How to Use This Application:

Because the advertisements can sometimes be distracting, this application has been designed in such a way that as soon as you begin your session the advertisements will go away. They are the means by which this application remains on the internet free of charge.

To learn to type properly using this application you should avoid looking at your fingers as you type. Making mistakes while you are learning is to be expected. By keeping your eyes focused on the screen and not on the keyboard, your typing speed will increase more rapidly with practice.

This application automatically monitors your best typing speed. More balloons will appear per unit time as your accuracy increases. If your accuracy declines because of too many errors the speed at which the balloons appear will automatically decrease. As you progress through each session you will find yourself under a small amount of pressure to keep up with the material. If you cannot keep up, the speed is reduced, whereas the speed is increased as your speed improves. You can manually set the speed to whatever you desire at any time.

Getting Started

Click on the drop-list in the lower-left-hand corner of the screen, labeled, “SELECT LESSON HERE.” If you are a beginner choose lesson #1. The default speed is set to 20 but can be changed by clicking and dragging the slider labeled “Speed.” To start, click on the “SELECT” button. The application will reload with your preferences.

Once the application has reloaded click on the button labeled, “CLICK TO BEGIN.” Place your fingers on the proper keys and watch for the balloons to begin lifting from the bottom of the screen.

Each set of balloons will be lifting a keyboard character toward the top of the screen. Type the letter to pop the balloons. Continue in this manner until thirty balloons have been displayed. After thirty balloons have been deployed the application will automatically stop all of the balloons and display your results.

Your Score

As you press the correct keys your score will improve. Pressing the incorrect keys will cause your score to drop. After the balloons have displayed thirty characters your total score will be displayed. Depending upon your score, you will be prompted to continue at the same rate, at a slower rate, or at a faster rate.

If you score 94 percent or higher the speed at which your balloons rise will increase by five points in the following session. If you score below 85 percent the speed at which the balloons rise will be decreased by five points. The speed will remain unchanged if your score lies between 85 and 94 percent.

Lesson One through Eleven

Begin with lesson #1 if you are just learning to type. It covers the basic keys in what is known as the Home Row. (A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L) Once you feel you have mastered the home row, move to lesson #2, etc. You should consider yourself ready to move up to the next lesson when you can consistently maintain a score of 90% or better.

You will find there are reviews to keep your previously learned skills proficient as you matriculate through the lessons.

Clarification of Apparent Flaws

You may find that pressing the key related to the character being lifted by the balloons occasionally has no effect. This apparent flaw is experienced when the same character has just been generated a second time, and attached to a set of balloons nearer the bottom of the screen. Balloons closest to the bottom are acted upon first. Therefore, you may have to press a key more than once to pop a set of balloons.

Finger Placement:

Begin by placing the four fingers of each hand on the home-row. The first finger of the left-hand should cover the "F" key, while each of the other fingers cover each key to the left. The first finger of the right-hand should cover the "J" key, while each of the other fingers cover each key to the right.

The first finger of the left-hand will also be used to press the "R", "T", "G", "B", and "V" keys. The first finger of the right-and will also be used to press the "U", "Y", "H", "N", and "M" keys.

The first finger of your right-hand should be used to press the "6" and "7" keys unless you are using an ergonomic keyboard where the "6" key is located among the left-hand group of keys.

All of the other keys in the rows above and below the home-row should be pressed with the same finger near them on the home-row.

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