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Research Summary and Insight:Large Print and

Reading Achievement

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Research Summary and Insight: Large Print and Reading Achievement

This research project highlights recent studies regarding the impact Large Print is having on students and adults in and out of formal educational settings.

AN INTRODUCTION TO LARGE PRINT This report documents educational research, action studies, and academic journal reviews that indicate Large Print is improving reading experiences, academic outcomes, and cognitive health by increasing:

Readingfluency Reading comprehension Academic achievement Disability rehabilitation Sensory Satisfaction Sustained Reading

LargePrint,definednarrowlyasalphanumericcharacterssetataminimumof14pointfont,oftencontains16to18pointcharacterstofurtherincreasereadability.In addition to increased font size, Large Print also includes approximately one thirdmoreleading,orspacingbetweenlinesoftext,thanregularprint.(Arditi,2014). LargePrint isalsocharacterizedbystandardserifandsans-seriffonts,upperandlowercasetype,andincreasedletterspacing.

The majority of Large Print books create high contrast reading environments byemployingdark typeon thinbuthigh-opacitypaper thatallowspublishersto furnish products that are comparable in size and weight to traditional print materials.Thispreventsreluctantreadersfromfeelingself-consciouswhentheyreachforLargePrinttitles.Additionally,LargePrintforstudentsgenerallyavoidsglossypaperfinishes,doesnotincludethewords“largeprint”onthecover,andis presented in formats containing extra-wide bindingmargins to help sight-impairedreaders.

Most Large Print books published today are reprints of bestselling, popular, and classicbooks.Importantly,educatorssaythecontentinthesebooksismoreapttoholdareluctantreader’sattention.“Itisessentialtoletstudentsmaketheirown,guidedchoicesandtogive themoptionsthatwillfitwith their interests”(Shapiro). The result is an increase in reader vocabulary and independencebecausethereaderisnotlimitedtolower-levelreadingmaterials.

Thorndike Press is located in Waterville, Maine, and has been publishing Large Print titles for more than 30years.Morethan100Large Print titles publish every month — the vast majority in the current bestsellerandgenrefictioncategories.We’reproudtoofferthelargestselectionof Large Print bestsellers available anywhere, supporting reading levels fromthefourthgradeon.Gale, a Cengage company, acquired Thorndike Press in1999.Galeservestheworld’s information and education needs through its vast and dynamic content pools, which are used by students and consumers in their libraries, schools and on the Internet.

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Research suggests that Large Print increases:

Reading

Fluency

Reading comprehension

Academic achievement

Disability rehabilitation

Sensory Satisfaction

Sustained Reading

Large Print’s Impact

Aslibrariesnationwideenjoyedamodestoverallcirculationgainoftwo-percentin2013,mosthouseLargePrintsectionswithtitlesthatcontainsimilardesign,covers, anddatesofpublicationas regularprintbooks. (Hoffert,2014).Whileebook circulation has increased rapidly, 73-percent of library users surveyedrecently indicated they visit libraries to borrow print books or browse physical bookshelves.(Zickuhr,Rainie,Purcell,2013).LargePrinteditionsarehelpingtomeet this need and others as Large Print titles are designed to assist reluctant, struggling,andvisionimpairedreadersreduceself-consciousnessandincreasereadingconfidenceandcomprehension.

This summary of the studies, research, and reviews published in academic, educational, and scientific journals is an attempt to identify and quantify theimpact Large Print has or can have on people in and out of formal educational settings. In one such 2014 study, Heather and Jordan Schugar found thatchildrenbetter comprehend thematerial they read in traditionalprintbooks.Thefindings,whichwillbeexpandeduponlaterinthisreport,arelikelyofgreatinteresttoSuzanneNeumann(2012)whoargues largerprint isbetter forthemorethan189,000childrenintheU.S.withvisionproblems.Separately,KulbirGill’s2013studyrevealedthatLargePrintmayactuallyaidintherehabilitationoflow-visionpatients.

