Motivation goes up and down for every learner, but for children who’ve found reading and spelling hard at school, confidence can be fragile, so small, regular wins matter.
1. Start by making use of TTRS's gamification system
TTRS has a lot of tools that can help break up the repetition of phonics modules in the Main Course. From typing games to unlockable background screens, a few adjustments to your child’s settings can make a big difference.
Enable typing games: Games are a reward your child earns by finishing each set of five Main Course modules. They’re designed with neurodiverse learners in mind. There are six games to choose from: Word Drop, Fishing for Words, Typing Trail, Space Blaster, Type Racer and Rocket Builder. Children can stick with a favorite or try a different game each time. The best thing is they reinforce learning. Every game uses words from the five modules your child just completed, so they review the spelling patterns they’ve been practicing. Set the number of game plays allowed (3, 5, 8 or unlimited) and have your child set the challenge level. Each game has Easy, Medium and Hard levels, and visuals can be set to basic, lite or full for students who find busy screens distracting. If moving words are hard to keep up with, Typing Trail, Type Racer and Rocket Builder let your child type at their own pace. Learn more about games.
Enable typing screen themes: This setting allows your child to unlock collectible background themes as they move through the Main Course, with plenty of hidden themes in early levels. Show your child how to go into their own Settings and open the Appearance tab where they can apply the themes they’ve unlocked and choose their favorite font and background colors. Customizing the look and feel of the program helps TTRS feel more like their own. Learn more about themes.
Show level trophies on a student’s page: Allow your child to collect trophies for each level they complete. They can view them under the Achievements tab of their My Stats page at any time. Turning on trophies also enables collectible badges on completed subjects. Learn more about trophies.
Show accuracy score in module completion window: This will mean your child sees their score after each module, but it also ensures they collect stars as they learn. They can view their star total at any time by opening up their My Stats page.
Not sure how to change settings? Log in to your home administrator account, select Settings, select your child’s account, and then look in the General tab for the gamification settings mentioned above. Select Apply changes when you’re done.
2. Next, set a small weekly module goal
Also under settings, enable a weekly goal and choose how many modules you’d like your child to complete each week. A module usually takes about 5 minutes, though early modules can take longer while your learner gets used to the hand positions. Once a weekly goal is on, your child sees a streak icon showing how many weeks in a row they’ve met their goal. Keeping the streak going gives them a reason to come back each week, and it’s a simple thing to celebrate together. Learn more about weekly goals and streaks.
3. Try some fun subject content
The repetition in the Main Course is there for a reason: it’s how your child learns each phonics point and builds muscle memory for the hand positions. But TTRS also includes a range of Subjects that give your child a break from phonics and include images and topics they’ll enjoy:
Jokes: typing practice that makes them laugh
Around the World: for geography lovers, discover the wonders of the world
Special interests: typing modules on the Olympics, gaming, music and art
Spanish: an introduction to vocabulary in another language
If your child doesn’t see a topic they love, you can add one with the subject creator. Type in the content yourself, or use AI to generate typing modules on any topic your child is passionate about. Learn more about adding subjects.
4. Experiment with free writing in TTRS
Free writing is a great way to break up the repetition of copy typing and give your child a chance to express themselves. Try five minutes of free writing so they can put their typing skills to the test. Give them a picture to describe, or come up with a prompt you know will get them excited. Afterward they’ll see their word count, speed and spelling results, and you can read their writing and leave feedback from your admin account.
5. Suggest an informal structure for their sessions
Have your child pay more attention to what they’re working toward in each session. A games module unlocks each time your child completes a set of five Main Course modules. They can work toward finishing a five-module set so they unlock a game, or if that's too much, try three Main Course modules and wrap up with a subject module or a few minutes of free writing.
6. Show them how far they've come
Children who focus only on their score may not notice their progress. Every so often, sit down together and look at their statistics in your admin account (Students tab, then click your child's name). Point out how their accuracy and speed have improved since they started. Alternatively, show them how to monitor their own scores under their My Stats page.
7. Celebrate their hard work
Send them regular messages: Send your learner encouraging messages from your Admin account straight to their Student account. Include emojis and motivating notes - every learner enjoys getting mail and it's a good reason to log in to TTRS each day!
Create a general progress certificate: Generate a certificate for regular usage, effort, or a high score. You choose what to reward with the General progress certificate type. Many families print these certificates out and put them up on the wall near the computer, as a reminder of what your child can achieve.
Add your child to the Honor Roll: share your child’s achievement on the TTRS Honor Roll.
If your child says they don't like typing
It may be that they need a few adjustments to their settings or to start the course in a different level that's a better fit.
Here's what to try:
Turn off the backspace reminder in Settings: in the Correction tab, turn off Announce backspace key. Hearing it every time they make a mistake can be demotivating for some children.
Make the text easier to see: in the Appearance tab, try different fonts (Arial, Comic Sans, Open Sans or OpenDyslexic) and different word, text and screen colors to increase readability and reduce frustration.
Turn off WPM reporting: If your child isn't receiving high words per minute scores, it can be demotivating for them. Let them focus on accuracy first by checking that Show WPM score in module completion window is off. You can always turn it back on again when they're ready to work on speed.
Change the voice: in the Audio tab, try a different voice. Pick one that matches the English spelling conventions they're learning (US, UK or AU).
It could also be that your child needs to be working from a different point of the TTRS Course to feel fully engaged. From your admin settings, you can unlock later levels or choose the module they start on next. Learn more.
Need help?
If your child is still struggling to stay motivated, contact our support team at support@readandspell.com. We are happy to help you find the right starting point and settings for your child.