What is the Best Dyslexia Font?

Finding a good dyslexia font that is easy to read may seem like it is difficult but it is not impossible.

If you are reading, there are many books available that print their books with fonts that are easy for people with dyslexia to read.  Many of these books are printed by publishers that publish books solely meant for people with dyslexia.  

These books can range from children’s books to adult books in all sorts of genres.

When it comes to writing that can be a bit more of a challenge but there are fonts available to you!  Some of these fonts are fairly inexpensive to buy or even free for you to download and use.

Fairly recently a team of researchers in Spain published the results of a study of which fonts were the easiest for people with dyslexia to read.  The sampling they used was not a huge one so it is possible that one font they used may be hard for you to read and that’s okay.  There were several different types of fonts that people with dyslexia can read and the odds are one that works well for you is most likely on this list.

The researchers in Spain studied forty eight dyslexic people aging in range from eleven to fifty.  They discovered that by having people read twelve different texts in twelve different fonts people could read the easiest in sans serif and monospaced.

While this is promising it should also be noted that fonts that have italic formats should be avoided.  The researchers discovered that reading was severely impaired when italic fonts were used.

Based on their findings researchers recommend Helvetica, Courier, Arial, Veranda, and Computer Modern as the best for easy reading.

There are also many types of dyslexia fonts that are easy to read that are available online.

Some of these dyslexia fonts involve making bottom heavy letters so that your mind can’t turn the letters.  With some of these fonts the spaces between the letters are bigger as well for easier reading.  Punctuation marks and capitalized letters can be made bolder so that it is easier to read and the paragraph does not appear as one big run on sentence.

There is also a special type of dyslexia font known as “Read Regular” or “Zwijsen Dyslexiefont” that was developed in 2003 by graphic designer Natascha Frensch.  This person developed a font specifically designed for easy reading for people with dyslexia.  This particular font can can be easily be found through an online search.

Though it is rather expensive there is a dyslexia font out there that is often recommended.  This font is called “Easy Read” and can be purchased online.  This font is different as the letter shapes are similar to those that are used in school to teach handwriting.  The letter shapes are exaggerated to emphasize the word shapes.

Another dyslexia font is called “Myriad Pro” which is a modern easy reading font designed by Adobe.  Many sites have begun adopting this font for easy readying for people with dyslexia.  This font has a clean sans serif look that makes reading easy for people with dyslexia.

When looking for the best dyslexia font that is easy to read be sure to do your research.  Many of the websites that provide these fonts will also post reviews and ratings.  Keep in mind what type of dyslexia font that works for you may not work for someone else and vice-versa.  This is perfectly fine and normal!  With a little time and effort you will be able to find which type of dyslexia font that is easy to read works best for you!

Are You Looking For Dyslexia Workbooks? Stop Here!

Like dyslexia worksheets there are many types of dyslexia workbooks that are available out there for you or for your loved one.  Some of these workbooks may be downloaded online for free or for a fairly inexpensive price.  Other dyslexia workbooks can be purchased online from online sellers for a fairly inexpensive price.  A quick google search revealed that many companies offer dyslexia workbooks.

There are even publishers out there that print only dyslexia friendly books so it doesn’t hurt to look them up to see if they have any and it’s also a great way to support their company!

These dyslexia workbooks offer many different options for you so it is important to know what you are looking for in a dyslexia workbook. Ask yourself some of the following questions:

• Am I looking for a dyslexia workbooks that helps with letters?
• Am I looking for a dyslexia workbooks that helps with telling left and right apart?
• Am I looking for a dyslexia workbooks that helps with reading comprehension?
• Am I looking for a dyslexia workbooks that will help with school work?

There are dyslexia workbooks for those and even more available for you!  Once you know what you’re looking for in particular it will help you in finding the right workbook.

The dyslexia workbooks will contain a certain amount of lessons.  Fifty plus lessons seem to be the most common and it should say how many lessons are included in information about the book.

These lessons in the dyslexia workbooks start out gradually and build up to the next topic.  There should be repetition and reinforcement along the way to help the information from the last lesson stay with the worker.

While many of these dyslexia workbooks are broken up according to age, they are also geared towards reading and comprehension level.

Some of the dyslexia workbooks are broken up into a series so the reader can go from one book into the other.  Many of these are done in such a way that the person working on them does not realize that they are doing actual work!

Some of these dyslexia workbooks will also include an audio book that is on CD or is available for download online after purchase.  This may help reinforce the information if you or your loved one are reading along with the lesson.

Many of the best dyslexia workbooks are based on the Orton-Gillingham method of treating dyslexia.  The Orton-Gillingham method is one of the most respected and is considered the best way to overcome dyslexia.