These research highlights indicate Large Print is enhancing both quality of life and academic outcomes. For instance, Elizabeth Lowe, a literacy and neuroscienceresearcher, tracked the use of large print books and found that students improved between41-percentand70-percentontheirSRAReadingscoresafteroneyearoflargeprintexposure.Unlikethetypicalsummerknowledgedraincharacteristicofregularbooks,theacademicgainsillustratedhereendured.AdditionalinsightisprovidedfromstudiesconductedbyLauraHughesandArnoldWilkins(2000),whofound that typographical factors and print size aid in the development of reading, andbyMariaWeiss(1978),whoobservedthatfontsizeanditsaffectonlegibilityisamajorcriteriausedbychildrenwhenchoosingbooks.ThisreportalsocitestheworkofJamesBloodsworth(1993)andElizabethWorden(1991),whosummarizedthe work of earlier researchers and concluded that larger font sizes combined with specificsforfonttypealsoaffectreadingabilityandcomprehension.

Reluctant readers are a diverse group of students who share the common denominatorofreadinglessthantheirpeers.[“B]ymiddleschool,childrenwhoreadwellreadat least10,000,000wordsduringtheschoolyear.Ontheother

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hand,childrenwithreadingdifficultiesreadlessthan100,000wordsduringthesameperiod”(Lyon,2001).Theymaybeunmotivated,seereadingoflittlevalue,orbeenticedbyalternateendeavors.Theymayhavelimitedtimetoread.Theymay lackvisualacuity.Theymay lackvocabularyorcomprehensionskills.Theymaybesecondlanguagelearners.Theymayhavea learningdisability,suchasdyslexia.“Becausereluctantreadersareoftenself-consciousabouttheirreading,aswe follow [them] throughelementaryandmiddle school years, self-esteemandmotivationtolearntoreaddeclineevenfurther”(Lyons,2001).Whatistheplace of Large Print in reaching these students?

THE PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF LARGE PRINTResearch at a Glance

LuminitaTarita-Nistor(2012)foundthatCourierfonthelpsthosewithage-relatedmaculardegenerationreadbetter.

GordonE.LeggeandCharlesA.Bigelow(2011)summarizedresearchthatconcludedprintsizeimpactsthemaximumspeedatwhichtextmayberead.

ElizabethWorden (1991) summarized JamesHartley’s findings (1985) thatseriffontsaidstrugglingreadersbymakingthewordseasiertoread.

James Bloodsworth (1993) summarized the research conclusions of Burt(1959),statingthatlargerfontsizesaremoreeasilyreadbyyoungerchildren,specifically font size24 for childrenunderage sevenand font size18 forchildrenagedsevenandeight.

Bloodsworth summarized Burt’s research on leading, concluding thatchildren are aided by greater leading, as more space between lines means their eyes can better track the line being read and when moving between lines,thuseliminatingtheirtendencytodoubleorskiplineswhenreading.

Bloodsworthsummarizedseveralstudiesthatconclude:

• the most legible combination is black print on a white background

•crosslinesofseriffontsreduceeyefatigue.

Readingcomprehensionandmemoryhingeonlegibility(Worden,1991).

LydiaGasterandCherieClark(1995)foundthatfontsize14isthelegalsizeforLargePrinttext;however,fontsizesof16to18wererecommendedforLargePrinttextsbytheLighthouseResearchDepartmentin1991.

While Large Print has long had a documented impact in and outside of the classroom, new research indicates it is also positively impacting health, wellness, and cognitivelongevity.


67%

67% of participating teachers say Large Print dramatically improved their students’readingskills.


Large Print books are indispensable reading components, in part, because the larger fonts they use result in fewer words per page which make them more legiblethanregularprintbooks.Withoutlegibilityreadingbecomesalaboriousprocess that can often lead to disengagement among discouraged, reluctant or, strugglingreaders.Legibleprintisdefinedasprintwiththecapabilityofbeingread or deciphered with relative ease.More specifically, typographers definelegibilityas theease indifferentiatingbetween letterswhile reading.Legibilityreferstoformattingfactors,suchasfontsize,fontstyle,andleading.

Larger fonts prompt struggling student readers to read more often and encouragetheirclassmatestodothesame.Teacherswhoparticipated in thenationwideThorndikePressLargePrintactionresearchstudy(2002)andusedLarge Print books in their classrooms, reported that their students’ reading enjoymentimproved.Infact,67-percentofparticipatingteacherssayLargePrintdramaticallyimprovedtheirstudents’readingskills.

With fewer words on a page struggling readers are responsible for visually processinglessperpage.Thismakesiteasierforstudentstodecodeandleadstosubstantialprogressasmeasuredbycomprehension,tracking,andfluency.These factors, among others, ultimately help students obtain and develop the skillsnecessarytobecomesuccessful,confident,andlifelongreaders.

