People with dyslexia often have difficulty with their handwriting. Some find that although their handwriting might be ‘good’ when copying, it becomes messy or illegible when they are ‘free writing’ as the act of focusing on what to write means that they can concentrate less on the quality of their handwriting. For other students, their letter formation and handwriting clarity decreases as they become increasingly tired throughout the school day. The cognitive load of focusing upon what to write can mean that less ‘brain power’ is available to focus upon writing legibility and clarity.
One way around this issue is for people with dyslexia to learn how to touch type.
Why does touch typing help?
Many people with dyslexia also have other difficulties, such as dyspraxia, dysgraphia, or other handwriting issues. Their writing can appear messy or illegible, which makes it hard for them, as well as others, to read what they have written. Typed work, however, appears neat and is easier to read, meaning that not only can the writing be clearly read, but allows the person who is embarrassed by their messy handwriting, to take pride in their work.
Benefits of touch typing
In addition to avoiding issues with handwriting speed and legibility, there are a number of other benefits of learning how to touch type for people with dyslexia.
1) Aids creativity – When touch typing, the ideas flow freely from the fingertips onto the screen. This facilitates the translation of ideas into written language as there is no distraction or blockage caused by forming letters. This makes the process of writing less frustrating and means that composing written work becomes more fluid and effective.
2) Improves spelling – In addition, typing on a computer gives users access to spell-checkers and helpful text-to-speech tools. When typing, spelling mistakes can be made, and easily corrected.
3) Develops writing and spelling skills – Using a word processor enables users to draft, edit and revise their work. This helps dyslexic users to organise their ideas and avoids the need to redraft or rewrite the page. Work can be edited and moved without messy crossing out, and re-organised to emphasise meaning. The spell checker, symbols on keys and icons diminish the amount of retrieval that users would normally have to use in a writing task
4) Develops phonic skills – Many touch typing programs are multisensory. This means that letters and words are read aloud as well as displayed on the screen. The user they types the corresponding letters. This helps support phonics, makes sounding words easier and develops reading skills.
5) Develops sound-letter links – People with dyslexia often struggle to read doe to difficulties in linking sounds to letters. Many touch typing programmes use a multisensory approach that not only develops letter-sound association through repetition and over-learning, but also develops muscle memory which aids kinaesthetic learners.
6) Overcomes fine motor difficulties – Users with dysgraphia and dyspraxia, have difficulties with fine motor skills and can make handwriting difficult and even painful. Typing is an easier movement process than writing and helps users to overcome this barrier. Not only is typing less frustrating and easier, but users work tends to be neater, which raises their self-esteem.
Typing also means that a person can access technological support such as spell checker, autocorrect, grammar checkers, text-to-speech etc. All of this can reduce errors in their work. The more somebody improves their typing skills, the more they develop automaticity in their typing so that they can type common words without thinking. Muscle memory helps with common letter combinations e.g. “ight”, occurring in words such as “fight”, “light” and “right”.
Once a level of automaticity is achieved, it becomes much easier to concentrate on the creative aspects of writing, playing to the strengths of many people with dyslexia, without having to worry about the process of putting letters together to form words.
When people touch type, they use the fingers muscle memory to press the keys on the keyboard. This frees them up from having to look at the keyboard and means that they can focus on what to write for the task, instead of getting distracted looking for the letters. Learning touch typing also is an excellent way to improve literacy skills in a subtle and less embarrassing way.
Typing in school
Touch typing provides a useful alternative to handwriting especially if handwriting is a challenge for students with a neurodiverse profile that includes dyslexia or dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder). Unfortunately lessons in typing and keyboard practice to produce work hasn’t become mainstream in schools in the UK. This is strange when we consider that current workplace practises often demand keyboard skills over that of handwriting skills.
There are a number of reasons why schools should consider promoting touch typing skills, particularly for learners with dyslexia.
Increased productivity
A study by Marom and Weintraub (2015) found that students with learning difficulties, including dyslexia, following a touch typing programme, greatly improved their typing speed and accuracy. The research proposed that in the case of the students with learning difficulties, the use of a keyboard helped to circumvent the challenges that affected productivity as a result of using pen and paper.
Efficiency
Touch-typing is a subconscious skill. When fluent, it frees the mind to be more creative. When a person is unable to type, rather than tracking along text on the screen, they will constant look from the keyboard to the screen. But people who are fluent in typing do not need to search the keyboard for the next key, but free their eyes to look at the screen and their subconscious to focus on the content of their writing. The movement of the eyes, up and down, will increase fatigue and impact on trying to find the place in the text.
With effective touch-typing skills, the student will have touch typing ingrained in their muscle memory and so their focus will be on the screen and not the keyboard. They will be less focused on what their fingers are doing leaving the mind free to focus on what is important, the written content.
Reduce distractibility
Similar to the point above, searching for the keys on the keyboard will not only impact on efficiency, but also disrupt a fluent train of thought. Any small diversions and distractions make the work harder to achieve and affect how well a person can focus effectively on what they are working on.
