More space between letters could make reading easier for children with dyslexia

One small solution might make reading a little easier for children with dyslexia, as well as for their classmates: increase the space between the printed letters.

That’s the conclusion of a small study that tested the effects of “extra-large” letter spacing on the reading speed and accuracy of schoolchildren. And this adds to a conflicting body of research on the usefulness of visual aids for people with dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects 15 to 20% of Americans, according to the International Dyslexia Association. It causes difficulty in reading, spelling and writing.

In the new study, researchers found that putting extra space between printed letters seemed to make the task of reading aloud a little easier for children with and without dyslexia.

Overall, children increased their reading speed on a 3-minute test. And those with dyslexia somewhat reduce reading errors – in particular, skipping words.

However, whether the extra letter spacing or visual aids make a significant difference for children with dyslexia is controversial.

While there is a popular perception that dyslexia is a visual problem, years of research show otherwise, said Daniela Montalto, a pediatric neuropsychiatrist who was not involved in the study.

“Many studies have ruled out that dyslexia is a visual processing disorder and, therefore, is not corrected or supported by the implementation of visual aids,” said Montalto, who is based at the hospital for Hassenfeld children of NYU Langone in New York.

Instead, she said, dyslexia is seen as a language disability.

Research suggests that this involves deficits in processing the sounds that make up language and in decoding their relationship to printed letters and words. The impairments are mainly rooted in the language areas of the brain, Montalto said.

Still, she noted, some researchers have investigated whether “weaknesses” in visual processing may contribute to the slow reading seen in dyslexia.

This includes researching visual reading aids like wider letter spacing, color overlays to reduce eye strain, or “dyslexia-friendly” fonts.

Some studies have suggested benefits. But they have limitations that make it difficult to draw conclusions, according to Montalto. Plus, she said, when other researchers tried to replicate the results, they came to conflicting conclusions, especially with color overlays.

Enter the new study – published this week in the journal Research in Developmental Disabilities.

The study included 32 children with dyslexia and 27 not, matched for age and IQ scores. The researchers asked each child to read four short texts aloud – with or without additional letter spacing, and with or without color overlays.

It turned out that the overlays didn’t make any difference in reading speed or errors. But the letter spacing tactic did it: Children without dyslexia read 5% faster, on average, the improvement was greatest in children with dyslexia, at 13%.

Children with dyslexia also tended to skip fewer words when reading larger texts. However, there was no effect on other reading errors, such as the wrong word or pronunciation errors.

“One of the cool things about the extra spacing is that it can be used for everyone in a classroom and benefit everyone,” said lead researcher Steven Stagg, professor of psychology at Anglia University. Ruskin in Great Britain. “He does not distinguish dyslexic children.”

It would be relatively easy, Stagg said, for teachers to use extra spacing in documents. In Britain, he noted, a petition is circulating for examination boards to print tests in this format. And some companies do texts with extra spacing, he said.

Stagg acknowledged that the theories suggesting that dyslexia involves visual processing problems are “inconclusive.” He also noted that children with dyslexia sometimes have coexisting conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or an eye disorder called Meares-Irlen syndrome.

“So maybe it’s the other disorders that make reading difficult from a visual processing perspective,” Stagg said.

Ignoring these other conditions is one of the limitations of studies testing visual aids for dyslexia, Montalto says. Likewise, they often lack information on the types of reading remediation that children have previously received.

Specialized instruction in reading, in or out of school, is the standard way to help children cope with dyslexia. While changing text or font spacing can’t hurt, Montalto said, it doesn’t replace full help.

“It will not correct or improve the areas of the brain primarily responsible for dyslexia,” she said. “And this can in some cases delay the initiation of proven interventions known to positively change the brains of dyslexic students.”

More information

To learn more about dyslexia, visit the International Dyslexia Association.

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