New Research: Why Touch Typing Can Be a Game-Changer for Children with Dyslexia and Dyspraxia (DCD)

Latest research on benefits of typing for children with dyslexia and DCD

For many children, handwriting is simply another classroom skill. But for children with dyslexia or Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD/dyspraxia), handwriting can become a major barrier to learning.

Over the past few years, researchers have examined whether touch typing can help these children participate more successfully in school. While the evidence shows that typing is not an immediate replacement for handwriting, it highlights significant benefits when children receive structured touch-typing instruction.

What Does the Latest Research Say?

A major review published in 2024 by researchers at Oxford Brookes University examined studies on typing in children with developmental disorders, including dyslexia and DCD.

The review concluded that:

Typing has become an essential educational skill.
Children with dyslexia and DCD often experience greater difficulty learning to type than their peers.
Simply giving a child a laptop is not enough—many require explicit touch typing instruction.
Schools need better methods of assessing typing skills so children receive appropriate support.

The researchers also noted:

“Typing is often recommended as a useful accommodation for students with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and Specific Learning Disorder (SLD).”

New 2026 Study Highlights the Importance of Learning to Type Properly

A 2026 study comparing handwriting and keyboarding in primary school pupils with DCD found some interesting results.

Researchers discovered that:

Children with DCD had significantly poorer handwriting than their classmates.
Their keyboarding accuracy was similar to that of typically developing children.
However, most children had never received systematic keyboarding instruction and therefore typed more slowly than they handwrote.

The authors concluded that children with DCD may benefit greatly from structured touch typing lessons, particularly those whose handwriting is difficult to read.

This is an important point.

Typing is a skill—just like handwriting. If children are expected to use computers in school without first learning efficient keyboarding, they may never experience the full benefits.

Dyslexia: Typing May Support Learning

Another recent study (2025) investigated how handwriting and typing affect learning new words.

Researchers found that children with dyslexia showed:

Better spelling recall when learning through typing.
Better understanding of word meaning after typing activities.
Evidence that typing can reduce some of the challenges associated with spelling and orthographic processing.

While handwriting remains important for early literacy development, these findings suggest that touch typing can become a valuable support as children grow older and academic writing demands increase.

Why Touch Typing Helps

Children with dyslexia or dyspraxia often spend so much effort forming letters that less mental energy is available for thinking about ideas, spelling or organising their work.

Once touch typing becomes automatic, many children can:

Complete homework more quickly.
Produce longer pieces of writing.
Spend less effort on handwriting.
Edit work more easily.
Build confidence in written assignments.
Participate more independently in classroom activities.

The goal isn’t to replace handwriting—it is to give children another effective way to demonstrate what they know.

The Earlier Children Learn, the Better

Today’s classrooms increasingly rely on digital technology.

Secondary school students are expected to:

Complete assignments digitally.
Research online.
Produce presentations.
Sit computer-based assessments.
Use laptops for everyday learning.

Learning touch typing in primary school gives children time to develop speed, accuracy and confidence before these demands become part of everyday education.

How Searsol Can Help

At Searsol, we’ve been teaching children to touch type since 2008.

Our structured after-school classes are specifically designed to support children with:

Dyslexia
Dyspraxia (DCD)
Dysgraphia
Autism
ADHD
Other learning differences

Using our engaging Typewiz programme, children learn correct finger placement, improve typing speed and accuracy, and develop a lifelong skill that supports learning both inside and outside the classroom.

We also offer a free trial assessment, allowing families to see whether our programme is the right fit before enrolling.

Final Thoughts

Recent research reinforces what many parents and teachers have observed for years: technology can be a powerful educational support—but only when children are taught how to use it effectively.

Touch typing is not simply about using a keyboard. It is about reducing barriers, increasing independence, and allowing children with dyslexia and dyspraxia to focus on what really matters: learning.

References

Barnett, A. L., & Stuart, N. (2024). Understanding Typing Skill in Students With Developmental Disorders. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 11, 63–74.

Khoury-Shaheen, R., & Weintraub, N. (2026). Keyboarding and handwriting in school students with Developmental Coordination Disorder. Reading and Writing.

Learning by Writing: The Influence of Handwriting and Typing on Novel Word Learning in Typically Developing Readers and Readers with Dyslexia. Learning and Instruction (2025).

From Scribbles to Screens: Why Typing is the Modern Solution

From Scribbles to Screens: Why Typing is the Modern Solution

In an era where digital communication reigns supreme, the once-cherished art of handwriting is increasingly viewed as an obstacle rather than an asset. With the rise of technology, many find that deciphering handwritten notes has become a cumbersome task while typing offers clear, legible, and fast communication that fits perfectly with our modern lifestyles.

