Every student is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all method of teaching typing. However, there are some commonly occurring difficulties that students may experience, which will benefit from your support if and when they occur.
Unwanted focus on speed
If your student is ignoring correct typing technique and/or sacrificing accuracy in pursuit of speed, consider covering their hands to encourage them to pay attention to the correct finger positioning. You'll also want to turn off the WPM reporting in end-of-module screens from the general tab of a student's settings and disable show WPM scores from the typing settings tab.
Space omission
If a student repeatedly leaves out the space between words, open the student's audio settings and ensure the spacebar is being read aloud.
Control keys opening shortcuts by accident
Most devices have shortcuts activated by a combination of the Ctrl key with a letter or number key. If a dialog box has unexpectedly popped up, it most likely occurred because the student accidentally used the Ctrl rather than the Shift key when typing a capital letter. Call the student's attention to where the Shift keys are located and consider adding a small amount of putty to each so they can feel their way back to them.
Over responsive keyboards
Some keyboards require very little pressure to produce a result. For beginner typists and those who struggle with fine motor skills, it can be very frustrating when a single press of the key produces an entire line of characters that register as multiple spelling mistakes. To remedy this, visit the student's correction settings tab and adjust the backspace key read aloud toggle so they don't hear an audio reminder that frustrates them further. You also want to ensure the one mistake option is on. This setting makes sure the system will only allow one incorrect letter before it prompts a student to use the backspace key and try again.
Additional tips for teachers and tutors
You may observe:
A lack of finger strength and dexterity. Have the student try finger stretches before typing, including squeezing stress balls or therapy putty and tapping fingers on the desk (one finger at a time). Ensure they take frequent breaks to prevent fatigue and frustration.
A student constantly lifting their hands to view the keys beneath. Go over the home-row positioning explicitly (ASDF–JKL;). Print and put up a home-row poster near the computer so they can consult a visual chart. Ensure transparent hands is turned on under the student's appearance settings tab. Consider having them take a TTRS typing technique subject to get more practice with finger positioning before completing main course modules. You can also use color-coded keyboards or stickers to cover keys.
An inability to curl the fingers comfortably onto the keys. Check the student's posture and model relaxed, curved fingers (“holding a ball” shape). Consider low-profile, ergonomic, or split keyboards. Wrist wrests may also be able to help but ensure they don’t encourage leaning while typing.
A student applying too much or too little pressure when typing keys. Practice pressing keys “just enough” (compare typing to tapping a drum lightly). Try typing on a different device where the keyboard requires more or less pressure to register a key press. Slow students down so they're focusing on accuracy and paying attention to how their fingers feel after typing a word. Remember that stress can cause students to hit keys too hard—use calm, low-pressure practice and verbal cues to provide further support.