Many companies that sell these workbooks will also offer online reviews.  When looking for the right book be sure to look at the reviews and do your own research.  Our emotions, positive and negative, can affect what we write in reviews so it is always important to do your own independent research.  Be sure to ask yourself what methods these workbooks use and how does it address your or your loved ones needs?  If you need help deciding your school and doctor would be happy to help point you in the right direction.

With a little work and help from these books you and your loved ones should be reading and writing in no time!

What is the Best Dyslexia Colored Paper?

When it comes to reading with dyslexia white paper can make reading frustrating and even rather difficult.

Fortunately this has been noticed and many companies like award winning Irlen Overlays are now printing dyslexia paper that is printed in different colors.  You can even buy dyslexia color sleeves to help you organize your information. 

This is different from traditional white colored paper and it has even been developed by dyslexia experts!  This isn’t someone throwing something out and hoping it works; this has been done by people who carefully took in your needs and created a form and color of dyslexia paper which will help you.  Even today these dyslexia colored paper are being adapted and changed based on the need of people like you.

If you are wanting to read, then many books are published with this dyslexia colored paper.  There are even companies that only publish books that are meant for people with dyslexia.

Dyslexia colored paper for writing these may be a little more difficult to find in an everyday back to school store but they can be purchased online for a rather inexpensive price.  These can often be found through a simple online search or you can also ask the school for help in finding these materials.

Dyslexia colors come in many different sizes for all your needs.  These can be smaller books which are meant for journal keeping or spelling to standard size paper for bigger notes.

If you don’t need booklets many times these sheets can be bought in packages of twenty five to fifty depending on your needs.

Dyslexia colors can have lines for writing and even grids to help you.  There are some dyslexia colored papers that are mad specifically for writing with bolded and broken lines to help you with your writing. These can be narrow or wide in size depending on your needs.

Dyslexia colored papers are often tinted so that they reduce reading and writing stress.  If the paper is white it can make it difficult for people with dyslexia to read or write as the letters have a tendency to jump around.  Dyslexia colors are available can include but are not limited to:

• Cream
• Blue
• Aqua
• Lavender
• Green
• Orange
• Pink
• Turquoise
• Yellow

Clear sleeves are also available in dyslexia colors.  These can often be purchased online for a fairly inexpensive price or may even be found in specialty shops.

At first it is possible and even normal to feel slightly embarrassed by having special colored paper for dyslexia.  The designers have taken this fact into account and have you covered!  The differences between dyslexia writing paper and traditional writing paper are fairly minimal and done in such a way most people would not recognize the paper as dyslexia paper at first glance.  In fact some of them may not even recognize it as dyslexia paper unless they are told so.

Dyslexia colored paper will greatly help you with your reading and writing.  As there are many benefits to it there’s no time like the present to buy some and get started!

Are You Looking For Dyslexia Worksheets?

There are many dyslexia worksheets that are available for you to download online for free or for a fairly inexpensive price.  Many of these dyslexia worksheets have been specially developed for children with dyslexia.

If you search “dyslexia worksheets” you will find many, many downloads that can make you wonder just where to start?  If you are uncertain where to start your school and doctor will be able to help you with a starting place.  Or you can look here.

Every person’s needs are different so the worksheets are varied and there is no “one size fits all.”  Because of this it is important to see what the dyslexic person needs the most and to practice them.

Below I’ll be listing the different types of dyslexia worksheets available and what are the signs that may be shown when the learner is struggling.

Visual recognition dyslexia worksheets:

• Visually similar things are not recognized as being different.  The lower case letters “C” and “E” and “I” and “J” are common ones.
• Handwriting is difficult to read.
• There is a lack of uniformity in the sizing of the handwriting.
• Confusion between letters such as “D” and “B” and “U” and “N”.
• Inverted reading or writing of numbers.  The numbers 6 and 9 are good examples.
• Omission of letters or numbers.
• Difficulty in distinguishing colors and shapes.
• Everything must be touched in order to be understood.
• Unable to understand amounts.
• Difficulty with numbers greater than ten.
• Multiple copy errors.

Visual memory dyslexia worksheets:

• Difficulty in recognizing colors, shapes, pictures, patterns, and objects.
• Difficulty memorizing words.  These words can be properly written several times and then incorrectly.
• Difficulties or unable to draw patterns from memory.
• Mixing up of the letters “A, E, O”, “H, K”, “F, T”, and “M, N.”
• The letters “A, E, O” appear the same.
• The learner cannot find their place in text when reading.
• The learner frequently checks the patterns when copying work.

