Welcome to Level 2, Stage 4, where Dainty the hippo helps you add two brand-new letters: t and y. This free printable worksheet gives young typists clear lines to copy out by hand and at the keyboard, building the index-finger stretches needed for words like the, they and eight. It is perfect for children practising touch typing at home or in the classroom.
What you’ll practise
Stage 4 introduces the t and y keys, which sit just above the home row in the middle of the keyboard. Both are reached with your index (pointing) fingers, so they fit neatly with the keys you have already met.
- t is typed with your left index finger — the same finger that already handles f, g and r, stretching slightly inward and up.
- y is typed with your right index finger — the same finger you use for j, h and u, reaching up and across.
- Technique cue: keep your other fingers resting on the home row and let the index finger do the reaching, then bring it straight back to its home key.
- This builds on the r and u stretches from Stage 3 and unlocks everyday words such as the, they, try and eight, setting you up for w and o in Stage 5.
Type each line, then repeat it
Sit with your fingers on the home row and type every line below using the correct fingers. Repeat any line that feels tricky.
- fdsafgf jkl;jhj fdsafgf jkl;jhj
- frf fgfrfgf juj jhjujhj ded kik
- fgfr ftf ded fgfr ftf ded
- little light sight fight
- fastest father fastest father
- jhju jyj kik jhju jhj kik
- the their there these they this
- eight thirty eight thirty eight thirty
How to use this printable worksheet
Print the worksheet and keep it beside the keyboard so the child can glance between the page and their hands.
- Sit up straight with feet flat, wrists low and fingers curved over the home row (a s d f and j k l ;).
- Warm up on the review lines, then type each t and y line slowly, watching that the correct index finger does the reaching.
- Repeat every line two or three times, aiming for smooth, even taps rather than speed.
- When words like the, their and eight thirty feel comfortable and the fingers return to home keys on their own, move on to Stage 5.