to bend over a bit and make up for the extra angle, do not bend your wrists outwards to compensate for it. This is not the most comfortable position, of course, but either get used to that, or buy a split keyboard (like the one mentioned above) that has the key rows at the appropriate angle.

The reason I'm insisting on this is ergonomics. It's a bit complicated, but I'll try to give a gist of it. Basically, the most natural position for your hands is in the middle of every liberty. Say, you can bend your wrist up 90 degrees, and down 90 degrees. This means that the most natural position is 0 degrees, or straight. Then, you can bend it left and right, say, about 45 degrees. Again, the most natural position is in the middle (again straight). And finally, you can rotate your wrists from your palm facing up, and to your palm down, so the most natural position would be with your palms facing each other... Oops, that's not a very comfortable position to type, and the keyboards are usually flat, so you're forced to keep a suboptimal position in this liberty. That's why `natural' keyboards are usually made convex, so that your palms would be closer to facing each other, and you would type on the slopes. (Now you know why split keyboards could be more comfortable!) The same goes for the fingers: you can straighten them, on one line with your palm (what, you can bend them upwards? Good for you, I can't), and you can clench them into a fist. So, the natural middle position is a half-dome-like shape (a quarter of a circle), with the tips of your fingers perpendicular to the palm line. That's where the position I described above comes from.

By the way, you do not have to sit with your wrists hanging in the air like that all day. You can rest your hands on the table while you're not typing. But when you're typing, don't give yourself a slack and keep your wrists up, just as I described. The pain from the wrong position will be much worse than the slight numbness in the arms at the end of a long week before the deadline. I learned it the hard way, believe me.

Hand and Finger Movement

And the last note, on how to move about the keyboard when you type. The idea is that you should always stay as close to the home position as you can. If you need to go up or down from the home row, move only one finger that needs to press that key, keep your wrist and the rest of the fingers where they are. If you are not using some finger for a few moments, it should eventually come back to its home position. This way you will know where to find each key without ever looking at the keyboard. And that's why it's called touch-typing -- you find the right keys by touch.

When you have to use the Shift key, use the one on the opposite side of the letter you are typing, and press it with your forth finger (pinkie). For instance, if you're typing Alice, the capital letter A is produced by pressing the A key with your left hand while pressing the right Shift key with your right hand. However, if you're typing Lobster, then L is pressed with your right hand and the Shift key with your left. Some people prefer to use the third finger instead of pinkie to press Shift, because pinkie is a weak finger and using it too often is hard. This is allowed, and is up to you which finger to use.

Final Words

The rest of the lessons will teach you which finger is responsible for which key (and you should never use any other finger on that key), and will give you some exercises that will help you learn the layout by heart. You will find out pretty soon that you can "see" the keys in your mind by touching them with fingers, and this mental picture would most likely be quite different from what you see on the keyboard. Remember, that this mental image is much more useful and precise than the real one. Therefore, looking at the keyboard will only confuse you. Don't ever look at the keyboard again until you complete this tutorial, except, maybe, for positioning your fingers on the home row before you start typing. But even that you soon should be able to do without looking down (remember the bumps?).

All right, so much for the introduction. Let's start typing! Do each exercise completely, no matter how boring it is, and better several times. Do not try to rush it, concentrate on typing it correctly rather than fast, learn the layout by heart, and never look at the keyboard. Always look at the monitor, on the text you type. In fact, I find it easier to look at the text you are reading, not the text that appears as you type. This way you are typing completely blindly, but believe me, it is easier for the beginning than anything else. Even looking at the keyboard would make it harder than the blind typing. This is how your mental vision of the keyboard develops. Check your position every once in a while, it is important that you learn to type the right way from the start.

Happy touch-typing!

