This guide is for education administrators and teachers. It explains how to customize the appearance and functionality of the TTRS program by adapting the default TTRS preset for individual learners. It also covers creating your own preset settings configurations to apply to groups of students with similar learning needs.

Explore these related interactive demos:

Custom Settings and Presets (education accounts): https://readandspell.storylane.io/share/kbagzxl0gmbp

A Guide to General, Appearance, Typing, Audio and Correction Settings in TTRS (education accounts): https://readandspell.storylane.io/share/qrkcbi825j0b

Changing a Student's Settings in TTRS

Open the Default by TTRS settings preset by clicking anywhere in the box.

You'll note the default preset includes tabs for general, appearance, typing, audio and correction settings, as well as email notifications.

To change a student's personal settings, select the Applied to tab, then select a learner by clicking their name.

This will open the student's individual page, where you can see their latest activity and performance stats. Use the Actions menu on the right and select Settings from the list.

You can see the student is currently on the Default by TTRS settings preset. Toggle the settings you'd like to change using the General, Appearance, Typing, Audio and Correction tabs below.

Each time you make a change, a symbol will appear to record how the student's settings differ from the default.

*Note that all student accounts created prior to December 2025 have been transferred to the Default by TTRS preset. Any changes made to their personal settings have been preserved and will already be marked with the change symbol in the relevant tabs.

When you're done making changes, use the Apply changes button in the top-right corner to save them to your student's account.

If you're unhappy with the changes you've made, you can use the Reset preset button to return students to the default configuration. Note that this will erase any custom settings that you or the student has selected.

You can also access and personalize your student's settings from within the Students tab in your administrator or teacher account.

Select the student you'd like to personalize settings for by double-clicking on their name.

Next, use the Actions dropdown menu and select Settings. This will open the student's personal settings screen, where you can make changes in the same way as has been outlined above.

To preview your student's personalized settings, select Log in as this student from the Actions menu.

Note, students can also make changes to certain appearance, typing and audio settings from within their own accounts.

Creating Settings Presets for Groups of Learners

What are presets?

Presets are particular settings configurations that you can create and assign to more than one learner. Presets are helpful if you have groups of students with specific learning needs. For example, you may want to configure the program in a certain way for students with dyslexia and in a different way for those learners with ADHD or visual impairment. Presets make it easy to do this.

More on the "Default by TTRS" preset

New students in TTRS are automatically assigned the Default by TTRS preset. Because it contains default settings, this preset is locked and cannot be changed. However, you can always adjust individual learner settings as outlined in the steps above. You can also use the Default by TTRS preset as a template to create your own settings configuration to apply to students.

Creating a preset from scratch

From the Settings tab in the Administrator or Teacher console, select the Create new preset button.

Give your preset a name and add a description to help you remember the key features of your new settings configuration. For example, "Dyslexia Spelling Support" or "For Learners with Auditory Processing Disorders."

Next, toggle the settings across the various tabs until you are happy with your preset. Note, you can consult the tables below for more details on what each setting in TTRS does, or have a look through this interactive demo and take notes on the most important settings for your learners: https://readandspell.storylane.io/share/qrkcbi825j0b

Click the Save as a new preset button when you're done. Your new preset will now be visible to other teachers on the system.

Locking and unlocking presets

You can decide whether to lock your preset or keep it unlocked. An unlocked preset can be modified by other teachers on the system. Select or deselect the lock symbol next to your preset's name and then click Save changes and Overwrite existing preset

If you choose to make additional changes to your preset's settings, you can use the Overwrite preset option again to save them.

Assigning Presets to Students

After you've created a preset, you need to actually assign it to students. Keep in mind, when you assign a preset, it will replace a student's previous settings.

To apply a preset to students, select the tick box next to the preset in the Settings presets list.

Then open the Actions dropdown in the top right of your screen and select Apply to students. Note, you can also apply the preset to your own interface to preview it. Presets applied to an admin or teacher's interface have a green check mark next to their name.

Lastly, select the students you'd like to apply the preset to and then click Apply preset.

You will see your preset is now applied to the selected students.

If you'd like to further personalize these students' settings, open the Applied to tab under your new preset, select a student's name and follow the steps outlined above to make changes to a student's personal settings page.

Instead of the default, the student will have your new preset listed under their name. You can now create a custom version, apply changes and save it to their account.

Exploring General, Appearance, Typing, Audio and Correction Settings in TTRS

Settings in TTRS are grouped into sections separated by tabs within the Settings panel.

