Nimble Fingers - Busy Fingers: Getting Started

Busy Fingers is in Beta Testing and is not currently available.
Please check back at the end of 1988. We are very slow.

Program Features
Introduction Screen
Main Menu
Beginning Keystrokes
Skill Building
The Control Panel
Word Wacker Typing Program
Data Entry Program
Click on an underlined topic, or scroll down.

Program Features follow a scaled down Word Wacker
Our touch typing programs are designed to make typing fun. The programs are easy to use. They are both classroom tested, and have been tested for those who want to learn at their own pace.

Features include:

The "Little Professor" as your private tutor

Learning Aids: Pictures, Error Analysis, Suggestions

Report Cards: Speed, Accuracy

Control Panel - Customizing Features

50 Beginning Exercises

50 Skill Building Exercises

100 Advanced Exercises

100 Speed Building Exercises

Flash Card Exercises

Timed Exercises: 1-minute

Back to the Classroom Exercises

What's Involved?
Getting Started
Flash Cards
Trivia
Keyboard
History
Typing Fable

More Free Things
Checklist
Tent Trick
Pictures
Videos
Finger Dexterity
Limb & Body Exer.

Teaching - Learning
Objectives
Teaching Ideas
Tips
Lab Rules
Repetition
Carpal Tunnel

Data Entry
Data Entry Program
Data Classification
Chart of Accounts

General
Word Wacker
Busy Fingers
Download Instructions
Site License
F.A.Q.

You might be thinking, Why 300 exercises in a kids typing program when most kids programs only have a third that many?
The reason is that kids get bored and we want them to have a choice.

If you smile while typing, then we have achieved our objective: Learning to type is fun!

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Introduction Screen The "final" screen will display the Busy Finger's Program

This is the Introduction Screen

Click on [New User] and enter your first and last name when requested.

If two selections appear at the bottom of the screen to "Try the Program" or "Enter Registration Key," please try the program.

Then if you like the program, we ask that you register the program.

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Main Menu

This is the Main Menu.

Click on "Beginning Keystrokes" if you are a beginner.

If you already have good typing skills, with the correct finger-keystroke reaches, you are welcome to click on "Skill Building."

Please think before you jump ahead. Sure, you can "do it your way," but it is best to let the Little Professor be your guide and follow the sequence shown.

When the computer is "online," clicking the "On Line Help" button will give you the current screen.

The screen will appear as shown after clicking on "Beginning Keystrokes."

There are five major typing topics for "Beginning Keystrokes:" "Getting Started"; "Beginning Letters;" "Advanced Letters;" "A to Z Typing," and "Tricky Fingers."

Each of these topics contain 10 exercises.

Also notice that "Getting Started" is highlighted in green.

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Beginning Keystrokes

After clicking on "Getting Started," the Beginning Keystrokes screen will appear as shown.

There are 10 exercises to "get you started." The Little Professor will help you "train your fingers."

What should you do after reading the screen? Simply click on the green button.

After clicking on the green "Start" the screen will appear as shown.

Notice the detailed instructions on which finger is assigned to which key. The Little Professor does not leave anything to chance. Follow his guidance and you will learn touch typing.

After reading and checking your finger positions, simply click on the green button.

This is the actual typing exercise. Follow the correct keystrokes, and type the exercise. Adjust the sound so you can hear when an error is made.

After completion of an exercise, save the results if you wish. Or, please repeat an exercise until you feel comfortable.

If you save the exercise, you will go to the next exercise in the series.

The selection is set up for the next exercise in the series,"Home Row Review." The Little Professor knows you have just typed the home row, but practice is required to build the correct finger-keystroke reaches.

After typing the exercises in "Getting Started" you will be guided through the exercises in: "Beginning Letters," "Advanced Letters," "A to Z Typing," and then "Tricky Fingers."

Nimble Fingers: Skill Building and Beyond

Skill Building

After you have mastered the difficult basic keystrokes, you will enjoy the "Skill Building" topic.

Please take your time and don't rush through the previous exercises in "Beginning Keystrokes."

If you are not satisfied with your speed and/or accuracy, then re-key an exercise. You have to develop the correct finger-key reaches before so you can build speed and accuracy.

With the main menu shown, click on "Skill Building."

Within the major topic of "Skill Building" notice that [Speed Building] is recommended (highlighted in green) along with the ten Speed Building exercises.

You could jump ahead by clicking on [Strange but True] to display the ten exercises in that topic.

However, please be patient and let the "Little Professor" guide you through the program.

