Many schools feature typing or keyboarding classes. In the event that the Express Key system begins to replace the QWERTY keyboard on a wider scale, I have designed a Speed Typing Course to be used in schools. This Course would also be useful to individuals who wish to accelerate their progress by working in a systematic way. This Course is designed to make learning to use all the features of the Express Keys both enjoyable and gratifying.
Learning by “Pattern Practice”
In the Beginning Course (one semester at a middle school), students can learn to Speed Type the 1025 most frequently used root words in the English language as well as two dozen of the most frequently used prefixes and suffixes.
In the Intermediate Course, students can learn to Speed Type 2000 additional words. By the end of this Course, many students will be able to type nearly all the words they regularly use in e-mails and daily conversations at speeds exceeding 100 words per minute. Plus, they will be able to quickly recognize the patterns of which other words are composed.
In both levels of the course, students will learn to Speed Type using the technique of Pattern Practice. A beginning typist thinks of one letter at a time and makes a separate finger movement to type each letter, but an experienced typist thinks of a word as a whole and types the letters of word with a single fluid gesture. The experienced typist comprehends words as made of recurring patterns or groups of letters, so he or she can type these patterns quickly.
The Express Keys Speed Typing Course is designed to quickly develop the user’s ability to recognize and type the common Letter Patterns (such as “ation” and “pre”) and type them in a single motion, much like a pianist plays a chord. When a user thinks of a word, his hands will instantly make the hand shape that corresponds to that word.
In the Beginning Course, the 1025 most commonly used root words are learned in about 90 Letter Pattern Groups. Some of these Groups are ATION, AIN, LY, YOU, N’T, ET, and ING. The Group YOU, for example, is comprised of the following words:
you your young you’re you’ll you’ve you’d youth yourself
The first Letter Group in the Beginning Course is the THE group. The student first learns to type the word “the,” then learns to type then, them, they, there, their, and other common words that have T, H, and E in them. In this way, the Pattern THE is repeated many times while simultaneously being varied. As a result, the student quickly learns to type this pattern of letters with a single motion, just as a master typist does, simply because the Pattern is repeated so many times. Yet, at the same time, there is enough variation to keep the student’s interest level high. Learning requires both repetition (reinforcement) and novelty (variation).
Learning by Typing Meaningful Sentences
The student learns the words in each group by typing complete, meaningful sentences rather than meaningless strings of letters such as JJJJ and FFFF, as in the common practice with QWERTY keyboard courses. For example, in the very first lesson, the student types: “Then they fly there.” Every sentence in the Course is one that someone might actually type. As a result, students are not merely typing—they are communicating. This makes the Course relevant and accelerates learning and retention. To give a more detailed example of how this works, the words in the THE Letter Group include these words:
the them then they
these those their
heat hate hotel
Students are encouraged to invent their own sentences that use these words. Sentences are also provided for each Letter Group that incorporate basic short words learned previously in the Course.
Then they go there.
Then they fly there.
There? Their hotel?
They hate the heat.
Those or these?
Then it’s those.
The beginning student types each short sentences a number of times until it flows at about the rate of 100 words a minute. Though quite fast for QWERTY users, this is still relatively slow for Express Keys—not even half the speed of what many users will be able to do.
Each day, students move ahead to the next Letter Pattern group while also reviewing the work of the previous two days. As a result, they type the same groups of sentences three days in a row.
Below is a list of the 1025 words in the Beginning Course, arranged by Letter Pattern Groups. All the words that use the THE key and its various Letter Patterns (THE, HE, TH, and so on) are first, then the ION key and its patterns (ON, IN, ION), and then the remaining six Finger Keys, in turn.
The words in each Letter Pattern Group include the anagrams in that group. So, for example, in the OWN group, the student learns to type “own,” “won,” and “now” at the same time: “I won it, so I own it now.” When a student learns anagrams in this manner, he is sure to strike the first letter of a word a split second before the others, ensuring that the Operating System converts anagram accurately.
Different Courses for Different Groups
I foresee that there will be different Typing Courses for different groups of people, courses that use the same structure and approach discussed here but feature different sentences. For example, there could be an approach for kids featuring Dr. Suessian sentences such as: “Don’t let the wet pet in the jet!” There could be Courses customized for teenagers, adults, business people, and so on. The guiding idea is to make the learning experience enjoyable, meaningful, and gratifying.
