A recent study from an international team of researchers found that Italian- and French-speaking children with dyslexia were able to read faster and more accurately if they were given texts with extra-large letter spacing. The texts used in the study increased the space between letters, between each word, and between lines of type, but not the actual size of each letter.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that children given texts with increased letter spacing were able to read about 20% faster, and researchers noticed that the children made only about half as many errors. The scientists hypothesize that the technique should work for English-speaking children as well.
A free iPhone app called DYS is available for parents who want to experiment with this method as they seek to help their own children. The app has two purposes: the first is to compile data from users about which spacing they feel is most beneficial to them, and the second is to give readers the tools to determine which spacing helps them read most efficiently. Learn more about the app in the iTunes App Store, or watch the video below.
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