Touch Typing for Dyslexia
How Can I Support My Dyslexic Child with Touch Typing?
For parents of Dyslexic children, it can feel overwhelming learning how to support your child. There are so many skills and areas individuals with dyslexia to catch up or learn – reading, writing, spelling, listening & understanding – the list can go on and on.
There’s one simple thing you can do in just a few weeks and see obvious, measurable results quickly and easily; For children with Dyslexia, touch typing can be life changing. Dictation (using a scribe) or voice recognition software are options but can be very difficult and time-consuming to master for anyone. The process can be even more challenging for Dyslexic children who often struggle with short-term memory.
At home or school, children with Dyslexia can be touch typing in just 4-12 weeks with intensive practice. For more information, see our Learning to Type page.
Why is touch typing helpful for Dyslexia?
For many Dyslexic children, written work is a real challenge. However when writing is done on a computer using touch typing it activates a completely different process in the brain compared to writing with a pen. It has more in common with dancing, swimming, playing sports, or learning an instrument than with traditional classroom skills. Touch typing becomes a physical and automatic skill, something a Dyslexic child can learn and master.
It’s not about whether you can use your little finger to type P or Q. What matters is what’s happening in the brain. This is called muscle memory or automaticity (“auto-mat-i-city”). A good everyday example is learning to drive. At first, it’s a very conscious effort but over time it becomes automatic. The same thing happens with touch typing; it becomes second nature.
A Different Way to Learn Spelling
As well as helping with writing touch typing gives Dyslexic learners a completely different way to learn spelling. Instead of focusing on individual letters, spelling becomes a pattern of finger movements. Words are programmed into the muscle memory. You think of the word and your fingers type it. There’s no need to break it down letter by letter, it “just happens.”
Typing on a computer also allows for non-linear thinking. This means Dyslexic writers can quickly capture their ideas first and then organise their thoughts later. This can make the whole writing process much less stressful.
Touch typing can even improve physical coordination and in many cases, it actually helps with handwriting!
Typing vs writing contrast, MRI images Higashiyama et al, 2015, Japan, Cognitive NeuroScience PLOS
Why Choose Englishtype for Touch Typing?
To get the most out of touch typing it’s important to choose software that not only teaches the skill effectively but also keeps learners motivated. The best programs use familiar words, offer plenty of variety, and are engaging enough to hold attention through regular practice, without becoming boring or repetitive.
Englishtype stands out for many reasons, including:
Developed by an Educational Psychologist specialising in Dyslexia
Designed for the UK National Curriculum and boosts literacy alongside typing
Unique colour coding helps build muscle memory faster
Letters are introduced based on finger movement patterns, making learning easier
Multi-sensory design – learners see, hear, read, and type
Choice of 8 background screen colours for visual comfort
Carefully selected vocabulary with three difficulty levels to choose from
Reinforces spelling with high-frequency words stored in muscle memory
Optional extra spelling lessons to support wider vocabulary development
A range of fun, varied activities that strengthen automatic typing skills
Teacher Admin package available for schools
Over 25 years’ experience teaching typing in schools and at home
Built by award-winning game designers to make learning fun
Englishtype and Dyslexia Success Stories
Englishtype at School
“We trialed just about every typing tutor we could find…. we were not impressed with what we found and we had almost given up the idea until we came across Englishtype Junior. We have a significant number of Dyslexic pupils and Englishtype Junior has been phenomenally supportive for these children who want to stick at it because they are using Englishtype. The software has improved their spelling, sentence writing and general confidence with a keyboard. As teachers we couldn’t be happier”.
Dallington School, London
Englishtype at Home
From Mum
“My two children were both diagnosed with Dyslexia and struggled since starting school. Last October, I was recommended to teach the children to touch type using the Englishtype system. The children took around 3 months to learn. Instructions were clear, the method of teaching easy to understand and the games were fun. The children had no problem following the program and were motivated to move up levels as their confidence and ability grew.
My daughter now types at 22 words a minute and my son at 27 words a minute. Both children touch type most of their homework which has liberated them. Lexy’s teacher told me her written homework is now of a different standard. She uses a much wider breadth of words, whereas before she was limiting herself to using simple words she felt confident to spell. Jackson’s confidence has grown beyond measure. He recently took a school entrance exam and scored 68% in his English – well above the overall average of 58%. I am sure this confidence has come about because he feels he now has a method of writing which is not hampered by his previously poor spelling.
I have seen first hand the difference leaning to touch type with the Englishtype has made to both of my children. The results have been astounding and I would recommend it to any child with learning difficulties.”
A Mum and children Lexy (9yrs) & Jackson (11yrs)
From her kids
“I learnt to touch type using Englishtype and now I do not have to worry coming home because now I can finish off my homework easily. It helps me with the quickness of my work and the spelling. The program is fun as the way it is planned out is not boring. The games encourage you and it is good that you can change your own levels. I am the only girl in my class who can touch type and my friends are jealous of me.”
Lexy aged 9yrs
From her kids
“My name is Jackson and I am 11 years old. I have learning difficulties and my mum has made me learn to touch type using the Englishtype program. I can now type at 24 words per minute. This program was very good because it went step by step and colour coded all the different letter with your fingers. It took in around 8 weeks to learn. Being able to type my homework has made it easier and quicker. I am the only person in my class who can touch type and I think it will help me to pass my exams.”
Jackson, aged 11yrs
More about touch typing and Dyslexia...
Touch typing helps many students write more and use better language. It makes it easier to try out different words and spellings, without messy crossing-out.
Studies show that when children type, there’s no big difference between Dyslexic and non-Dyslexic students. However, when writing by hand, Dyslexic students often find it harder. For more information, read Freed from the Pen by Louise Green, published in the TES.
The British Dyslexia Association says… “ICT is an effective communication tool for Dyslexic users… Efficient keyboard skills can be hugely beneficial in education, recording in exams … and at work. Correct fingering of keys and the using of both hands should be encouraged at the earliest opportunity. This will discourage the learner from developing the habit of typing with only one hand or slow key pecking with one finger. Such habits can be difficult to break.”
Research on touch typing and Dyslexia
Whilst there is a lot of academic research on Dyslexia, there isn’t a huge amount on Dyslexia and touch typing. A study by Marom and Weintraub (2015) looked at “The effect of a touch-typing program on keyboarding skills of higher education students with and without learning disabilities” They evaluated two groups of students, one with “developmental learning disabilities” (including dyslexia) and one made up of “normally achieving” students and provided touch typing instruction. Their findings suggest that while it may take the students with learning disabilities longer to achieve automaticity in typing, they can achieve similar speeds to the others. This is especially important for students with writing disabilities, since they often use the computer in order to circumvent their handwriting difficulties.
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