Improving Reading Speed for Dyslexic Readers

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that results in difficulties for students throughout their study and work. Low literacy, which is termed “developmental dyslexia,” manifests in significant reading difficulty among some dyslexic patients. Reading requires the acquisition of good orthographic skills for recognizing the visual form of words, which allows one to access their meaning directly (Stein, Dyslexia 7:12–36, 2001). Most reading problems have a fundamental sensorimotor cause, such as an impaired development of the visual magnocellular system. This research study hypothesizes that changing font styles and increasing spacing between letters and lines can help dyslexic readers improve their reading speed. This pilot study with new experimental designs targeting dyslexic reading indicates a correlation between the reading speed and the cluttering of font styles, font size, and line spacing.