Improves accuracy
Watch Caroline Bateman explaining how touch typing improves spelling, grammar and overall grades:https://www.youtube.com/embed/TiihAGHG0xA?ab_channel=AchieveNow-EmpoweringDyslexics
Comfort and sensory issues
Producing writing with pen and paper can be uncomfortable for some people, particularly if they have an inefficient pen grip, hyper-mobility, arthritis or tend to focus so hard on writing neatly, that they hold their pen too tightly, or press overly hard on the page. Often people with dyslexia have other neuro-diverse difficulties, such as developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia) or sensory issues which might mean that they do not like the feel of paper or the sound of the pen / pencil on the page. Typing rather than handwriting solve of these issues.
Visual Stress
Many people with dyslexia also suffer with Visual Stress (Irlens syndrome). Using a screen means that the screen colour can be changed to the exact shade that the person prefers without need for coloured paper, overlays or expensive coloured glasses.
Regulations on typing in examinations
Although not strictly seen as an Access Arrangement as there is not a need to be assessed, there are regulations surrounding the use of a word processor in external (GCE and GCSE) examinations.
Examination Centres are allowed to provide a word processor (laptop) with the spelling and grammar check facility / predictive text disabled (switched off). The provision to use a laptop is put in place to address an underlying difficulty such as: speed of handwriting; medical condition; physical disability; sensory impairment; planning and organisational difficulties or poor legibility. The use of a laptop in exams must reflect the candidate’s normal way of working and has been agreed as appropriate to the meet their needs. A candidate may switch between typing and handwriting during the exam i.e. typing those requiring extended writing, and handwriting shorter answers. Examination Centres should have a word processor policy that explains their policy to candidates and parents.
Further information can be found in our blog about Access Arrangements.
Conclusion
Following a diagnostic assessment, a dyslexia assessor may recommend that a child, student or adult types rather than handwrites their work. They may also recommend specific software programmes that can help them to spell their words. Whilst handwriting is still important, the recommendation to allow someone to use a laptop in class can mean that the quality of their work improves.
However, touch typing isn’t the solution for everyone. For some dyslexic learners it may be that typing just doesn’t work for them at all and other alternatives, such as dictation (speech to text tools) are a better.
LEARNING TO TOUCH TYPE
People with dyslexia often have difficulty with their handwriting. Some find that although their handwriting might be ‘good’ when copying, it becomes messy or illegible when they are ‘free writing’ as the act of focusing on what to write means that they can concentrate less on the quality of their handwriting. For other students, their letter formation and handwriting clarity decreases as they become increasingly tired throughout the school day. The cognitive load of focusing upon what to write can mean that less ‘brain power’ is available to focus upon writing legibility and clarity.
One way around this issue is for people with dyslexia to learn how to touch type.
Why does touch typing help?
Many people with dyslexia also have other difficulties, such as dyspraxia, dysgraphia, or other handwriting issues. Their writing can appear messy or illegible, which makes it hard for them, as well as others, to read what they have written. Typed work, however, appears neat and is easier to read, meaning that not only can the writing be clearly read, but allows the person who is embarrassed by their messy handwriting, to take pride in their work.
Benefits of touch typing
In addition to avoiding issues with handwriting speed and legibility, there are a number of other benefits of learning how to touch type for people with dyslexia.
1) Aids creativity – When touch typing, the ideas flow freely from the fingertips onto the screen. This facilitates the translation of ideas into written language as there is no distraction or blockage caused by forming letters. This makes the process of writing less frustrating and means that composing written work becomes more fluid and effective.
2) Improves spelling – In addition, typing on a computer gives users access to spell-checkers and helpful text-to-speech tools. When typing, spelling mistakes can be made, and easily corrected.
3) Develops writing and spelling skills – Using a word processor enables users to draft, edit and revise their work. This helps dyslexic users to organise their ideas and avoids the need to redraft or rewrite the page. Work can be edited and moved without messy crossing out, and re-organised to emphasise meaning. The spell checker, symbols on keys and icons diminish the amount of retrieval that users would normally have to use in a writing task
4) Develops phonic skills – Many touch typing programs are multisensory. This means that letters and words are read aloud as well as displayed on the screen. The user they types the corresponding letters. This helps support phonics, makes sounding words easier and develops reading skills.
5) Develops sound-letter links – People with dyslexia often struggle to read doe to difficulties in linking sounds to letters. Many touch typing programmes use a multisensory approach that not only develops letter-sound association through repetition and over-learning, but also develops muscle memory which aids kinaesthetic learners.
6) Overcomes fine motor difficulties – Users with dysgraphia and dyspraxia, have difficulties with fine motor skills and can make handwriting difficult and even painful. Typing is an easier movement process than writing and helps users to overcome this barrier. Not only is typing less frustrating and easier, but users work tends to be neater, which raises their self-esteem.
