Stagg_2016.doc (168 kB)
The effects of letter spacing and coloured overlays on reading speed and accuracy in adult dyslexia
journal contribution
posted on 2023-08-30, 14:28 authored by Amanda Sjoblom, Elizabeth Eaton, Steven D. StaggBackground. Zorzi et al. (2012, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 109, 11455) found evidence that extra-large letter spacing aids children with dyslexia, but the evidence for the coloured overlays is contradictory (e.g., Henderson et al., 2013, J. Res. Special Educ. Needs, 13, 57; Wilkins, 2002, Ophthalmic Physiol. Opt., 22, 448), and possible combined advantages have not been identified.
Aims. To investigate whether extra-large letter spacing or coloured overlays can alleviate reading problems in dyslexic adults.
Sample. The participants were 24 dyslexic and 24 non-dyslexic university students, matched for age and fluid intelligence.
Methods. The reading speed and the errors made by a dyslexic and a control group were measured in four conditions: with and without coloured overlays and with normally and largely spaced texts.
Results. Large letter spacing improves the reading speed in general, as well as improves the reading accuracy in dyslexic readers.
Conclusions. The results support the positive effect of letter spacing on reading performance.
History
Refereed
- Yes
Volume
86Issue number
4Page range
630-639Publication title
British Journal of Educational PsychologyISSN
2044-8279External DOI
Publisher
WileyFile version
- Accepted version
Language
- eng
Official URL
Legacy posted date
2016-11-25Legacy creation date
2016-10-28Legacy Faculty/School/Department
ARCHIVED Faculty of Science & Technology (until September 2018)Note
This is the peer reviewed version which has been published in final form at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12127. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley's Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.Usage metrics
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