Font size

The lack of a universally agreed upon font size guideline has resulted in little or no font size consistency among publishers. The font sizes available todayrangefrom8pointto72point.Pointreferstotheheightofeachletterandisapproximately1/72ofaninch.Forinstance,pointsize18equalsone-quarterofaninch;24pointequalsone-thirdofaninch.Thisrangeiswhyreadersmaysee10or12pointusedinadultbooksor8pointinnewspapers.LargePrintfontsrangefrom14to18point.However,recentresearchindicatesthedistributionofprintsizesinhistoricalandcontemporarypublicationsfallswithinthedefinedrangeoverwhichtextcanbereadatmaximumspeed(Legge&Bigelow,2014).

Largerfontsizes,14or16point,arebeneficialevenforthosewhodonotsufferfrom visual impairment. For instance, older children who do not have visualdifficultiesmaystillstrugglewiththeprocessofreading.Largerfontsforcetheeye to move more slowly than with standard sized fonts and allow students to tracktheirreadingmoreeasily.(Bloodsworth,1993).

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Standard publishing font size:11-pt Times New Roman

Standard Large Print publishing font size:

16-pt. Plantin

Font Style

Legibility isalso influencedbyfontstyle.Therearetwotypesoffonts:1)serif,e.g.,TimesNewRoman,which includescross linesonthe letters;and2)sansserif,e.g.,Arial,whichhasnoserifs.Infact,researchsuggestsArialisnotoptimalforLargePrintreadingmaterials.Arecentstudyfoundpeoplewithage-relatedmaculardegenerationreadlessfluentlywhenprovidedreadingmaterialwritteninArial.(Tarita-Nistor,Lam,Brent,Steinbach,&Gonzalez,2012).AsTarita-Nistorandherresearchteamconfirmed,Seriffontsaidstrugglingreadersbymakingthewordseasiertoread.(Wordon,1991;Hartley,1994).

Font variations such as italics and bold print are also impacting legibility in ways researchersareusingto improvereaderexperiences.Forexample,boldprintprovidesmorecontrastbetween lettersandpaperandcan increase legibility.Bold fonts may be used in subheadings or other places where emphasis isdesired.Separately,italicsmayalsobeusedtoemphasizewords,phrases,titleheadings,andforwordsthatarefollowedbydefinitions.Lastly,capitalizationisastylisticvariationthatcanimpedelegibilityandshouldbeusedsparingly.

Large Print Leading

Leadingreferstotheamountofwhitespacebetweenlinesofprint.Putanotherway, it’s a measurement of space from the bottom of one line of print to the top ofthesubsequentline.Thegreaterthespace,themoreleadingbetweenlines.Similar to fontsize, there isnostandardizationamongpublishers.Leading, inandofitself,doesnotdirectlyaffectlegibility.However,legibilityisimpactedbythecombinationofleadingwithfontsizewhichaffectsreadingspeed.Greaterleadinghelpschildrentotrackmoreeffectively,thuseliminatingatendencytoskiplines(Bloodsworth,1993).

Large Print combines a variety of legibility factors to create learning material thatresultsinhigherqualityreadingexperiences.Morespecifically,LargePrintprovidersfitthetexttothereaderbyimprovinglegibilitywhichresultsinbetter


Large Print books increase reader comfort levels while simultaneously reducing stress associated withreadingdifficulty.


understanding. Reading speed is paramount when considering legibility andattempting to assist struggling readers. To be legible, the typeusedmust beonethatcanbereadrapidlyandeasily.Academicsuccessisoftencontingent,inpart, on considering proper font and stylistic choices for print materials school children and their teachers use. These legibility factors will impact strugglingreadersmorethanothers.

Additionally, neuroscientists are studying how students with dyslexia are impacted by their interactions with various elements of print and how those interactions impact their reading. Dyslexia is a neuro-developmental readingdifficulty,“alanguage-processingdifficultycausedbytheinabilitytobreakwordsinto phonemes” (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/readingdiffs.html). “Developmentaldyslexia,a learningdisability specific to reading,affectsan estimated 5% of children in school” (O’Brien, 2005). As reported in herwebinar “CursingDyslexia:What isPossible,”Ph.DPatriciaMathesshares thatwhile reading difficulties can result from neurological causes, educationallysound interventions can actually normalize how these students process print, andthereisnoagelimittothispotential,althoughearlyinterventionsarebest.Earlyinterventionsinfluencyareintegraltotheremediation,whichalsoreducesfailureexperiences(Mathes,2016).

