When I was a kid, my mom used to say, “if you studied for your classes half as much as you studied Pokemon, you’d be a straight-A student.” While I never did learn Latin, which was the subject I struggled with the most, I did become a writer. Ironically, part of the reason I can type is because of an old video game called “Read, Write, and Type.”
It turns out if you combine a kid’s passion for video games with learning, you get hours of self-supervised educational time. I spent ages playing Read, Write, and Type.
The YouTube channel LY203 Productions has a complete walkthrough of the game. The embed below should take you to an example of typing “Sass” repeatedly to move a snake.
I’m a child of the 90s. I remember our Gateway computer that sat in the study. The gigantic CRT monitor rested inside the desk, allowing you to look down at the screen instead of straining your neck to look up. Back then, typing wasn’t second nature. I didn’t grow up with a keyboard in my hands or a laptop in my room. I learned typing through classes at school and through the masterpiece of a game that was Read, Write, and Type.
The premise of the game was simple. A villainous green blob captured letters and other characters on the keyboard. You freed those characters by typing words and phrases. Alongside you on your journey were two friendly gloves with faces, Lefty and Righty. I always liked Lefty since I’m left-handed.
The game prioritized typing correctly rather than simply hitting the correct keys. As a result, I learned to touch type. That skill allows me to read source material and type news articles at the same time. Funnily enough, the fact that I never look at my keyboard when typing is why I don’t care about backlit keys (apologies to our Editor-in-Chief, Daniel Rubino, who loves them).
Between my favorite game at the time and typing classes in school, I learned how to type with proper form. That skill helps me daily as a writer. I’ve written thousands of articles for Windows Central, and when news breaks, you best believe I stick to the ol’ rules of Read, Write, and Type. Thanks, Righty and Lefty!
