Every student is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all method of teaching the TTRS course. However, there are some commonly occurring difficulties that students can experience, which will benefit from your support if and when they occur.

If a student repeatedly omits the space between words, activate the Space option feature within the Settings section of the student’s console.

Once set to on, every space will be verbally announced at the end of each word.

If your student is reluctant to shift their focus from speed to accuracy, consider covering their hands to encourage them to pay attention to the correct finger positioning.

You may observe:

This is where your tutoring skills will be most needed, as you support your students to overcome these physical challenges.

While students are learning to use the Shift keys to reproduce capital letters, it is not uncommon for the Sticky Keys pop-up box to appear.

Sticky Keys is a Windows accessibility feature which allows capital letters to be produced without the need to press more than one key at once. However, it can also trigger whenever it senses an over-long pressing of the Shift key. Select no to dismiss the dialog box, or turn off the feature permanently from within your PC’s Windows settings.

On most computers, there will be a number of keyboard shortcuts that open all sorts of different browser features. The most common involves the Ctrl key in combination with a letter key.

If a dialog box has unexpectedly popped up, it’s most likely occurred because the student accidentally used the Ctrl rather than the Shift key when typing a capital letter.

Unlike the typewriters of the past, which required a significant force to press the keys, computer 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 prevent this from happening, enable the one mistake option under Correction settings. Leaving this setting on will also ensure general accuracy as users will not be able to complete a module without correcting mistakes as they go and correctly typing all words.

Students with fine motor difficulties may struggle to know which finger to use for a particular letter. Try gently tapping the finger with a pencil to give them a little extra sensory input. It's also important to watch for any signs of strain from your students, such as rubbing hands, wrists, or eyes. If a learner is experiencing physical strain, they should pause their typing practice and only resume when they feel able.

Visit the posture and seating article to read more.