Lesson 1

Introducing F and J: Home row, Index fingers

ffff jjjj ffff jjjj ffff jjjj ffff jjjj ffff jjjj ffff jjjj ffff jjjj
fjfj jfjf fjfj jfjf fjfj jfjf fjfj jfjf fjfj jfjf fjfj jfjf fjfj jfjf 

ffjj ffjj jjff jjff ffjj ffjj jjff jjff ffjj ffjj jjff jjff ffjj ffjj
ffjj ffjj jjff jjff ffjj ffjj jjff jjff ffjj ffjj jjff jjff ffjj ffjj

Lesson 2

Introducing D and K: Home row, Second fingers

dddd kkkk dddd kkkk dddd kkkk dddd kkkk dddd kkkk dddd kkkk dddd kkkk
dkdk dkdk dkdk dkdk dkdk dkdk dkdk dkdk dkdk dkdk dkdk dkdk dkdk dkdk

ddkk ddkk ddkk ddkk ddkk ddkk ddkk ddkk ddkk ddkk ddkk ddkk ddkk ddkk 
kkdd kkdd kkdd kkdd kkdd kkdd kkdd kkdd kkdd kkdd kkdd kkdd kkdd kkdd 

fdkj fdkj fdkj fdkj fdkj fdkj fdkj fdkj fdkj fdkj fdkj fdkj fdkj fdkj 
kfdj kfdj kfdj kfdj kfdj kfdj kfdj kfdj kfdj kfdj kfdj kfdj kfdj kfdj 

Lesson 3

Introducing S and L: Home row, Third fingers

ssss llll ssss llll ssss llll ssss llll ssss llll ssss llll ssss llll 
llll ssss llll ssss llll ssss llll ssss llll ssss llll ssss llll ssss 

sldk sldk sldk sldk sldk sldk sldk sldk sldk sldk sldk sldk sldk sldk 
fdkl fdkl fdkl fdkl fdkl fdkl fdkl fdkl fdkl fdkl fdkl fdkl fdkl fdkl 

sdflkj sdflkj sdflkj sdflkj sdflkj sdflkj sdflkj sdflkj sdflkj sdflkj 
jklfds jklfds jklfds jklfds jklfds jklfds jklfds jklfds jklfds jklfds 

Lesson 4

Introducing A and ";": Home row, Fourth fingers

aaaa ;;;; aaaa ;;;; aaaa ;;;; aaaa ;;;; aaaa ;;;; aaaa ;;;; aaaa ;;;; 
;;;; aaaa ;;;; aaaa ;;;; aaaa ;;;; aaaa ;;;; aaaa ;;;; aaaa ;;;; aaaa

AAAA :::: AAAA :::: AAAA :::: AAAA :::: AAAA :::: AAAA :::: AAAA :::: 
:::: AAAA :::: AAAA :::: AAAA :::: AAAA :::: AAAA :::: AAAA :::: AAAA 

all sad; all sad; all sad; all sad; all sad; all sad; all sad; all sad;
as sad as all; as sad as all; as sad as all; as sad as all; as sad as all;

Ask a sad FJ add all fads; Ask a sad FJ add all fads; Ask a sad FJ add all fads;

Lesson 5

Introducing G and H: Index finger stretching in the home row

gggg hhhh GGGG HHHH gggg hhhh GGGG HHHH gggg hhhh GGGG HHHH gggg hhhh GGGG HHHH
hhgg gghh hhgg gghh hhgg gghh hhgg gghh hhgg gghh hhgg gghh hhgg gghh 

dash dash dash dash dash dash  flash flash flash flash flash flash 
had had had had had had had    flag flag flag flag flag flag flag 
glass glass glass glass glass  half half half half half half half

Saga has half dash flash
All glass hall had glad flag
Galahad shall ask half fall half sad

Lesson 6

Introducing R and U: First fingers reaching up

rrrr uuuu rrrr uuuu rrrr uuuu rrrr uuuu rrrr uuuu rrrr uuuu rrrr uuuu
rrrr uuuu rrrr uuuu rrrr uuuu rrrr uuuu rrrr uuuu rrrr uuuu rrrr uuuu

fraud fraud fraud fraud fraud  grass grass grass grass grass
full full full full full full  guard guard guard guard guard 

dull hull dull hull dull hull dull hull dull hull dull hull
haul hard haul hard haul hard haul hard haul hard haul hard 

laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh sharks sharks sharks sharks sharks 

