Keyboards are now part of modern life, but many adults and children can only type with one or two fingers. This slows them down.  Unfortunately for children, pressures on the curriculum result in regular touch typing lessons still being unusual.

Touch typing can also assist, both adults and children, with visual impairment or Specific Learning Difficulties, such as dyslexia, in several ways:

• Clarity of presentation and legibility of work
• Speed of input – allowing the child to keep pace with the teacher
• Spelling – tactile learning of spelling patterns
• Handwriting – typing reduces the physical and mental pressure for a struggling writer
• Presentation – editing work is easier
• Empowerment – good keyboarding skills promotes independence, confidence and success.

Touch typing (being able to type with multiple fingers without looking at the keyboard) like any “fine*” or “gross motor skill**” needs to be taught. I concentrate on proper posture and correct height to the keyboard, and I emphasise correct finger positioning to allow for development of accuracy, speed and prevention of future physical problems. Individuals or small groups of students are taught not to look whilst typing to develop speed and accuracy. Once at a suitable level, I encourage students to develop their typing skills further during creative writing sessions; in which they learn to plan, create and edit their own stories on the computer.

I use TTRS (Touch-type Read and Spell Computer Course) amongst other touch typing programs. Developed in 1992 by Philip Alexandre, the TTRS program is a multisensory program that teaches touch-typing whilst at the same time reinforcing reading and spelling skills. It is based on the book Alpha to Omega, written by Beve Hornsby for dyslexic students.

Joint sessions for parents and children who will be using laptops for daily work in schools can be provided. These sessions will look at purchase of suitable equipment, file management, computer maintenance and familiarisation with word processing software.

^{* Fine motor skill = small movements such as writing, doing up shoelaces etc.}

^{** Gross motor skill = large movements such as swimming, kicking a ball etc.}