If appropriate features of typography can assist students with dyslexia in reading morefluently, theyaremore likely topersevere. “[Practitionersknow toowellthatgettingdyslexicchildrentoreadmoreisakeycomponentinachievinglong-lastingimprovementsinreading”(Zorzi,2012).Becauseanyofthetypographicfeatures may influence perception of letters, creating many variables in thestudyoftypographyandreading,theimpactofspecificfeaturesmaybedifficulttostudy in isolationbutaresubject tonumerousstudies. Increasing fontsizewhileincreasingthespacebetweenlettersmayreducecrowding,“aperceptualphenomenonwithdetrimental effectson letter recognition that ismodulatedbythespacingbetweentheletters…theinterferenceofflankinglettersontherecognitionoftargetletters”(Zorzi,2012).

ExpandingontheworkofZorzi,etal,astudyoftheimpactofshorterlinelengthswithaddedspacingforreadersshowsthat“theaddedspacing…actstofacilitateworddecoding…amongweakreaders” (Schneps,2013).Thebenefitsof largefontsizewithcoexistinglargerspacing“hasnowbeendemonstratedinarangeof

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tasks”(Wilkins,2009).Theseconsiderationsrelatebothtoindependentreadingandinterventions.A2005study“Theeffectofprintsizeonreadingspeedwithdyslexia”concludesthat“dyslexicreadersrequirelargerprintsizetoattaintheirmaximum reading speed” as do slower non-dyslexic readers (O’Brien, et al).Typographic features of large print, thus, are appropriate for students with visual impairments,studentswithdyslexia,andstudentswhoreadslowly.Additionally,educatorsreportthatLargePrintissimplythepreferenceofsomestudents.

Large Print’s Impact on the Visually Impaired

Technologicaladvancesthathaveresultedinmoreaffordableaudio,electronic,andbraille books provide a more pleasurable reading experience for the legally blind andvisually impaired.However,noteveryonewithvisualdifficulties is interestedin consuming books digitally. Rather than listen to an audio book or rely on acomputer voice program, research indicates the legally blind, partially sighted, and those forced to learn new ways to read later in life often desire Large Print books theycanholdandreadforthemselves(Spacey,Creaser,&Hicks,2013).Importantly, the visually impaired cite reading for pleasure as an extremely important component of their lives. Research commissioned by the RoyalNational InstituteofBlindPeoplerecentlyexploredthe impactsofreadingforpleasureonlegallyblindandpartiallysightedadults.Thestudyrevealedthatfor82-percentofparticipants,readingforpleasurewas ‘veryimportant’especiallyto relax. (Spacey,Creaser,&Hicks,2013).Thestudyalso found59-percentofparticipantsreadformorethantenhoursaweek.Whilereadingmaterialswereconsumedinmultipleformats,85-percentofparticipantsreportusingtraditionalhardcopyanddigitalformats.

LargePrinthasadirect impacton the livesof thosewithvisualdifficulties. Inaddition to being a gateway to reading pleasure, Large Print books increase reader comfort levels while simultaneously reducing stress associated with readingdifficulty.Forinstance,properLargePrintfontandstyleselectionshavebeenshowntoreducereadereyefatigue.(Bloodsworth,1993).

Accordingtoa2015report by The Vision Council,23.6%ofchildrenaged3-19spendmorethan 3 hours a day using digitaldevices.Digitaleyestrainisdefinedasthephysical discomfort felt after two or more hours infrontofadigitalscreen.(Morethan90%ofadultsuse digital devices more than2hoursaday.)



LARGE PRINT IMPROVES STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Research at a Glance A 1996 survey conducted by Madhavi Jayanthi, Michael Epstein, Edward

Polloway,andWilliamBursuckof708generaleducationteachersdeterminedthat of twenty-four testing accommodationsquestioned, theuseof LargePrint tests received favorable results, particularly from elementary and secondary (high school) teachers. Principally, 401 teachers stated thata Large Print accommodation was helpful to their students and an easy accommodationtoprovide.