Ark As All Galahad Hall Hard Sahara SAGA as all add ask dark dull
dash drag dullards dull dug dusk flash fur fads far falls flags fraud
full flush glass grass glad guard hull hall hard haul had hulls has
half had jar laugh laggard rugs rush skulls sharks sulks sugar shall
sad usual us;

Lesson 7

Introducing E and I: Second fingers reaching up

eeee iiii eeee iiii eeee iiii eeee iiii eeee iiii eeee iiii eeee iiii 
eiei ieie eiei ieie eiei ieie eiei ieie eiei ieie eiei ieie eiei ieie 

Irish Is Lake Like Life League Rules Red Russia She SAGA SEAS SHE Side
Sea as all air asked agreed added are ask alike assailed age add
assure agile ahead aid affairs addressed al affair argue afraid did
died dead dark dreaded dressed dusk dragged dulled deal dug due dull
dear die dread dare dullards drag dreadful desire dared disregard
dress dislike desk dais disliked dash direful darker diffused desired
elder elders ere eggs edge easier else ear eager ease edged eddied
edges er ears ee eddies flush figure failed full free fire feed feels
far fresh fearful filled feel figures fed flesh fail feud failure fear
fled fair fur fired fell fared fresher flags fill felled fears flashed
frisked field freed falls fads false file girl guard glade glad girls
grass glide guide grudged guessed glass grease gig gilded guess grief
giraffe glue his he harassed her had heard half held higher heedless

herself has hues here hulls hers heads herald head hair hear hard
hurried high hedge hill hail hissed huge haul hailed heels heir
hurdles headed hall hull hills hired herded harder idea if is ideal
issued i ill ire ideas ills irregular jar jerked jigged jerk kiss kill
less ledger laid laurel like la laggard life laurels liked lie league
large larked leisure lurked lead led leg lies ladies laugh legs larger
leagues likes lashed lid read residue regard rules regular rule real
red rare rigged refuge rehearsed rushed regarded ride rush rehearsal
referred refuses rushes rides rid rifle rigid rifles raised raked rugs
regardless released refuse rulers rail she side shirk seek sides said
see safe sad shade seas sausages seal shrill sharks sea suffer shall
self sure sailed suffered sighed silk sees shake sell sugar sheer
sulks shades skilled shield surged slid shuffled share sails shared
shells sail sake saddle selfish series sua skilful shelf suede shed
shrieks use usage us used useless usual useful ushers

Lesson 8

Introducing W and O: Third fingers reaching up

All AS As Also Ark Did Does Edward For Folk Few George His Her He Head
Harold Here Hard High Heir Holder Hill How If Irish Jewish Lorrie Look
Lord Lords Lower Older Our Roger Rose Should Swiss Sea Swears Sorrow
Where We Woe Wish Was Who War Wake Will Wed also allowed asked awed
ask afford alike awoke aware allow assure agile aroused afforded ago
argue afraid awful adorers did died dogged dusk disorder dross dog
dear die drolleries dodge deflowered delirious desire dared disregard
dress doors door drew dollars draw direful does drawer darker desired
elder error easier ear edward eager for flush figure forwarded failed
free followed fire feed feels far few fellow fresh fearful filled feel
figures folk fed foolish forward forwards flesh farewell fail foresee
failure fear four fled fair fur fired flowers fell fared flowered foe
folds fresher flags fears flashed flowed frisked farewells forsook
field freed falls floor fool flow fads false file flower floods food

grew girl grow glorious go gods guard goddess glade glad girls goes
good grass glide glow glowed glorified guide gold grudged guessed
glass grease gig grog gilded guess grief goal giraffe glue his he
harassed her had heard half held higher hours heedless how hole
herself has highroad hold hues here hulls hers hero heads herald head
house horrors hour hair hear horrid hard hurried horse hollow high
hedge horses hoofs hoarse hill heroes houses hawsers hail hissed huge
haul hoards hailed heels heir hurdles haloed headed horde hall hull
housed hills hideous hired houseful howled herded harder idea if is
ideal issued i ill ire ideas ills irregular jar jerked joggled jigged
jerk jewelled jogged jealous jaws kiss kill less looked ledger lore
loss low laid laurel like la laggard life look laurels liked lie
league large larked leisure lurked lead led leg loose lies ladies loud
lower laugh legs lose looks loaded lawless larger leagues lolled likes
lashed lowered laws lords lid loll of or old oil our off order ordered

