Dyslexia Font In Children’s Books
Back in August we reported on a new font called Read Regular that was designed specifically for dyslexics. In the font, the letters a subtly different so, for example, b and d are not mirror images of each other. The idea being that it makes each letter more distinct and easier to read.
Now the Chrysalis Book Group are publishing books using this font. The Read Regular web site has very little on it so there is no evidence that this font actually helps. It would be nice to see controlled trials of reading speeds using this font. Regardless of this, it is good to see publishers considering the problems of dyslexics when creating books.
Comments on: Dyslexia Font In Children’s Books
My only reservation about this font business is that it perpetuates the mistaken notion that dyslexia is a matter of the eyes or visual perception, rather than a matter of linking sound to visual cues, which seems to be the current wisdom.
In other words, it is NOT the case that dyslexic people “reverse letters”. It IS the case that dyslexic people to some degree have difficulty matching the sound of spoken language to its representation in print.
I used to know a lot more about typography and the study of readability than I know today (forgot a lot of it over a 20-year gap). There is however a lot of discussion in typography literature about readability.
Posted by: liz June 30th, 2005 at 4:22 am
There is enough evidence to show that for some dyslexics there are visual problems. e.g Meares–Irlen Syndrome ( http://www.myomancy.com/2005/04/meares8211irlen.html ). If dyslexia is just a problem in linking sounds / visual clues, why would coloured glass help about 10% of dyslexic’s to read?
The idea behind the font, to make the ‘reversible’ letters different from each other is valid. The brain is very good at picking up clues that we don’t consciously notice. Whether this difference is significant enough to show up in test of reading speeds I don’t know.
Posted by: Chris Tregenza June 30th, 2005 at 10:26 am
I am writing about dyslexia so I need this book
Posted by: Mohamed May 8th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Hi, my name is Fernanda del Real. I am doing a reserach (PhD in education in Spain) about letter face and dyslexia. I trying to proof that letter face is a powerfull tool for dyslexics in their reading problem.
I knew some people who designed typography for dyslexics:
Rob Hillier (U.K.)
Natascha Frensch (Netherland)
Alejandro Valdez (Venezuela)
Pau Sant Pau (Spain)
Fernanda del Real (México)
But all of that type faces are an experimental exercises and anyone of that proofs that typefaces can help in the reading problems in dyslexia.
Two of there are taking the letter-shape model as base but if we know the problem which dyslexics face in reading, we can find too many -reading speed, error, reversal letters, sustitutions, omitions, comprensive reading, etc.- then if a letter for dyslexics only takes the letter-shape model as base that mean that letter only is fixing reading speed in knowing words, but what about unknowing words? -another dyslexic problem small vocabulary- In my opinion typograhers who design letter fonts for dyslexics should to study the necesity in the visual process in dyslexics and how reading models, both letter-letter and letter shape models, can help in the problem.
My research also talk about visual stress (as part of legibility in typefaces). In my opinion that problem maybe can´t affect too much reading tasks in people who dosn´t have reading problems as dyslexics have. But it is a serios problem which afect dyslexic people. I mean not in their reading process but it can affect in the way of who they recolect the visual information. If dyslexics make an overexert when they read, can we imagine the overexert that they need to make when have dyslexia and visual stress?
Please if you know about some biblio or any information which can help me in my research let me know and I can share my research with you.
Finally, do you think letter face is important in reading for dyslexics?
King regards
Posted by: Fer del Real January 21st, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Leave a Reply