InstudiesbyLynnFuchs,DouglasFuchs,SusanEaton,CarolHamlett,EdwardBinkley,andRobertCrouch(2000)andbyPhilipGrise,SusanBeattie,andBobAlgozzine(1982),theuseofLargePrintasatestaccommodationforlearningdisabledstudentsresultedinoverallhigherlevelsoftestperformance.

Research by Martha Thurlow, Allison House, Dorene Scott, and JamesYsseldyke(2000)foundthatchangingthelayoutofthetest,specificallytheuse of Large Print, is the most universally used testing accommodation in the UnitedStatestomeetstudents’needs.

In 2001, according to Martha Thurlow and Sara Bolt, forty-eight statesadministered statewide assessments; of those, thirty-eight affirmed thatLarge Print is an acceptable accommodation. Of these thirty-eight states,nonemandatedthatLargePrintonlybeusedwithvisuallyimpairedstudents.

BasedonfindingsbyEdwardBurns (1998),usinga LargePrint versionofatest,afontsizeof18point, isanacceptabletestmodificationandhasanegligibleeffectontesttakingandscores.

Large Print’s Impact on Testing

Large Print enables teachers and standardized test providers to accurately gauge students’academicprowessratherthantheirvisualabilities.Enlargingtestprintallowsteacherstocreateunclutteredlookingteststhattrulyteststudentlearning.Serif fonts, like Times New Roman or Courier New, may be used to achieve this alongwithafontsizerangingfrom14to18point.Additionally,marginsshouldbewide,1.5inchesonallfoursides,withleftjustification.Proportionalspacingispreferred,asthismimicswhatstudentsseeoncomputersandinbooks.Doublespacedlinesarepreferableandthereshouldbetriplespacingbetweenitems.Lastly,printingshouldbeinblackinkonwhiteoroff-whitepaper.

Large Print books are the missing component for accelerating literacy comprehension and reading fluency for all students, whether they are struggling, proficient, or in between.

Elizabeth LoweLiteracy and Neuroscience

Researcher

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For very young children and students who are adversely distracted by cluttered testformats,LargePrinttestsareappropriate.LargePrinttestsmayalsobenefitstruggling readers and help them better track their reading of each question and itsresponse.

LARGE PRINT’S TANGIBLE BENEFITSResearch at a Glance In a 2014 research project conducted by Heather and Jordan Schugar,

professorsatWestChesterUniversity,studiesindicatechildrencomprehendwhat they read in traditional print books at much higher levels than they comprehendthesamematerialwhenreadonaniPad.

InastudyconductedbyMariaWeiss(1978)regardingchildrens’preferenceswhen choosing books, themost important format factor was font; an 18pointfontsizewaspreferredby66.7-percentofthirdgraders. Inaddition,66.7-percentofalowerreadingabilitygroupand53.1-percentofamiddlereadingabilitygrouppreferredan18pointfontsize.

In an early 1990s study conducted by Elizabeth Lowe, reported at anInternational Reading Association Workshop in 2003, Lowe found students improvedtestscoresafteroneyearofLargePrintremediation.

InasurveyconductedbyThorndikePress(2002–2003),teachersreportedthat comprehension, motivation and confidence building, vocabulary,decreased tracking, and reading enjoyment were addressed when using LargePrintbooksinreading/languagearts/Englishclasses.

According to the Thorndike Press survey, after using Large Print books for approximately fivemonths,more than half of the teachers reported thattheir students were reading better at the same level or reading at the next level.StudentresponsestotheuseofLargePrintbookswerepositive,asthestudents showed more willingness to read independently because the Large Printbookswereeasiertoreadandunderstand.

Large Print’s growing impact on reading comprehension coincides with the increased demand and popularity of digital content. In a series of surveys,Thorndike Press commissioned an Action Research project that found reading comprehensionwas the principal skill educators use Large Print to enhance.Additionally, educators are extending the benefits of Large Print beyondtraditional users. Besides increasing comprehension and fluency in seniorcitizens, the visually impaired, and students diagnosed with learning disabilities,

It’s just so easy now for people to find our Large Print books, ebooks, and magazines. They just dig that. They think it’s great.