Another Benefit of This Approach
The Express Keys Speed Typing Course offers another benefit besides the ability to quickly learn how to Speed Type the most frequently used words. A person learns to spell correctly. For example, most of us have a hard time remembering whether a word such as apologize ends with “ise” or an “ize.” However, a student will type such sentences as “I apologize for the size of the prize” when working in the IZE Letter Group. When typing the ISE group, they may type: “Surprise! He advised less exercise.” The patterns of English spelling become especially clear when mutually reinforced like this, and good spelling boils down to remembering letter patterns.
Of course, the primary reason people will become good spellers is because they are enjoying the writing experience. The Express Keys were invented primarily to make the acting of typing interesting, efficient, and enjoyable.
Beginning Typing Course (1025 Root Words Plus Suffixes and Prefixes)
Short Basic Words
the be me we he she see red
a as am an at all are fat had
I in is it if I’m I’d I’ll ill will
big did hi
on no go or so of off do odd to too for
us up but cut put
by my fly
THE Key
THE
(the) they them then these those their
earth heart teach cheat hate heat hotel white
THE RE & ETH ER
there there’d they’re
either neither together weather whether theater
THER
other another mother bother brother rather father further three
ET & TE
bet get let let’s met net pet set wet yet
tell ten step
TH
this that that’s than math path both with hot
HE
(he) (she) he’d he’ll he’s her
head ahead heal heavy held hello here hey help
HI
him his hit
ION Key
ION
income info iron lion noise notice coin join
point billion million religion
IN
(in) into thin win dinner
INE
fine line mine nine imagine
ON & NO
only onto son not north
OON
moon noon soon
ONE
alone done gone none one once stone phone
TO & OT
(to) ton two lot foot bottom
OTE
note quote vote wrote
ITE
invite quiet quite website write diet
N’T
didn’t doesn’t don’t hadn’t isn’t
ENT & TEN
went rent sent enter center recent student
different spent invent (ten) listen often
OI & IO
oil soil spoil avoid voice radio
TION & ATION
attention emotion fiction mention motion position
education information nation situation vacation
USA Key
USA
usual cause pause August famous square sugar surface thousand
AS & SA
was wasn’t has hasn’t gas ask also
saw sad sale sat say
ASE & SEA
base case sea season reason easy
ASS
class glass grass pass
AST
fast last past least east salt taste
ATE & EAT
ate date late rate state beat eat seat meat
AN
can can’t cannot ran want answer
AIN
again brain gain main rain remain train certain pain
OA
road goat oar
OSE & OOSE
chose choose close lose loose nose whose
OSS
across boss loss
OST & STO
cost lost most almost soft storm
IS & SI
(is) kiss miss list sir sit its it’s still sister Asia
ES
yes guess
EST
best guest rest test west
SH & ISH
shoe show short shape sharp ship fashion fish English
US & SU
use bus rush push such summer sun
STU & UST
study stuff stupid must just
UN & URN
fun run until June turn return
OUT
out without about doubt
OUTH
mouth south touch
OUNT
count amount country
OUS
house mouse serious various
AU & UA
Aunt author autumn fault laugh adult value argue
RED Key
RED
read dear ready address already bread credit degree direct dream dress drew
friend garden grade hundred order record ride rode rude
thunder trade under weird drive
ER
offer paper after afternoon water
IRE
entire fire hire tire
ORE
bore more store therefore
EAR
ear fear hear near clear wear year appear earn learn
ERE & REE
sincere we’re were weren’t agree free street
ET ER
better letter tree
INTER
interest(ing) Internet winter
URE
sure measure nature future picture figure
ED & DE
bed led edge dead deal made
IDE
wide decide idea
SIDE
side outside inside beside
RD & DR
card hard bird third afford dry door dollar during
EE
feet meet seem seen week weekend else eye
EED
feed need seed speed
EEP
deep keep sleep asleep
AR
car far war
ARE
(are) area care rare scare share
AIR
air chair fair hair pair repair
ART
art start part party
AD
add bad glad mad instead
AID
paid said afraid
AND
and band hand land island stand understand
ORN
born worn morning
OUR
our four hour course group
TR
traffic travel trip true
OD & OOD
