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Here's an example of the font Dyslexie.
A Dutch graphic artist claims he's created a font that can make reading easier on dyslexics. Christian Boer, diagnosed with dyslexia himself when he was 4, thinks the pot-bellied “b” and the barrel-chested “d” in Dyslexie, the font he designed, helps people with his learning disability read better.
Some of the letters in his san-serif font appear to be a bit tipsy. The”j” is slightly askew, the better to distinguish it from the “i.” The “c” opens really wide, to minimize the possibility it would be confused with the “e.” The “b,” which looks like it might want to lay off the beer, leans forward a tad, while the “d,” which looks like it’s been lifting weights, leans back. In commonly used fonts, of course, the two letters are mirror images.
Dyslexie “is gaining popularity because people with dyslexia see/experience that it works,” Boer says via email.
As evidence, Boer cites an experiment done by a Dutch grad student named Renske de Leeuw. De Leeuw compared Dyslexie and the font Arial in 21 students with dyslexia and 22 students without it. In his master’s thesis last December, de Leeuw wrote that dyslexics overall made fewer errors while reading Dyslexie, although their speed did not increase.
Reviews by the dyslexics in his study were mixed, de Leeuw wrote in his thesis: “The experimental font looks messy, like someone should buy a new printer,” one said. “The letters are much clearer!” said another.
Dyslexia researcher Sally Shaywitz is skeptical, to say the least. For one, Shaywitz said, an unpublished master’s thesis isn’t exactly solid scientific evidence.
“As a scientist, I go by evidence and data, and I’m not aware of any” to support the notion that a special font — and there are others besides Dyslexie, such as “Lexia Readable”— improves reading ability in dyslexics.
One reason, Shaywitz tells audiences around the country, is “it’s not about ‘b’ and ‘d.’”
Shaywitz, a physician who co-directs the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, ought to know. She has has published more than 200 scientific articles, chapters and books about dyslexia, including the bestselling book "Overcoming Dyslexia."
She points out that dyslexia is not a visual problem: Dyslexics have trouble matching the letters they see on the page with the sounds those letters and combinations of letters make, her center's says. “Reversing letters is not a sure sign of dyslexia; a child can be highly dyslexic and NOT reverse letters.”
Do you have dyslexia, or do you know someone with the learning disability? What do you think about a specially designed font like Dyslexie?
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"learnring"?
od ew deen ruo nwo tnof? On!
"Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"
As someone who was diagnosed dyslexic as a child and is working on a masters in education, including quite a bit of coursework on learning disablities, there seem to be various definitions. One is the classic visual reversals, which I have - I actually do this with art, geography, and numbers, not just words, so obviously it's not auditory. Another definition says - as Shaywitz does - that dyslexia is an auditory, not visual, problem. Obviously these are really two completely different problems, (although some people might have both) but it seems the terminology hasn't quite gotten sorted out.
For people like me, with visual dyslexia, that alphabet would be very helpful. My dyslexia is fairly mild, so my teachers ran in to the rather confusing situation where I could read chapter books and such (Charlotte's Web, etc.) but struggled with school work (this was kindergarten and first/second grades) because the school materials tended to be printed in easy-to-reverse sans-serif block-printing fonts, and the books were printed in serif fonts where each letter was more unique.
For people with auditory-based dyslexia, obviously a different font is going to be less helpful, which probably accounts for which "dyslexics" went "Aha!" and which went "...nope."
I personally find the Dyslexie font very comfortable to read, much easier on the eyes than most.
Thank you for your post. As an untreated senior, I thurst for more information.
I have to agree wholeheartedly. Not all dyslexics can't read or have auditory problems. In fact, I'm an editor and mildly dyslexic. I just have difficulty with some words and letters. This font is fantastically easy to read. I'm considering buying it to make my work easier and then changing it back into Times and/or Courier (yuck, hate them both) for print/distribution.
By the way, did you know that Apple desktops come with reading software built in? You just highlight the phrase on the screen and it will read it to you. (You can even pick the voice that does the reading!)