The Decline of Handwriting Legibility

Handwriting, once a symbol of personal touch and creativity, has gradually lost its practicality. Many factors contribute to its diminishing clarity:

Speed Over Style:

In the rush of everyday life, people often sacrifice neatness for speed. The result is a series of scribbled words that can be difficult for even the original writer to decipher later.

Individual Variations:

Every person’s handwriting is unique, and while that individuality can be charming, it also means that legibility can vary widely. What is clear to one person might be indecipherable to another.

Evolving Priorities:

With education and professional environments increasingly emphasising digital skills, there is less focus on developing refined penmanship. Consequently, the habit of writing legibly has faded over time.
These issues are not just a matter of personal inconvenience—they can lead to misunderstandings, lost information, and inefficient communication, particularly in professional or academic settings.

Why Typing is the Future

Typing, on the other hand, has several distinct advantages that make it the ideal choice for today’s fast-paced world:

Universal Legibility:

Unlike handwriting, typed text maintains consistent clarity regardless of who is reading it. This ensures that messages, notes, and documents are easily understood by everyone.

Speed and Efficiency:

The keyboard enables users to produce written content quickly and accurately. In a professional context, this can lead to enhanced productivity and fewer errors.

Digital Integration:

In our increasingly connected world, typed text is inherently digital. It can be easily stored, shared, and backed up, eliminating the risk of losing important information. Digital text is also searchable, making it far easier to locate specific details within large documents.

Accessibility:

Typing supports various accessibility tools, such as screen readers, which ensure that digital content is accessible to people with visual impairments. This inclusive approach is a significant advantage over traditional handwriting.

Bridging the Gap:

Embracing the Digital Transition
The shift from handwriting to typing isn’t about erasing tradition but rather adapting to an era where efficiency and clarity are paramount. While the personal touch of handwriting may still hold sentimental value, its practical drawbacks in a fast-evolving world are undeniable.

Educational systems and workplaces are gradually realigning their priorities. Many institutions now emphasize digital literacy from an early age, ensuring that the next generation is well-equipped to handle the demands of a technologically driven society. As a result, typing is not just a skill—it’s an essential part of modern communication.

Conclusion

Handwriting, with its inherent charm and individuality, is slowly giving way to the practical benefits of typing. As we continue to navigate a world where speed, accuracy, and accessibility are key, it’s clear that typing is the most effective way to communicate. Embracing this shift means recognizing that while the art of handwriting may never completely disappear, its role is being redefined in the digital age.

By understanding these changes, we can better appreciate how technology shapes our communication habits—and why typing stands out as the best solution for today’s demands.

What can you do to overcome your child’s poor handwriting?

Poor handwriting

What can you do to overcome your child’s poor handwriting?

Does your child have poor handwriting and is struggling to complete their homework? Does your child take a long time for them to do their homework? Is the quality of the handwriting produced by your child legible? What can you do to improve this situation for your child? Do you want a life that is free from the stress and anxiety of trying to get them to complete their homework?

Definition of poor handwriting:

First off let’s define what poor handwriting is. According to Chivers (1999) – poor handwriting is a deficiency in the ability to write, primarily handwriting, but also coherence. Poor handwriting is a transcription disability, meaning that it is a writing disorder associated with impaired handwriting, orthographic coding (orthography, the storing process of written words and processing the letters in those words), and finger sequencing (the movement of muscles required to write).

Causes of poor handwriting

The main two causes of poor handwriting are deficiencies in balance sense or body awareness.

Balance sense

The balance sense is located in our inner ear. Children who have experienced any of the following are more likely to have difficulties with their balance sense:

chronic ear infections
premature birth
neglect and trauma in infancy
other neurological conditions such as autism

When this sense is not developed properly, children are likely to have difficulty with balance, jumping, hopping, skipping, sitting still, concentration, managing fear or anxiety and learning to read or poor handwriting skills.

Body Awareness

body awareness

This sense is located in the muscles and joints all over our body and is often called the body awareness sense as it tells our brain where our body is in relation to itself and other things.

Children with poor body awareness often present with the following conditions:

appear clumsy
are rough
break things
bump into things
unable to sit still for long periods of time
poor concentration.
difficulty with reading
Poor handwriting skills

These two senses (balance and body) are the building blocks for all other skills. It doesn’t matter how much we practice with our child on handwriting skills, it won’t improve because of deficiency in their balance and body senses.