owed orders odd offered oh older odor roses read residue railroad
regard rules regular rule rose real red rare rigged religious refuge
road rehearsed rough rolled rushed regarded row ride rush rows roof
rehearsal referred roads refuses rushes rides rid rifle rigid rowed
rifles raised roofs raked rugs roar rode roll regardless released
refuse rulers rail showed she soda so slow side soared shirk swaggered
seek should sordid sides said soul show see safe sorrowed shadow sad
shade solid sailor seas sorrow shoulder sausages seal serious shrill
sore sharks sea suffer sole saw shall self sure swagger soldiers
sailed suffered sighed sord salors silk sees shake shook sell sugar
sheer sulks shades skilled swells souls shield sailors shoes surged
slid shuffled share sails shared shrouds shallow sold shells sail sake
sward swords sword saddle selfish series sua skilful shelf suede shed
souse shadows shrieks use usage us used useless usual useful ushers
world was will would where while were we whose wide wider wild
wriggled work weird whole who whirled well wedged word walk waddled
wished wish war whereas wore woodwork worked wise wailed words walls
walked wail worse wheels woke walled warders wagged wife wake wheeled
whirl waifs wads weak woods woe week wood welded

Lesson 9

Introducing Q and P: Fourth fingers reaching up

qqqq pppp qqqq pppp qqqq pppp qqqq pppp qqqq pppp qqqq pppp qqqq pppp 
qqqq pppp qqqq pppp qqqq pppp qqqq pppp qqqq pppp qqqq pppp qqqq pppp 

applaud aside allow applied awake ahead aware appeared depressed
equipped episodes passed prefer people pleased possess period paid
please pig prodded purpose pile pride prepared purged popped peered
peeped poor pigs powder pearls palsied pale padded power proper pulled
puddles perhaps park pursed pause paper perilous paraded parks
pleasures preferred pursued pallid prodigal pledges papers pull
proffered powers passes phrase purple poised prelude possessed puff
password propped pages page pair piled pushed porpoises pressed peal
pored pipe proud paws prop polished poured pleasure paused persuaded
popular prefers possessor purposeful pillow paw prosperous paragraphed
prepare peoples pails progress quarrelled querulous qualified quaffed
quelled

world was his  world was his  world was his  world was his  
he would grow up he would grow up he would grow up he would grow up 

Walls were as of Jasper; Walls were as of Jasper; Walls were as of Jasper; 
She was also where she was; She was also where she was;

A good rose is afraid of dusk; A good rose is afraid of dusk; 

Here was fire: real fire;  Here was fire: real fire;  Here was fire: real fire;

Lesson 10

Introducing T and Y: Index fingers stretching up

tttt yyyy TTTT YYYY tttt yyyy TTTT YYYY tttt yyyy TTTT YYYY tttt yyyy TTTT YYYY
tttt yyyy TTTT YYYY tttt yyyy TTTT YYYY tttt yyyy TTTT YYYY tttt yyyy TTTT YYYY