Reading words, for me, is easy, but I feel dyslexic when trying to read music! It seemed that no matter hard a piano teacher tried to teach me, I could only read music notes very slowly, one at a time, and I made lots of mistakes despite practice over time.
I discovered that it was much easier for me to just memorize how to play a song, and that reading music while playing was simply a distraction. Perhaps if a special font for music notes could be developed that showed more differences between how the notes look, I could learn more easily. They just look so darn alike!
I am a learning specialist with a masters in learning disabilities who works with children with dyslexia and I just wanted to clarify that dyslexia is just a fancy word for Language-Based Learning Disability. Every person with Dyslexia has a slightly different learning profile, so someone might have strengths in auditory processing, or might be more of a visual learner etc. Reversals are caused by the brains struggle to rapidly retrieve the correct label for a given visual symbol. In trying to find the correct label, the brain often retrieves the label for a visually similar symbol. This can occur in spoken language as well, causing an individual with dyslexia to confuse two words that sound similar but have different meanings (ie tornado and volcano). There is some wonderful research being done now and it is exciting to imagine what they will discover next!
I used to know someone who was told he had dyslexia. His issue was that he simply could not see the letter "F" in either upper or lower case. Is this something that can be solved by this font?
If life gives you melons you might be dyslexic. All I can say is after sixty years I have learned to live with it. As for b's and d's just remember the word bed. A friend gave me this hint many years ago and it works. The other thing is just keep reading. It would take me days to read a large print eighty page book, but now I can read a book in about twice the time as a non dyslexic. Still slow but not as frustrating.
@HP
Me, too! Got anything for H's and K's?
It is so good to see kids getting assistance and understanding today!
"If life gives you melons, you may be dyslexic." ...how true - but we also have the gift of discovery!
My daughter is dyslexic. She's the visual kind. K-3 was a nightmare. Teachers mader her feel stupid or lazy or both. Once we got her diagnosed (in 3rd grade) and she got a teacher who was interested in helping her (4th and 5th grades), she has worked wonders! She is now in high school and is an honors and AP student! I can guarantee that the Dyslexie font would have been incredibly useful when she was first learning to read. Just like Amaranth in the previous posting, chapter books were no problem. It was the "how to" learning materials at school that gave her the most trouble! It's amazing, though, how many teachers are unsympathetic and expect her to learn exactly the way that they expect everyone to learn. Cookie cutter teaching does not work. We need to do more to help our children learn in a way that is best for themselves, not in the way that is most comfortable for the teachers. That being said, teachers are undercompensated and not incented to think outside the box.
Your daughter's greatest asset has been your understanding, involvement, and love. Good on you!
Thanks! Parental understanding is key, I do agree. Too many times I've seen other children who could use their parents help and do not get it. Oftentimes these kids are viewed by their parents as lazy and told to try harder. To me it is like telling a kid with a broken leg to try harder to run around a track in gym class. Without a cast and crutches the kid with the broken leg won't get very far. Without support, understanding and alternative learning methods, dyslexics don't get very far in school either. Dyslexics are typically incredibly intelligent and very good character judges. I once read a study that said that gang leaders are often kids with Dyslexia who did not receive the help they needed in school and as they are excellent at reading people, they are good at leading people.
I have mild dyslexia and I can certainly say that some fonts are a hell of a lot easier to read than others.
Being from a time when it was just call slow I was made into a troubled young man. After a tour in the USMC got my head on right I still hate to read.
Dyslexia is probably a cluster of cognitive problems, so there may be no single solution.
As a SR. unassisted dyslexic, that makes so much sense!
Well actually, what we've learned in dealing with our daughter's diagnosis is that there is no one type of dyslexia.
I've heard of so many different forms of the disability, including it's cousin, dysgraphia, no wonder these people can't get the help they need! My brother had trouble writing, so I was allowed to help him on occasion with long papers. (I'm a decent typist). It was a big help to him, and I think the biggest thing of all that helps kids with these learning disorders...is for others to get involved! Don't just write off your kids or expect special ed to help them, take an interest so they aren't so frustrated with homework! Don't do it FOR them, that certainly won't help, but if you can assist with the difficult part, they are more likely to enjoy learning rather than being constantly unhappy because they "don't get it".