Wendy BartlettCollection Development and

Acquisitions Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library



Large Print is also being used to create higher quality reading experiences and outcomesforstrugglingandreluctantreaderseverywhere.Withlesstoconsumeper page, research indicates even readers who can read regular print are likely toenjoyandcomprehendcontentinLargePrintbooks. Large Print’s Impact on Comprehension

A growing body of research suggests student readers comprehend what they read in print books at much greater rates than they do when consuming content digitally (Herold, 2014). Award-winning science journalist Ferris Jabr wrote acomprehensive article synthesizing the recent literature about reading print and screens.Jabrdiscussesthebraincircuitry,describedinWolf’sbookProust and the Squid,andreadingasaprocessinwhichthebrainsees“text[as]atangiblepartofthephysicalworld.”Jabrdescribesthetextfeaturesthat“maketextinapaperbookeasilynavigable.”Hedelineatesthedistinctattributesoftextreadingwhich“digital textshavenotsatisfyinglyreplicated”andwhichmaycontribute to thefact that many people sample texts on line and purchase paper copies of those theylike.Henotesthevisualdiscomfortsassociatedwithscreenreadingandthemedicalrecognitionofcomputervisionsyndromeasamedicalcondition. Jabrreflectsona2005surveybyDr.ZimingLiuwhichdemonstratesthatstudentsapproachreadingonpaperdifferentlyfromreadingonscreensanddevotelesstimetoreadingapiecethrough.Jabrconcludes:“Whenitcomestointensivelyreadinglongpiecesofplaintext,paperandinkmaystillhavetheadvantage.”

Tanner (2014), in a review of the relevant research, compared the impact onreading comprehension of reading in three platforms, namely print, e-books,andbooksdigitallydownloaded.Inassessingtheimpactsoftheseplatformsoncomprehension, Tanner enumerated several conditions pertinent to librarians’ decisionsregardinghowtoallocatetheirlimitedresources.Tannerpurportsthattheunderlyingbasisoflibrarians’choices“shouldbemadewithanunderstandingof the suitability of each platform for the comprehension needs of the likely reader, and whether a particular book will be read for entertainment or edification.”Citing evidence fromRosenfield (2011), Tanner summarizes that, because theangle of reading related to reading print supports more complete eye blinks than readingonacomputer,thusminimizingdryeye,“printedbookswillcontinuetobe superior to computer screens, especially when one is trying to read longer, morechallengingtexts.”Tannerfurtherdiscussesreaders’subjectivepreferencesforprintoverdigitalreading,citingstudiesbyBenedetto(2013)andKretzschmar(2013),which“showanoverwhelmingpreferenceforprintbooksoverbothdigital

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media platforms.” Citing the work of Jabr (2013) andMangen (2012)), Tannerdiscussesa“thought-landscapewheremeaningassociatedwithwordsoccupiesaspecificlocation,”thecognitiveprocessthereaderdemonstrateswhenabletorecallandlocatethephysicallocationofapassagewithinatext.Thisphysicalityof print is connected to cognitive processes of comprehending andmemory.E-booksanddownloadedmaterialsonscreensmaylikewisebelessappealingtoreaders whose previous reading experiences create certain sensory expectations aboutreading,expectationssuchasbeingabletoturnorear-markpages,lookatthecover,seeentirechaptersandholdthespanintheirhands.TannercreditsGerlach and Buxman (2011) with this concept of “Haptic Dissonance” whichexplainsmany readers’ preference for books over other platformsof reading.Tanner also reviewed studies of metacognitive practices of students when reading from print and e-readers, relatingMargolin’s study (2013) of findingsthat students on e-readers (who had scored slightly below print readers oncomprehension questions) were less likely to return to previous pages. Sincerereadingtoclarifyunderstandingisastrategyofproficientreaders,itispossiblethat turning physical pages is more conducive to this metacognitive strategy.Tanneralsoemphasizes thedistractionofhyperlinks, “proven to interrupt theseamlessnessofthereadingprocessfromperceptiontothoughtprocessing,”ine-reading.Shesummarizesbystatingthat“printbooksarestillthebestsuitedtotheoptical,cognitive,andmetacognitiverequirementsofthereadingbrain.”

Professor,ExecutiveDirectoroftheCenterforTeaching,Research&LearningatAmericanUniversityandauthorofWords Onscreen: The Fate of Reading in a Digital World,NaomiBaronpresented,inherarticle“HowE-ReadingThreatensLearningin theHumanities,” someof her reservations about the increased relianceofdigitalplatformsforreading.Inhersurveysofuniversitystudentsregardingtheirreading of “meaty texts,” Baron investigated student preferences for readingplatforms, their use of these platforms, and their metacognition about the impact ofdigitalandprintplatforms.Sheconcludes“thatscreens...weren’tdesignedforfocusedconcentration,readingslowly,pausing...orrereading.”