Days Delight Departure Daily Deepest East Estates Esther Farther Few
First Fate at art already after attitude always away appropriate
apology austerity awfully adjust afterward delightful daily dragged
dreary detested drifted desperate deep dirty dressy dusty either eat
efforts edward earthly ethereal easy episodes etiquette equal eagerly
ease edged eddied equipped edges eight elderly effort equally fairly
fluttered flap forth fellow future fate fellows felt fresh forest flat
feature fought fighter foe fidgets feast frosty firelight falter
flutter fitfully file filtered furiously forty farther faith great
grow gleefully glorious greatly get guard got goddess gaudy grateful
gratitude gorgeously ghastly gift guest greatest graduate greeted
height he heartily house horrors hope helped healthily hour holy hated
hat highest hopped hair hate hoots hear horrid hurriedly hard hurried
heart hastily hostilities hypotheses hideous host hallways irritated

justify jar jerked joys jolly kept kilted key kettles latest last
lightly leap litres least late left large larked lets light latter
literary lusty laughter laugh leather literature lots lose lost looks
latitudes lately lawyer oddities ought outweighs odd opposed outward
outstrode otherwise offered outsides oh oppressed outer posture pretty
paltry purged pyre pet pots postage persisted past pulled put
protruded protested protest pirated politely poetry paths progress
quietly quality quarter querulous quarrelled rightly rules rarely
regret retreated rattle rehearsed rough repertory railway rapidly
retired result ready reality report retreat restored sort should slot
straight study set spiritual skirts stout soul show short slightly
store slowly sat stepped shout spirit shouted spatter stairs sailor
sister sorrow steeply saw strike shall starred shelter shot streaky

straw solitary stale squirted stellar sweet seated stay swift strife
shut shoes stare surged staggered stiff shuffled struggled square
share sheltered steward stealthily speedily supply strikes stroll
spiky swiftly squarely solidly splatter skylight sweat the that taste
thirty through two to these talk tutelage those this took tutored top
their tidy total there told tears tattered trapped turkeys throughout
trappers they therefore teas tell turf towards toys true talked till
trudged thought terror trapper thoroughly tattooed terse thus too
thoughts take truly title treated trestles tristful tardy trotted
thoughtful though tooth tug takes together tried thither toss tasted
thereto thirsted throw three type trousers tugs thrill titular
threshold tarried toiled thrilled twists tiles tree taught tie twist
throws telegraph theatre upholstered usual upped useful utterly ugly
without wrestle way work writer weird whole white wait wits weighted
write water wheels whither woke whistle worthy weather youth year you
yet yard your yesterday yell youths yellow yourself yelled

Lesson 11

Introducing V and M: Index fingers reaching down

vvvv mmmm vvvv mmmm vvvv mmmm vvvv mmmm vvvv mmmm vvvv mmmm vvvv mmmm 
vvvv mmmm vvvv mmmm vvvv mmmm vvvv mmmm vvvv mmmm vvvv mmmm vvvv mmmm 

armfuls assume approved armed army am avoided aims admitted aggressive
armour average admired admit approve arrival amidst adversary arm
homes hamper homewards humped hum hove heavily heavy helmet humdrum
hammered humorous items imperious import imperative imperial
imperiously image impelled impassive immediately immured immediate
impressed item impressive jump jurymast jams jumped jam jumps jammed
level loathsome leaves lived live lives leave love livelier lump
levies limitless limited loved lamps mother made met more must
measured married mortuary most matter might mottoes moved my mere
myself moreover memory moles may moist meet move mist moves misery
mothers madly meekly marks merit mark merits military motley modelled
overlooked overlook ourselves overhead overpower overtook private

previous protoplasm permitted provides palaver preserved promised
plover perversely removed reserved resumed revise revealed revelry
reverted relieved ramp remarks reversed rammed revel rumored rove
rooms some small several smiled similar same simply seemed stamped
surmised served stem somewhat smoke system shoved saved sympathy
stimulated sieves somersaults swarm slavery seemliest storm streams
smelled smiles smells shame tiresome time tempered travel them times
temporarily travelled timorously term themselves travellers tempest
timeless tame tramp topmasts trampled triumph timidity tram temper
twelve ultimate utmost uttermost versed volume vague vessels visit
very view vast village vowed various vow visitor visited varied
vigorous visits virility vilely waver whatever whom worms warm whims
wavered wavy waved waves wolves yams

Grew wealthy at thirty through the death of two elder
that the world was his
his height of just five feet
She had her youth passed with glory
the latest gossip of the Older Families;
the last of those days;
Amory was five he was already a delightful fellow;
the top of a tree with mortuary attitudes;
departure of his father from hell
Several days after their lawyers for the first time attempted to forward it
The dispersal of the rest was rather the right side of the ledger