good God dog stood understood wood blood food
END
end send spend
IND
find kind mind wind behind window
OUND
around found ground round sound pound
FLY Key
FLY
(fly) family fully carefully
AL & ALL
real total ball call hall mall shall small tall wall
ELL & LE
cell sell smell well we’ll spell less leg rule
AIL
detail mail e-mail
ILD
child wild build
ILE
mile smile little
OOL
cool school fool
OLD
old cold gold hold sold told
OULD
loud cloud could couldn’t should shoulder shouldn’t would wouldn’t
AY
may & May maybe okay (say) stay pay lay play
DAY
day today Friday Monday Saturday Sunday
Thursday Tuesday Wednesday yesterday
ANY
any many anyone anything
OY
boy enjoy toy
YOU
you your you’ll you’re you’ve young
ARY
library necessary carry February January
RY
cry try hurry sorry story
LY
(only) (really) early lady
TY & ITY
city dirty (reality) (ability) type
FOR & FRO
(for) roof form from force forget effort front
FI & IF
(if) fit fix first wife
FL & LF
flow flower follow flew floor flat fall feel felt fell
fill film field final half life left
FUL
beautiful full flu
SELF
self herself himself itself myself yourself
WMV Key
AW & WA
draw law (& wall) (saw) wait (water)
EW
few grew knew new
WH
who (& how) what (& thaw) when where somewhere
why which while whole (with) within wish
OW
owe how grow power
OWN
brown down know town own now snow won wonderful
LOW
low allow slow yellow
WARD
forward toward
WOR
word world worry worse worth
WAY
way away always anyway
MI & IM
middle minute animal
AME & EAM & MEA
came game name same team mean (meat)
OME
come home welcome
SOME
some someone something somewhat
TIME
sometimes time
MEN & MENT
men women moment (mention)
MA
map matter
MAN
human man woman (many)
RM & ARM
Mr. Mrs. room arm farm warm
MO
movie modern money month tomorrow
MU
music (must) (much)
AVE
Ave. gave have haven’t save leave
IVE
five give I’ve live river
OVE
above drove love move over
EVER
ever everyone everything everywhere
however never every very several
EVEN
even seven
CKG Key
CK
back black check quick sick stick clock o’clock
rock luck stuck truck
RK
dark mark work
CH
catch watch lunch March (& march) much
EACH
each reach cheap
ACE
face race place space
ICE
ice nice price office twice since piece
ANCE & ENCE
chance dance sentence tense sense
ECT
respect correct effect
ACT
act cat fact
CIAL & ICAL
special social especially physical medical technical
CL
clean clothes college color
COM & COMP
common communication compute(r) company compare complete
CON
concert condition confuse control consider second
GO
goal got ago forgot
GR & RG
green great gray girl hungry energy large
ONG
long along song strong wrong among
ING
thing ring bring spring sign sing design single finger
AGE
age page image
ANGE
anger danger change
OUGHT
ought fought bought brought although thought
though through enough tough rough
IGHT
right sight fight flight might night midnight tonight
nothing light bright eight weight height high straight
AUGHT
caught taught daughter
AKE & EAK
awake cake fake lake make mistake take speak break weak
K
sky key
OKE
spoke broke joke
OOK
book cook look took
LK
talk walk milk kill like
NK & KN
bank thank drink think skin
P
pen pull upon April
OP
shop stop drop top copy open option
HAP
happen happy perhaps
PBJ Key
PER & PRE
per perfect period person present pretty
PRO
probably problem product program poor
EPT
accept kept slept
PH
photo (phone) (physical)
PLAN
plan plane plant
PLE & MPLE
people please (& asleep) simple example
MP
jump important
BE
(be) beach began begin below beyond web
BE E
been become became believe because before between
BY
(by) buy bye goodbye busy baby
BODY
body anybody everybody nobody somebody
BLE
able table cable double trouble possible blue
UMB
dumb number
EMBER & BER
member remember September December November October
X & EX
box sex exciting next
EXP
expect except expense experience explain express
J
job July
JECT
project object subject
Q
question (quite) (quiet)
Z
lazy zero
IZE
prize size (realize)
Common Prefixes and Suffixes Emphasized in the Beginner’s Course
de- dis- en- in- im- mid- mis- re- pre- un-
-age -al -ance -ble -able -ible -ed -en -ening -er -ier -est -iest -ful -fully
-ing -ion -tion -ation -ish -ity -ive -ively -less -ly -ily
-ment -ness -iness -lessness -fulness -s -es -ies -th -ward -y