THE DITDAY LEARNING GUIDE
The Koch method: learn a few sounds well, then add one.
The Koch approach begins with a small set of Morse characters sent at a useful character speed. You practice recognizing those sounds, then expand the set as your accuracy improves.
Why start with so few characters?
A full alphabet presents many unfamiliar rhythms at once. Starting with a small set gives you repeated opportunities to connect a complete sound to a character. Adding one new sound changes the task gradually while keeping older sounds in circulation.
The goal is direct recognition. When you hear K, you want to recognize K, rather than count three elements and translate a remembered diagram. A compact character rhythm encourages you to attend to the whole sound. It does not make learning effortless, and different learners still need different amounts of practice.
Compare the examples, then test yourself with their labels out of sight. U is an early addition in ditday after the initial K and M lessons.
How ditday applies the approach
Ditday uses a Koch-inspired progression rather than claiming to reproduce every historical version of the method. Learn starts with K and M in balanced six-question lessons. Later lessons have twelve questions and mix the newest character with the sounds already introduced.
A new character becomes available after two consecutive qualifying Learn lessons: at least 90% accuracy without letter-labelled hints, plus at least three correct recalls of the newest sound. At twelve questions, eleven correct answers clear the accuracy threshold. With six questions, all six must be correct.
The visual cue is hidden by default. You may reveal it for support, but a high score with a visible pattern should not be mistaken for an independent test of listening skill. Opened letter-labelled hints earn practice credit without qualifying that lesson for the next character.
The current course introduces 40 sounds. Its sequence is not alphabetical: the purpose is to extend a set of recognizable rhythms, rather than work through a familiar written list. The alphabet reference is available separately whenever you want to check a symbol.
Combine introduction with review
Introducing all the characters and retaining them are different milestones. Ditday returns to weaker and due sounds, and its mastery indicator requires sustained accuracy across more than one day. This adds spaced recall to the gradual introduction of characters.
If a new sound causes confusion, try a short focused review instead of repeatedly starting over. Listen to the confusing pair, name the difference in rhythm once if useful, then return to recognition without counting. If accuracy drops throughout the session, take a break and revisit the sounds later.
Character speed and spacing are separate choices
The Koch idea concerns how you build your character vocabulary. Farnsworth timing concerns the gaps between characters and words. They can be used together: brisk individual characters with more time between them.
Ditday begins with 20 WPM characters and an effective 8 WPM spacing speed. As recall becomes more reliable, the gaps can close. The important test is whether you recognize the sound consistently, not whether you can temporarily achieve a fast setting through guessing.
After your characters feel familiar, use word and message practice to work on remembering sequences and following continuous text.
Tap an example to hear it. No microphone needed.