Typing also means that a person can access technological support such as spell checker, autocorrect, grammar checkers, text-to-speech etc. All of this can reduce errors in their work. The more somebody improves their typing skills, the more they develop automaticity in their typing so that they can type common words without thinking. Muscle memory helps with common letter combinations e.g. “ight”, occurring in words such as “fight”, “light” and “right”.
Once a level of automaticity is achieved, it becomes much easier to concentrate on the creative aspects of writing, playing to the strengths of many people with dyslexia, without having to worry about the process of putting letters together to form words.
When people touch type, they use the fingers muscle memory to press the keys on the keyboard. This frees them up from having to look at the keyboard and means that they can focus on what to write for the task, instead of getting distracted looking for the letters. Learning touch typing also is an excellent way to improve literacy skills in a subtle and less embarrassing way.
Typing in school
Touch typing provides a useful alternative to handwriting especially if handwriting is a challenge for students with a neurodiverse profile that includes dyslexia or dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder). Unfortunately lessons in typing and keyboard practice to produce work hasn’t become mainstream in schools in the UK. This is strange when we consider that current workplace practises often demand keyboard skills over that of handwriting skills.
There are a number of reasons why schools should consider promoting touch typing skills, particularly for learners with dyslexia.
Increased productivity
A study by Marom and Weintraub (2015) found that students with learning difficulties, including dyslexia, following a touch typing programme, greatly improved their typing speed and accuracy. The research proposed that in the case of the students with learning difficulties, the use of a keyboard helped to circumvent the challenges that affected productivity as a result of using pen and paper.
Efficiency
Touch-typing is a subconscious skill. When fluent, it frees the mind to be more creative. When a person is unable to type, rather than tracking along text on the screen, they will constant look from the keyboard to the screen. But people who are fluent in typing do not need to search the keyboard for the next key, but free their eyes to look at the screen and their subconscious to focus on the content of their writing. The movement of the eyes, up and down, will increase fatigue and impact on trying to find the place in the text.
With effective touch-typing skills, the student will have touch typing ingrained in their muscle memory and so their focus will be on the screen and not the keyboard. They will be less focused on what their fingers are doing leaving the mind free to focus on what is important, the written content.
Reduce distractibility
Similar to the point above, searching for the keys on the keyboard will not only impact on efficiency, but also disrupt a fluent train of thought. Any small diversions and distractions make the work harder to achieve and affect how well a person can focus effectively on what they are working on.
Improves accuracy
Watch Caroline Bateman explaining how touch typing improves spelling, grammar and overall grades:https://www.youtube.com/embed/TiihAGHG0xA?ab_channel=AchieveNow-EmpoweringDyslexics
Comfort and sensory issues
Producing writing with pen and paper can be uncomfortable for some people, particularly if they have an inefficient pen grip, hyper-mobility, arthritis or tend to focus so hard on writing neatly, that they hold their pen too tightly, or press overly hard on the page. Often people with dyslexia have other neuro-diverse difficulties, such as developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia) or sensory issues which might mean that they do not like the feel of paper or the sound of the pen / pencil on the page. Typing rather than handwriting solve of these issues.
Visual Stress
Many people with dyslexia also suffer with Visual Stress (Irlens syndrome). Using a screen means that the screen colour can be changed to the exact shade that the person prefers without need for coloured paper, overlays or expensive coloured glasses.
Regulations on typing in examinations
Although not strictly seen as an Access Arrangement as there is not a need to be assessed, there are regulations surrounding the use of a word processor in external (GCE and GCSE) examinations.
Examination Centres are allowed to provide a word processor (laptop) with the spelling and grammar check facility / predictive text disabled (switched off). The provision to use a laptop is put in place to address an underlying difficulty such as: speed of handwriting; medical condition; physical disability; sensory impairment; planning and organisational difficulties or poor legibility. The use of a laptop in exams must reflect the candidate’s normal way of working and has been agreed as appropriate to the meet their needs. A candidate may switch between typing and handwriting during the exam i.e. typing those requiring extended writing, and handwriting shorter answers. Examination Centres should have a word processor policy that explains their policy to candidates and parents.
Further information can be found in our blog about Access Arrangements.
Conclusion
Following a diagnostic assessment, a dyslexia assessor may recommend that a child, student or adult types rather than handwrites their work. They may also recommend specific software programmes that can help them to spell their words. Whilst handwriting is still important, the recommendation to allow someone to use a laptop in class can mean that the quality of their work improves.
However, touch typing isn’t the solution for everyone. For some dyslexic learners it may be that typing just doesn’t work for them at all and other alternatives, such as dictation (speech to text tools) are a better.
– For the original version of this blog, go to: https://kentdyslexia.co.uk/blog/f/learning-to-touch-type
– For information on choosing a dyslexia friendly touch typing programme, read: https://dyslexiauk.co.uk/dyslexia-blog/f/choosing-a-dyslexia-friendly-touch-typing-program
– See next weeks blog post to find out more about choosing a dyslexia friendly typing programme
– Recommended Books for Teenagers & Students with Dyslexia and Books about Dyslexia for Teachers and Tutors https://shop.dyslexiauk.co.uk/
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