General settings

Setting	Description
Unlock all levels	When a student first begins TTRS, they are directed to begin with Module 1, Level 1. They must complete each module in order to access the next one. By turning this setting off, you can allow them to move around in the course and access different modules in a level or different levels in order to practice specific content.
Minimum pass mark required	This is the minimum accuracy score a student must achieve in order to move on to the next module. We recommend leaving this at 80%, but you may wish to lower it depending on your learner's individual needs.
Enable weekly goal	You can set a weekly goal for your students on how many modules they'd like to complete. An average module takes about 5 minutes to complete. However, modules can take longer at the beginning as students get used to the hand positions. When your student has a weekly goal enabled, they'll also see a streak icon indicating the number of weeks in a row they have met their goal. This is a great way to motivate them and encourage consistent use of the program.
Enable dictation modules & Enable show word option for dictation modules	This setting allows you to enable or disable dictation exercises throughout the program. Typically, every fifth module in TTRS is a dictation exercise where students hear a word read aloud and must type it out by sound. Dictation exercises are a great way to strengthen spelling skills. If this setting is turned off, dictation exercises will become regular typing modules. The show word option for dictation modules gives students a button they can press during a dictation exercise to reveal a tricky word. This helps reduce frustration and ensures they don't get stuck and can carry on with the task.
Enable words review	When this option is turned on, a spelling pre (words preview) and posttest (words review) will appear at the start and end of the level overview screen for Levels 2-24. These tests contain a curated set of words that a student must type, reflecting the main phonics and spelling patterns introduced at a level. They include image and audio context hints and help you measure spelling progress. When this is turned off, an older spelling assessment system will be activated, which generates a random set of words at a given level to serve as a spelling assessment. Learn more.
Enable free writing	When a student first opens the program, they are greeted by a welcome screen. From this screen, they may choose to begin a typing lesson or start a free writing composition where they can use their typing skills to produce original text. Admins can then view a student's written work and leave feedback. Toggling this switch will disable free writing so students are restricted to typing exercises only.
Enable typing screen themes	If this option is enabled, students will be able to unlock fun background themes as they move through the Main Course modules. Once unlocked, a background theme can be applied in the student's Settings under the Appearance tab.
Show level trophies on a student's page	When this setting is turned on, students can collect trophies as they move through TTRS levels. Trophies can be viewed under the Achievements tab of their “My Stats” page.
Show accuracy score in module completion window	If this option is enabled, students will see their accuracy score in the module completion window after each module. For students who become anxious about achieving a certain score, you may wish to turn this off.
Show WPM score in module completion window	If this option is enabled, students will see their Words Per Minute typing score displayed at the end of each module. By default, this is turned off to encourage beginner typists to focus on accuracy over speed.
Show graph in module completion window	If this option is enabled, students will see a graph with statistics for all completed modules in a level. If it’s turned off, they will see a compact version of the window without the graph. Some students may prefer not to see a graph or score.
Enable messaging	This setting allows your students to use the in-app TTRS messaging system to send you messages about their work. You can also use this system to send feedback on their progress.

Appearance settings

Setting	Description
System theme	Choose between a light and dark system theme.
Background theme	Choose between unlocked or default typing screen themes, including the standard table and desk view.
Table texture	Depending on the selected background theme, choose between four different table colors for the desk display.
Keyboard color	Choose between a light or dark keyboard.
Font	Choose between Arial, Comic Sans, Open Sans and Open Dyslexic fonts.
Screen color / Hand color / Fingertip color / Word color / Copy text color	Choose between a variety of colors for each setting.
Mistyped letter	Choose a color for mistyped letters to be displayed in. This helps alert students to when they've made a mistake and need to correct an error.
Transparent hands	This setting allows students to maintain the on-screen hand guides without obscuring the letters on the keyboard.

*Note student settings will also display an Apply my color settings box under the appearance tab. This allows them to select a background theme while overriding the text box inside the theme and applying their original word color and font options. This can be used to ensure a background theme does not affect readability for learners with special needs.

Typing settings

Setting	Description
Language	Set the program to teach US, UK, or AU English spelling conventions.
Hand guides	The hand guides are a set of visual guides which appear at the bottom of a student's screen when they are inside a TTRS module. They show the student how to type the lines that appear on the screen above. When a student has completed Level 3 of the TTRS Main Course, we recommend turning the hand guides off so the student can fully apply what they have learned. There are several options you can select. If your student isn't quite ready to type on their own, you can select moving hands but remove the letter key names from the screen. You can also choose to enlarge the text area and remove the keyboard altogether.
Spacebar	If a learner is unsure which thumb to use for the spacebar, they should try both to see which feels most natural and comfortable.
Enable copy typing	Copy typing is when there’s a line of text displayed above, and the student types on the line below. When this setting is turned off, students will overtype a word on the same line.
One-handed typing instruction	This setting allows you to customize typing instructions for learners who can only use one hand. Once toggled on, you can select the hand you'd like the program to display.
Remember and repeat	Remember and repeat is a setting that helps students practice spelling. When it's turned on, a student types a word, then the word disappears. They must then type it again from memory. You'll see the RR symbol at the top of the module screen when a student is typing with this setting enabled.
Show WPM score	If this option is enabled, students will see their Words Per Minute typing score displayed alongside their typing accuracy as they progress through a module. This is turned off by default, so students can focus on accuracy instead of speed in the beginning. To bring their attention back to typing skills, toggle this switch on.

Audio settings

Setting	Description
Audio type	Choose between the "Speak 1 Word," at a time "Speak 3 Words" and "Speak Full Sentence" options.
Voice	There are four UK, three US, and two AU voices to choose from. If you see * next to a name, it means it's a computer-generated voice. You must select a voice that corresponds to the language and spelling conventions selected in the Typing settings tab. Students can also select their preferred voice from their account settings. Note, only certain voices are available for some TTRS Subjects.
Play word audio	When this setting is turned on, students hear the words read aloud as they are typed. We recommend leaving this setting on.
Announce spacebar out loud & Announce scores out loud	These settings announce the spacebar needed between words and report a student's end-of-module performance out loud. They're particularly useful for learners with visual impairment and visual processing disorders.
Play end of module applause	This setting ensures applause plays for scores over 90%.
Training	When this is turned on, students will hear a voice explaining typing hand position and basic instructions in the first eight modules of Level 1. We recommend leaving this setting on.

Correction settings

Setting	Description
Announce backspace key	When this is turned on, the backspace key will be announced whenever a student makes a mistake. This can be demotivating and frustrating for some users, especially those who struggle with fine motor skills and/or auditory processing difficulties. As the on-screen hand guides also indicate the backspace key, you can try turning this setting off to see if it is less distracting for your student.
One mistake option	When the one mistake option is enabled, a user must correct any mistakes before moving on. To ensure accuracy in spelling and typing, we recommend leaving this setting on. When the 'one mistake' option is disabled, users can still make mistakes while typing and still complete a module. Keys that were typed incorrectly will be shown on screen using the mistyped letter color that was selected under the appearance settings.