This is what parenting looks like! It takes dedication, effort, and love. A parent.
I couldn't agree more! Parents, please stand up for your children and stand by them!!! In early grammar school my daughter was assigned to a special ed teacher who simply dumbed down the curriculum to the point that my daughter was incredibly bored. That SO was not what she needed. She wasn't impaired in her understanding of the content. She only needed assistance with the way she was learning to read. This woman made her feel so dumb. (I'm not criticizing all special ed teachers, only this particular woman.) After much unproductive discussion with this woman, I let the school know that her services were not needed as she wasn't doing a proper job. I found out from my daughter a couple of weeks later that they were continuing to pull her out of class to meet with this woman in spite of my discussions with them. I instructed my daughter that the next time this woman tried to pull her out of class she was to politely refuse and then march herself down to the principal's office to call me. It only happened once. They got the hint. The woman never approached my daughter again. It took a lot of courage for my daughter to do this. She was in 2nd grade. Parental support needs to happen early and it needs to be consistent! Parents, please stand up for your children and be their mainstay! They need you!
Once read a report typed by a high school teen with Dyslexia - there were no sentences that had a complete thought. It appears that it isn't just letters/numbers - but - some people seem to have a form of Dyslexia that causes them not to see or be able to write a complete thought. Maybe the complete thought is in their mind - but they can't get it on paper.
With testing in schools today - this teen would never pass the writing part of the new tests. It is interesting - even if this teen were identified as Special Education - NCLB - requires him to be tested. And - he must show an acceptable level of competence for his grade level.
Actually, no, dyslexia is not as you describe it in any form. There is nothing wrong with any dyslexics thought powers and in fact there's a disproportionate number of very high IQ dyslexics. That's why EVERY public school allows children who are diagnosed some consideration, such as no timed tests. Most colleges now do the same and there's a good deal of tools such as voice recognition software programs available to help. My child goes to a dyslexic specialized high school with a 100% graduation rate and a 98% college placement rate. This is not a problem of brain power.
no wonder these people can't get the help they need!
Local guy with Dyslexia ran a successful business - earned a good living for him and his wife and kids. He married a very smart woman who took care of all the paper work. Many people with Dyslexia learn very well with visual or auditory senses - and - many are very smart. No one ever knew (for years) about his Dyslexia - until a relative ask him to be interviewed for a local story about Dyslexia.
how many teachers are unsympathetic and expect her to learn exactly the way that they expect
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Not unsympathetic - just that a croweded classroom is not the place where these students will get the help they need. Local Teacher has 38 students in one class with 15 Special Edcuation students in that classroom. It is really odd that anyone would think that any of these students will get the kind of education they need.
And - a few years back a local Teacher had 50 students in one ninth grade science class. Also with Special Education students mixed in - does anyone think that any individual student - especially one with a learning difficulty is going to get any individual help?
Not getting "individual" help is one thing. Being told you are just stupid is something else and unfortunately, I still hear those stories of unbelievable ignorance on the part of teachers. There are still too many teachers who are unschooled in understanding what dyslexia is and, especially in boys, are quick to claim behavioral problems. By the way, one of the reasons I especially appreciated our very good public schools is because there were so many teachers there who understood they are there to help EVERY child achieve their potential. We were first alerted to my daughter's dyslexia by her public school kindergarten teacher who began scheduling her for extra help in class two years before she was officially diagnosed.