While screen reading has many appropriate uses, it should supplement rather than supplant paper texts, particularly as librarians and educators address thediversityof studentpopulationswhosepreferences, learningprofiles,andpurposesarelikewisediverse.

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Ease of Use Gives Large Print an Edge

Research at a Glance Kulbir Gill and a team of researchers at the Ivey Eye Institute in Ontario

conductedaclinicalstudy(2013)thatfoundLargePrint,regardlessofwhetherit is presented digitally or traditionally, may assist in the visual rehabilitation oflow-visionpatients.

InastudyconductedbyLauraHughesandArnoldWilkins(2000),itisnowrecognized that typographical factors such as font size, font style, leading, andcoloraidinthedevelopmentofreading.

HughesandWilkins stated that font size and leading tend todecrease inchildren’sfictionandnonfictionbooksasreadingage increases.Yet,smallprint isnow recognizedasa factor thatmakes readingmoredifficult andmorestressfulfortheeyes.HughesandWilkinsconcludedthatdecreasingperceptual difficulties in books enhances overall reading abilities, asevidencedbytheincreaseinreadingerrorswhenprintsizedecreased.

HughesandWilkinsconcludedthatreadingspeedandaccuracyareaidedwhen texts have larger andmorewidely spaced fonts. This is particularlytrue for emerging readers of any age, thus eliminating an intimidation factor associatedwithsmallfontsizes.

LauraHughesandArnoldWilkins,researchprofessionalsintheUnitedKingdom,conducted a study in 2000 to see how typography impacted reading speed and accuracy.Elementaryschoolstudentswereshownfourdifferentreadingpassages,eachdifferedinfontsizeandspacingbetweenbothwordsandlines.Thesizeandspacingalsodecreasedwitheachsubsequentpassage.Theresearchersobservedstudentreadingspeedslowastheymovedthroughthefourpassages.Additionally,the children, regardless of age, made more errors when reading the passages insmallerprint.HughesandWilkinsconcludedthatchildrenwouldbenefitfromreadinglargerprintformoreyearsthanisnowcustomary.Becauseoftheirdifficultyprocessingsmallertext,youngerchildrenages5to7wouldbenefitthemostfromlongerexposuretoLargePrintbooks.Ineffect,HughesandWilkinssuggestedthatthe use of Large Print would aid the development of emerging readers regardless ofage.

The students are so excited... They beg for independent reading time! They read for 60 minutes straight when normal reading time was 40 minutes.

Rosemary PillsburyMount View High School,

Thorndike, ME

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WHO USES LARGE PRINT AND WHY The use of Large Print is typically associated with meeting the unique needs of older people or those who have low vision. Low vision is characterizedby impairment that cannot be fully corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery.Whilepeoplewith low visiondohave somedegreeof sight, theygenerally rely on assistive technologies such as Large Print to improve visual processingandmaketaskslikereadinglessdifficult.

Whileseniorcitizensmayfirstcometomindwhenenvisioninglowvisionreaders,they’renotaloneintheirneedforLargePrintmaterials.TheU.S.CensusBureauestimates 189,000 children age six to 14-years old struggle to seewords andlettersinordinarynewsprint.(Neumann,2012).Thebureaualsocitesinits2002AmericansWithDisabilitiesreportthatthesechildrenexperiencedifficultyevenwhenwearingglassesorcontactlenses.Additionally,7.8millionAmericansage15andolderhavesimilarafflictions.

Statistics like these indicate why there are often abundant collections of young adultLargePrintbooksonlibraryshelves.Whileyoungerreadersobviouslyflocktotitles written with their generation in mind, the young adult genre is also attracting older readers. TheAmericanLibraryAssociationsurveyed librarians responsiblefor purchasing Large Print young adult books and found primary demand for these titlescomesfromadults.(Neumann,2012).PopularLargePrinttitleslikethesearealsosatisfyingtheneedsofpeoplewithlearningdisabilitieslikedyslexia.Strugglingorreluctantreadersbenefitaswellasdothosewholearnvisually.