Skill Building topics are more interesting. Typing exercises are available dealing with "Speed Building, "Strange but True," "Pets and Things," Hobbies," and "Careers."

Only slected portions of the sceen are shown from now on to save space.

	There are ten "Advanced Keystroke Topics."	Then the Little Professor guides you through ten "Skill Building Topics."

And then there are the "Accuracy Drills" topics.

There are ten typing exercises within each of the "buttons" shown on the topics screen. That means each topic screen can access 100 typing exercises.

But wait! There are 100 more exercises in the "Progress Review" topics shown.

Why more exercises? There are over 500 exercises so far. So, why more exercises?

Simple. We don't want you to become bored. Exercises are "up beat" on a wide variety of topics.

You can have fun while building speed and accuracy. And all this time the Little Professor will be watching you, and may even send you "back-to-the-classroom" for practice on troublesome keystrokes.

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Beginners often run into trouble with the pace of Flash Cards.

Words quickly appear on the screen for keyboarding. Learn to look at the word as a whole and type the word as a whole. That is, instead of typing the individual letters "t" "h" "e" type "the" as a whole word. It take practice, but the payoff in typing speed is enormous.

The screen will appear as shown if the "Options" button is selected. Change the time to a slower pace, perhaps 3 seconds, and save options.

Now you are ready to tackle Flash Cards. Start with the two letter words, then build up to more challanging exercises. Then set the time at 1 second.

Using The Control Panel

This section is for advanced users. Unless you are a teacher and an advanced user as well, skip the control panel.

The control panel is used to change the program by removing/adding sound and by removing web access. You can also remove users, and create report cards.

The left-hand portion of the Main Menu screen is shown.

Click on "Control Panel."

The "Control Panel" can be password protected. If Nimble Fingers is used in a classroom environment, do not let others access the Control Panel.

Select a password that is easy to remember; save it. The re-click on the control panel and the screen shown above will appear. Enter your password for access into the control panel.

After typing the password, click "OK" and the "Control Panel" will appear as shown.

This allows you to review the progress of program users and change numerous default features to adapt the program to your needs.

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Typing Tips

Set up a schedule. Unless you establish a "schedule for learning" it is all to easy to find an excuse for not practicing. The Little Professor never promised you a rose garden. It takes practice to develop touch-keyboarding skills.

Do you have an extra fifteen minutes? Then you can complete a couple of practice exercises. It might not sound like much, but you have helped develop your typing skills.

Type without looking at the keys. Use a quick stroke to strike each key. Do not �press� or �mash� the key. Strike the key quickly and move on!

Locate the home-row keys. Force yourself to use the correct fingers to strike the keys. If you forget which finger to use, look at the picture accompanying the exercise. The beginning exercises are extremely important because you are developing correct keystroke patterns.

The Busy Fingers typing program for kids is a simple-to-use program with exercises appropriate for kids.

There are no downloads, and you "only" have 300 exercises to chose from.

Below are sample practice exercises used to build touch typing speed and accuracy.

How about an exercise on creating a safe?
Foil thieves by turning a book into a small safe and lining it up with
the other books on your shelf. Use a hardcover book. With a wide brush,
apply a weak glue solution to all pages except the first few. Weight it
down so it won't wrinkle when drying. Scribe a one-inch margin, drill
starter holes in the corner, and cut out the middle. Adjust the binding
and zip in a liner. You will have an adequate hiding place on your shelf.

Or an exercise on an ostrich?
The ostrich belongs to the largest and most powerful
species of birds. His cousins are the rhea and emu. The
ostrich looks quite out of proportion with a small head,
extremely long neck, short useless wings, and just two
toes. These amazing birds can run 30 mph, and have been
trained to be ridden like a horse in some cultures.

Or an exercise on an eagle?
The second fastest creature on Earth is the golden eagle.
The adult is dark brown with hazy golden-colored feathers.
These large birds once frequented the jagged mountains of
the Northern Hemisphere but are now very near extinct.
Because of its ability to reach 185 mph and its physical
strength, the golden eagle is called the King of Birds.

Or a touch typing exercise on Melbourne?
Melbourne is a large city in Australia. A unique introduction to the city
can be found via a cruise on the Yarra River. Next visit the nicely
manicured Fitzroy and Queen Victoria Gardens before exploring the area.
Enjoy morning tea as you walk about the massive skyscrapers. All
Australians are proud of their heritage, but the Outback is many miles
away. It is OK to hug a Koala but do not hug a kicking kangaroo.