I have dyslexia. In the 3rd grade I was labeled "learning retarded." All efforts at remedial training failed. The teachers and even my own parents gave up on me. I did not cure it but I did learn to live with it. I forced myself to read everything in print which came in front of me, news papers, cereal boxes, milk cartons, any and everything. I read everything except the "Dick and Jane" nonsense the school system demanded i read. I refused to read the "standard special material." Through the years in school I demanded I be permitted to reject the standard reading material assigned me at the time and focus on books which were of personal interest. When I started reading the regular material, at age 12, Steinbeck and the like were just too depressing. I opted for Doyle, sci-fi and non-fiction. I literally fought against the system. I forced my brain to make sense of the world around me, rather than permit the system to give me "crutches" to get by. I still have dyslexia, but I also have two college degrees and I am well into my second successful career as I am nearing age 60. I credit my success in life to training my brain, through the force of will, and to the rejection of all learning aides. Outside of school, in the real world, there are no aides, so why be trained to depend upon them? My three children have my exact same difficulty. I have been harshly criticized for taking a strict stance in their education but I have the results which the system could not develop. I have one college grad (magna cum laude), one college student and a 12 year old who reads above her grade level. I taught them what life taught me. They and I continue to grow in happiness and love. I reject to idea of lifting "disabled children" with artificial, enslaving aides. Show them they can lift themselves and they will walk through life with pride and dignity, happy and productive.
Good for you! It takes such courage to shrug off those labels and know the real power you have. your kids are very, very lucky to have you.
I agree! Good for you!!! The nonsense they have the kids reading these days is simply depressing. I know as I read every book that is assigned to my kids so that I'll know what they are being force fed at school. How is a child supposed to be excited about reading when all of the stories they are given are about abuse, starvation, disappearing parents, etc.? This type of book wins big name prizes but are deadly dull or else disturbing to young readers. Why can't they be allowed to read books that fire their imaginations??? Now that we've reached high school it is somewhat better. There is an "approved reading list" from which she can select books to read. Anyway, good that you stood up for yourself! These days there is something called a 504 Plan. If you can get your school to sign a 504 plan with you then your child has some protection that will follow them throughout their school years.
How I learned to read by myself:
Nancy Drew. All books are written with the same vocabulary and rhythm. I bothered my Mom to say any word that I did not know until I learned them. I read every Nancy Drew book after I got the hang of it in the summer before 7th grade; I had been passed every grade K-6 w/o knowing how to read.
Many of us older dyslexics have endured being labeled "retarded" and after IQ testing, being labeled as lazy, no-good kids. I hope teachers continue to become aware that some of the quiet students in their classes yearn for knowledge and only need help to find their key to understanding. If you want to make a huge difference in some students' lives, help dyslexics!
Lysdexics are teople poo!
I have more of the dyscalcula than dyslexia, but after my mom taught me how to read...(I was just not getting it with Dick and Jane) I took off and read everything handed to me, (except Dick and Jane) I read well above my grade level and can as an adult read anything, including medical or legal text, university level philosophy books, (I actually love these) When writing I hapitually will reverse D and B and P and B. But guess what, there are these things called DICTIONARIES..., (also Microsoft's Thesarus) takes only a couple of minutes, (or seconds) to check the words I know I'll screw up on. A special font won't make any difference to me...In fact I enjoy reading difficult fonts like Old English ones...
A lot of my friends are dyslexic too, and they are all also above average in intelligence and creative thinkers. I think in some way that has not been discovered or researched a high level of intelligence and high creative levels go hand in hand with dyslexia.
"She points out that dyslexia is not a visual problem: Dyslexics have trouble matching the letters they see on the page with the sounds those letters and combinations of letters make, her center's says. “Reversing letters is not a sure sign of dyslexia; a child can be highly dyslexic and NOT reverse letters.”"
She seems to be talking about an auditory processing disorder, or more specifically, auditory discrimination disorder. My son has this. The brain has trouble connecting the sound to the letter. It has been described as "dyslexia of the ear" but is NOT dyslexia. This "expert" quoted for the article doesn't seem to know what she's talking about. BUT, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the journalist who is misquoting her as well. MSNBC seems rather notorious about that lately.
However, I checked out her website and some of her "research" is based on unproven theories and conjectures about human nature, and NOT on observational science, so despite her experience, I question her viewpoint on the subject.
one size doesn't always fit all. this needs thorough research in the ivory towers and thanks to easy distribution, thorough use in the real world. in time it's value and to whom it IS a value will become more clear. it's not like it's a big $$$ investment and it's usefulness needs to be sorted before it's marketed. it's usefulness to the public will soon become apparent simply by it's adoption or rejection by it's users.