Lesson 12

Introducing C and ,: Second fingers reaching down

cccc ,,,, CCCC <<<< cccc ,,,, CCCC <<<< cccc ,,,, CCCC <<<< cccc ,,,, CCCC <<<< 
cccc ,,,, CCCC <<<< cccc ,,,, CCCC <<<< cccc ,,,, CCCC <<<< cccc ,,,, CCCC <<<< 

aspects athletic, aristocratic; attractive artificial aristocratic
armchairs, accepted affected arithmetical approaches acquiesces
acolyte arithmetic, artistic actual advocated cavalier cocktails
careless, cards car crush city crutches; couples coat; clatter court
calm city, cottages coat, colds clock; coat certificate cottage,
delicately, difficult decks discovered diplomatic deceive deck
ecstatic escape escaped emaciated especial, ethics, effect electricity
fierce, fierce: face, fact flicker fresco fleckless forces forces,
graceful hypocritical hockey historical haystack hatchways, hatched

haversack, heroic historic hatchet heartsick illicit idiotic justice,
justice kick kicked, kicked lilac locust lectures, locomotive,
luckless licked; lick locked locker lockers lacked local lock locks,
musical moustached music, misplaced much; mice mischievously
occur, occupied, orchards officially, ostrich, orifice, occurred
perceive, pieced philosophical prejudices, preface, politically
recurred replaced rescued resourceful reproach receded, rascals race,
secure scallops schoolhouse stock scholars scrawl, staircase, scruple
tactics, tickled teaches traces, traces tracks tracks, truck terrific,
victory vicious voice voice, witchery welcome woodpecker watched
woodcut wrecks watches, watches which, wach welcomed whichever

Guide was all that fell to my share, while poor Harold
had to take the haversack;

All the Christmas this, to us, stood for artistic characters;
The house afforded a few of the other equal pictures;
Although the characters had a stupid way, they lacked dramatic frame;

It seemed fair, especially to Edward, who promptly proceeded to the
delicate spotless other side;

Harold eagerly put his claim that let him show it to people; 

This left the picture allotted, with the two or three more who peeped
or perched the figures with a drollery;

Lesson 13

Introducing X and .: Third fingers reaching down

xxxx .... XXXX >>>> xxxx .... XXXX >>>> xxxx .... XXXX >>>> 
xxxx .... XXXX >>>> xxxx .... XXXX >>>> xxxx .... XXXX >>>> 

Amory took from his mother every trait, except a few, that made him
worth while.  His father grew wealthy at thirty through the death of
two elder relatives.

There was that sort of flicker over him that you see over our chalk roads.

I always said it must have some time, ought to have, you tell me it
has got half as much.

Rules always come right if you wait quietly.

He strolled up the chalky track that led to his cave. The view from
that cave was all right.

Footsteps approached with a happy regularity, he could hear them.

For the daughter of the wealthy guy, she showed the exquisite
delicacy of her features, the art of simplicity of her clothes.

Lesson 14

Introducing Z and /(?): Fourth fingers reaching down

zzzz ZZZZ //// ???? zzzz ZZZZ //// ???? zzzz ZZZZ //// ???? 
zzzz ZZZZ //// ???? zzzz ZZZZ //// ???? zzzz ZZZZ //// ???? 

Dead? asked Harold, slightly puzzled.
He realized that his fate was sealed.
Puzzled to classify it;
Gaze at me through this very solid zigzag.

As I had expected, a clod, of the first class for size, took my poor
hat full of dirt.

The dizzy wheels on latest craze;
He realized that they referred to that very drizzle.

The elephant squeezed the the dusky twilight of her gauze with a yard
of his muzzle.  Eliza dressed up hollowly gracious to him.  a maze of
colour, with small figures everywhere.  Soldiers puzzled, then
apologized lazily.

