Samantha, Adult learner who works in family business

Over the years I’ve sort of self-taught myself typing, but I really like learning with Touch-type Read and Spell and it’s made a difference for me at work already!

That’s because it makes me think about what I’m typing. When I write emails I normally look up and there are about ten red lines with errors. Now it’s about half that, and that’s only from using TTRS for 3-4 weeks.

When I was at school it wasn’t as popular to talk about dyslexia. They just said you were a slow learner and you got on with it. But my sons both have severe dyslexia, and it’s through their diagnoses that I’ve realised I have all of the same things.

Reading I’m okay with. I struggle a bit when I’m reading out loud, reading bedtime stories etc. but with spelling it’s another story. I’ve gotten into more than a few awkward conversations because I’ve used the wrong word in writing.

I went to an old-fashioned school where they used to hold my hand behind my back and make me write with my right hand, even though I’m left-handed. I always thought it was because of this that I’d get confused with my spelling, but now I realise it was probably the dyslexia as well.

But thank god for spell-check and computers. Both me and my children will talk to Siri and it just types words out for us. It’s amazing what technology can do today. I think it’s this same audio element in TTRS that’s really helping me with my typing and spelling.

Before, I’d be typing and I’d look up and think what does that say that I’ve just written? TTRS has slowed me down and made me see and think about the words as I type them, so I make fewer errors.

I’ve told quite a few people about the program already, including my son’s dyslexia teacher!