Your child may have a good pencil grasp and lovely letter formation but if they don’t have a functioning balance sense then their writing is likely to be much slower, messy, difficult to read than other children.

How do you improve your child’s poor handwriting skills?

You can improve your child with poor handwriting skills by trying the following:

Strengthen Fine Motor Skills

Increasing hand strength and finger dexterity can help your child get more control over the pen and improve their handwriting. Encourage your child on tasks like cutting with scissors, using a screwdriver, sewing or knitting.

Pencil Grip

A good grip could help reduce fatigue and prevent muscle cramps, which may help to improve handwriting.

Upper Body strength

Encourage your child to build upper body strength through sports, swimming and gym weights. These will help strengthen and stabilise the shoulder muscles to free up the hand muscles for handwriting.

Frequent Breaks

If your child tires easily or becomes distracted, then let them have a quick break as opposed to continuing on and their handwriting deteriorates.

Pick your battles

Decide which subjects require good handwriting and which subjects you can get away with poor handwriting.

Typing skills

Instead of writing out all their homework. Why not get them to type it out using a laptop or tablet? By typing out their homework, it helps not only to be able to read the text they produce but also allows you to review the document and make changes if required. By learning how to type correctly, your child overcomes poor handwriting and uses assistive technology to their advantage.

If you want your child to learn how to type at one of our centres, you can book a free trial assessment at https://searsol.com/find-centers/

If your child has dysgraphia and poor handwriting speed, what can you do to help?

If your child has dysgraphia and poor handwriting speed, what can you do to help?

Poor handwriting speed can be a frustrating issue for children, especially if they are expected to keep up with their peers in the classroom. In today’s digital age, typing may be a helpful solution for children who struggle with handwriting.

According to Amundson (1995), the average typing speed of a child aged 10 is about 10 to 12 words per minute and when that child reaches an age of 14 their writing speed increases to around 16 words per minute. If your child has a learning difference such as dysgraphia their handwriting speed will be significantly slower. Their handwriting can be illegible and difficult to read. Dysgraphia is a nervous system problem that affects the fine motor skills needed to write. It makes it hard for a child to do handwriting homework or classwork.

As a Parent you will be worried at your child’s slow handwriting speed so what can you do to improve it. Try these tips to help improve your child’s handwriting skills and make lessons more productive and enjoyable for you and your child.

Use a research-based handwriting program. Your child’s teacher may recommend one that suits your child.
Provide short bursts of handwriting exercise instead of long, drawn-out sessions. Many kids with dysgraphia need to work on fine motor skills. Activities such as colouring, cutting, painting, model-building, working with clay, working pencil mazes, and threading beads will increase dexterity and build fine motor skills.
Schedule handwriting practice time for 15 minutes a day.
If your child can’t remember how to form letters consistently, writing them correctly at times, but incorrectly at other times. This could be a sign that he has problems with your child’s working memory.
Work on correct letter formation by using multisensory methods and techniques that don’t require writing. Finger writing in the air, in the sand, in shaving cream, or on sandpaper are all great exercises that can encourage improvement in proper letter formation.

If your child’s handwriting speed doesn’t improve within six months using the techniques described above. Then it might be worth looking at introducing technology to assist your child with his / her writing skills. The best way would be to introduce your child to a computer and keyboard and learn how to touch type. Touch typing is being able to type without having to look at keys on the keyboard.

One of the main benefits of typing is that it allows children to communicate their thoughts and ideas more quickly. When writing by hand, children may become slowed down by the physical act of writing, which can hinder their ability to express themselves fully. By typing, children can input their thoughts onto a screen at a faster pace, allowing them to better keep up with their own ideas and thoughts.

In addition to improving communication and expression, typing can also help children improve their spelling and grammar skills. When writing by hand, it can be difficult to catch and correct mistakes, but when typing, children have the ability to use spell check and other tools to ensure that their writing is error-free. This can help improve the overall quality of their writing and boost their confidence.

Another benefit of typing is that it allows children to easily save and organize their work. When writing by hand, children may struggle to keep track of their notes and assignments, leading to disorganisation and frustration. By typing, children can easily save and access their work, making it easier to stay on top of their assignments and projects.

Overall, typing can be a valuable tool for children with poor handwriting speed. It allows them to communicate their thoughts and ideas more quickly, improve their spelling and grammar skills, and stay organised. Encouraging children to type, either through traditional keyboarding classes or through the use of assistive technology, can help them overcome their struggles with handwriting and succeed in the classroom.

If you are interested in getting your child to learn how to touch type at any of Searsol educational centres https://searsol.com/find-centers/