Lesson 15

Introducing B and N: Index fingers stretching down

bbbb nnnn BBBB NNNN bbbb nnnn BBBB NNNN bbbb nnnn BBBB NNNN bbbb nnnn BBBB NNNN
bbbb nnnn BBBB NNNN bbbb nnnn BBBB NNNN bbbb nnnn BBBB NNNN bbbb nnnn BBBB NNNN

Margaret had taught in this schoolroom for nearly four years now, ever
since her seventeenth birthday, and she knew every feature of the big
bare room by heart, and every detail of the length of village street
that the high, uncurtained windows commanded. She had stood at this
window in all weathers: when locust and lilac made even ugly little
Weston enchanting, and all the windows were open to floods of sweet
spring air; when tie dry heat of autumn burned over the world; when
the common little houses and barns, and the bare trees, lay dazzling
and transfigured under the first snowfall, and the wood crackled in
the schoolroom stove; and when, as to-day, midwinter rains swept
drearily past the windows, and the children must have the lights
lighted for their writing lesson. She was tired of it all, with an
utter and hopeless weariness. Tired of the bells, and the whispering,
and the shuffling feet, of the books that smelled of pencil-dust and
ink and little dusty fingers; tired of the blackboards, cleaned in
great irregular scallops by small and zealous arms; of the
clear-ticking big clock; of little girls who sulked, and little girls
who cried after hours in the hall because they had lost their lunch
baskets or their overshoes, and little girls who had colds in their
heads, and no handkerchiefs. Looking out into the gray day and the
rain, Margaret said to herself that she was sick of it all!

Lesson 16

Comprehensive

Sorrow lay lightly around her, and when Amory found her in
Philadelphia he thought her steely blue eyes held only happiness; a
latent strength, a realism, was brought to its fullest development by
the facts that she was compelled to face. She was alone in the world,
with two small children, little money, and, worst of all, a host of
friends. He saw her that winter in Philadelphia entertaining a
houseful of men for an evening, when he knew she had not a servant in
He saw one of the greatest libertines in that city, a man who was
habitually drunk and notorious at home and abroad, sitting opposite
innocent excitement. What a twist Clara had to her mind! She could
make fascinating and almost brilliant conversation out of the thinnest
air that ever floated through a drawing-room.

A calm virility and a dreamy humor, marked contrasts to her
level-headedness into these moods she slipped sometimes as a
refuge. She could do the most prosy things (though she was wise enough
never to stultify herself with such "household arts" as knitting and
embroidery), yet immediately afterward pick up a book and let her
imagination rove as a formless cloud with the wind. Deepest of all in
her personality was the golden radiance that she diffused around her.
As an open fire in a dark room throws romance and pathos into the
quiet faces at its edge, so she cast her lights and shadows around the
rooms that held her, until she made of her prosy old uncle a man of
quaint and meditative charm, metamorphosed the stray telegraph boy
into a Puck-like creature of delightful originality. At first this
quality of hers somehow irritated Amory. He considered his own
uniqueness sufficient, and it rather embarrassed him when she tried to
read new interests into him for the benefit of what other adorers were
present. He felt as if a polite but insistent stage-manager were
attempting to make him give a new interpretation of a part he had
conned for years.

Over the river men were at work with spades and sieves on the sandy
foreshore, and on the river was a boat, also diligently employed for
some mysterious end. An electric tram came rushing underneath the
window. No one was inside it, except one tourist; but its platforms
were overflowing with Italians, who preferred to stand. Children tried
to hang on behind, and the conductor, with no malice, spat in their
faces to make them let go. Then soldiers appeared -- good-looking,
undersized men -- wearing each a knapsack covered with mangy fur, and
a great-coat which had been cut for some larger soldier. Beside them
walked officers, looking foolish and fierce, and before them went
little boys, turning somersaults in time with the band. The tramcar
became entangled in their ranks, and moved on painfully, like a
caterpillar in a swarm of ants. One of the little boys fell down, and
some white bullocks came out of an archway. Indeed, if it had not been
for the good advice of an old man who was selling button-hooks, the
road might never have got clear.