Widespread demand for popular young adult Large Print titles might very well go unmetwithoutpubliclibraries.Libraries,accordingtoPublishersWeekly,arethecorebuyersofLargePrinttitles.(Bond,2011).Moreaccurately,librariesaretheconduits through which Large Print content is often distributed to students and adults.

While Large Print publishers like Thorndike Press suggest demand for Large Print is recession resistant, the economic downturn that began in 2008-09 negativelyimpacted public library budgets. Libraries intimately understand their role in the

Although I bought Large Print books to help the students with vision problems, all the students want them. It took me a moment to understand what was going on when I had so many requests for “books with big words.”

Sandy RunionsClinton Middle School

Clinton, Tennessee

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lives of struggling and reluctant readers and maintained standing orders for Large Printtitlesduringtherecession,accordingtoPublishersWeekly.However,observerssay cost cuts made during the downturn combined with the growing popularity of electronicbooksthreatenLargePrint’spervasivenessintraditionalformats.

THORNDIKE PRESS: THE WORLD’S LARGE PRINT LEADER Thorndike Press, the world’s leading large print publisher, has been helping struggling,reluctant,anddisabledreadersenjoybooksfornearlyfourdecades.ThorndikePressbeganitsLargePrintpublishingprogramin1980inThorndike,Maine.ThorndikePressisalsothehomeofLargePrintPress,WheelerPublishing,and Kennebec Large Print. Thorndike Press has been publishing unabridgedreprintsofbooksinLargePrintformiddleandyoungadultreaderssince1999.

Thorndike’s commitment to help struggling readers become independent readersisevident.Withayoungadultcataloguefeaturingmorethan350awardwinning,best-selling,popularandclassictitles,Thorndikepublishesmorebestsellersandbestsellingauthorsthananyotherpublisher.ManyoftheseLargePrinttitlesarepublishedsimultaneouslywiththeirregularprintcounterparts.

Thorndike’scommitment isoneonwhicheducatorshavecometorely. “Goodold Thorndike has always been the one we trust to provide the large print materialsourcustomersreallyneed,”WendyBartlett,CollectionDevelopmentandAcquisitionsManagerattheCuyahogaCountyPublicLibrarysaid.“Thorndikehas a really great catalogue and it’s why every library I’ve been associated with hasusedThorndike.”

Large Print books are no longer the domain of just the visually impaired or the elderly, in part, because Thorndike’s Large Print books are similar in size and weighttoregularprintbooks.Thorndikeachievesthisbyusinghighqualitythinbutopaquepaper soLargePrintbooksarenotoversized.Notonlydoes thetype of paper used prevent text from being seen on the other side of the page, it’s also a key in reducing the size of Large Print books which prevents students fromfeelingself-conscious.

Thorndike has always been the one we trust to provide the Large Print materials our customers really need.

Wendy BartlettCollection Development and

Acquisitions Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library

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These are reasons Thorndike’s Large Print titles now have a legitimate place alongside regular print books in any classroom. Research consistently showsLarge Print books are necessary ingredients in successful reading programs for students of all ages. More importantly though, Large Print books aidstruggling readers regardless of whether or not they’ve been diagnosed with learning disabilities. Thorndike Press reduces the number ofwords per pagewhichresultsinpositiveacademicandsocialoutcomes.Thisenablesstrugglingreaderstomakesubstantialprogresswithcomprehension,tracking,andfluency.Thorndike’s commitment to Large Print has helped students gain and develop theskillsnecessarytobecomesuccessful,confident,andlifelongreaders.

With new titles being added monthly, Thorndike Press is home to the classics and cultfavoritesbothfictionandnonfictionreadershavecometolove.Withacataloguethat spans genres, Thorndike provides Large Print titles for those reading at a fourth gradelevelandabove.

To learn more about Thorndike Press visit us at www.gale.com/thorndike

or to place an order or to receive a free catalog call 1-800-223-1244, ext. 4.

http://www.gale.com/thorndike

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Thorndike Press is located in Waterville, Maine, and has been publishing Large Print titles for more than 30 years. More than 100 Large Print titles publish every month — the vast majority in the current bestseller and genre fiction categories. We’re proud to offer the largest selection of Large Print bestsellers available anywhere, supporting reading levels from the fourth grade on. Gale, a Cengage company, acquired Thorndike Press in 1999. Gale serves the world’s information and education needs through its vast and dynamic content pools, which are used by students and consumers in their libraries, schools and on the Internet. gale.com/thorndike

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