For as long as I can remember I’ve been around typing programs which has been most of my life. When I say typing programs I mean touch typing and learning to use the keyboard correctly. We often take typing for granted as the majority of us use the keyboard every day on a computer or a tablet device.  

Let’s first look at two of the key problems that dyslexic children and adults face with reading and spelling. We all agree that most dyslexics have an element of difficulty when it comes to reading and spelling of course not every dyslexic is the same, some may be more severe than others. For me as a severely dyslexic adult, reading and spelling are both very difficult, I can read very slowly but spelling is my biggest problem and my biggest frustration, so I use technology to support me. In this day and age there are lots of pieces of technology out there that can help us spell and read it can also help when it comes to productivity and removing frustrations and growing creativity. Without technology like this I wouldn’t be able to write this article. What about finding ways to teach our dyslexic children how to type to aid their productivity and to aid their life in the future? Why not find a program that also helps some to read and spell? 

As I mentioned I’ve been around typing most of my life, I started to learn to touch type when I was about nine years old and I’m a pretty decent typist, but I have the added frustration that I have difficulty spelling which slows my typing down dramatically therefore, I get disheartened and don’t really want to do it. This is the same for many dyslexics around the country. A lot of typing programs concentrate on speed and words per minute. After spending all this time learning to type and teaching young people to type using these programs I feel that looking at speed can be disheartening and lower confidence and self-esteem for some children, so is there another way? 

At this year’s Educational Resource Awards, the judges felt there was such a program, Touch-type Read and Spell has been around for many years and has been designed and developed by a specialist teacher who has devoted his life to support others. 

What is Touch-type Read and Spell or better known as TTRS? 

TTRS is a multisensory typing program that aids students to help them to learn to touch type but also improves their reading and spelling ability through the structured programme which is set. The programme starts with looking at letter names going all the way up to supporting students to spell days or weeks and months of the year. TTRS is an online typing program that has 24 levels with 30 modules in each level based on a dyslexia specialist teaching intervention programme, the programme has been designed with supporting dyslexic people in mind, the typing course also comes with an audio instruction on how to position your hands on the keyboard. 

You start by looking at the keyboard and looking for the F and J keys you’ll see the little ridges that are on them and are on every keyboard if you can see the G and H it means you have got good hands and good home which are key phrases which are used during the program to ensure that students are using the right fingers when typing. Throughout the modules, the students see the words and letters which are read to them and they follow the instructions to type them out ensuring that they do it at a steady slow space and to aim for the highest percentage of accuracy, on the fifth module words are not shown it is just dictation which is spoken allowing the student to type and over learn the words which they have already learnt, this is to help them learn the words they have already seen and typed in previous modules. The programme aims for every child to receive 85% above inaccuracy as the program grows it helps children and adults grow in confidence and self-esteem it also embeds spelling and reading within the programme, TTRS has proven with over 20 years of experience of developing literacy skills, confidence and motivation by using this product.  

Congratulations to Touch-type Read and Spell in winning the ERA in 2017 Special Educational Resource ICT 

This is a quote from the awards: A simple idea that is very well executed. Having a strong theoretical background, with a clean interface and lots of flexibility in its presentation that can be configured to individual needs. A welcome update to a tried and tested resource. 

We can clearly see the typing can really support our dyslexic learners trialling yourself. 

To find out more about TTRS go to readandspell.com trial course use code “SEND10” to receive a 10% discount.