Visual sequencing dyslexia worksheets:

• Halting and/or slow reading
• Letters and/or syllables are missing or added where not needed.
• Reversing letters or numbers when reading and writing.
• Switching the order of words when writing.
• Duplication of letters.
• Leaving out endings or words when writing.
• Distraction and losing place in a story.
• Omission of numbers when writing.
• Difficulties counting.
• Difficulty understanding amounts.
• Slow learning of basic math skills.
• Omission of steps when doing basic math.

Sound recognition dyslexia worksheets:

• The basics of sounds cannot be understood.
• Unable to say if sounds are the same or not.
• A sound is matched with a wrong letter.
• Unable to distinguish between spoken and non-spoken consonants.  The letters “G and K”, “B and P”, “D and T” are common.
• Unable to distinguish between dipthongs such as “ei and eu” and “eu and au”.
• Unable to distinguish between “M” and “N.”
• Difficulty repeating the same or similar words or names.
• Difficulty repeating unfamiliar words.
• Difficulty transcribing spoken words.

Sound memory dyslexia worksheets:

• Unable to remember and repeat what was heard.
• Frequent questioning when reciting.
• Difficulty understanding what was heard.
• Poor vocabulary.

Body perception dyslexia worksheets:

• Unable to orientate oneself to one’s own body.
• Confusion or unable to understand right and left, above and below, in front of and in back of.

Once you know what your child needs in help you can find and print out the appropriate dyslexia worksheet for them.  There are many sites that offer reviews so you can look over the comments on the worksheets so you know what you are printing out.

Looking for a Dyslexia Friendly Typeface?

When a person has dyslexia he will unconsciously switch, rotate, and even mirror letters without them even realizing it.  This can make reading very difficult.  Traditional typefaces such as Helvetica are a good example.  It can be especially confusing when the letters “N”, “U”, “B”, and “D” are used.  In several typefaces the letters are mirrored, flipped over, or switched.

Is there a dyslexia friendly typeface that can help me? You may ask.

Yes, there is!

As dyslexia becomes more understood many publishers are starting to print books with dyslexic friendly typefaces.  Some of these books are also available in e-format so you can easily purchase them and download them onto your tablet for easy reading.

This is great for books but you may also be wondering about what about other dyslexia typefaces in general?  So many things are done online these days which can make reading online difficult.  What if you want to type away on your computer or read something on your computer that isn’t a dyslexic friendly typeface?

You mustn’t worry as we’ve got you covered!  Along with physical books with typeface for dyslexics out there there are several dyslexia typefaces that are available for 

download either for free or for a rather inexpensive price.  Many of these dyslexia typefaces have been developed by people who are dyslexic themselves so these creators know how to help you!

Some of these dyslexia typefaces involve making bottom heavy letters so that your mind can’t turn the letters.  With some of these typefaces the spaces between the letters are bigger as well for easier reading.  Punctuation marks and capitalized letters can be made bolder so that it is easier to read and the paragraph does not appear as one big run on sentence.

There is also a special type of dyslexia typeface known as “Read Regular” or “Zwijsen Dyslexiefont” that was developed in 2003 by graphic designer Natascha Frensch.  This person developed a typeface specifically designed for easy reading font for people with dyslexia.  This particular font and help with it can easily be found through an online search.

Though it is rather expensive there is a dyslexia typeface out there that is often recommended.  This typeface is called “Sassoon” and can be purchased online.  This typeface is different as the letter shapes are similar to those that are used in school to teach handwriting.  The letter shapes are exaggerated to emphasize the word shapes.

Another dyslexia typeface is called “Myriad Pro” which is a modern easy reading typeface designed by Adobe.  Many sites have begun adopting this font for easy readying for people with dyslexia.  This typeface has a clean sans serif look that makes reading easy for people with dyslexia. Another great example of a dyslexia typeface is EZRead/EZWrite/Brain Games by font expert Ramon Abajo, from Downhill Publishing.

When looking into which dyslexia typeface will help you the best be sure to do some research.  Many of the sites will post reviews of their fonts.  What typeface will work for you may not work for someone else and that’s okay.  With a little time and work you will be able to find out which dyslexia typeface works best for you!

Top Dyslexia Software to Improve Reading and Writing

 

Looking for Dyslexia Software?

New and emerging technologies are helping students with dyslexia surmount learning obstacles and learn to read and write more easily and with less stress than ever before. These tools include dyslexia software and online applications, which can be used in addition to traditional therapeutic methods to help students stay engaged. With all of the dyslexia software now available for students, parents, and teachers it would appear to be easy to find the right combination of instruments to help. Instead many parents and teachers find themselves overwhelmed trying to keep track of the available options. Understanding dyslexia software is not difficult, but it’s important to become aware of the types of software available before choosing. From text-to-speech to word processors, these tools are the most common and easily accessible types of software available to dyslexic students today:

Text-to-speech:

This type of software for dyslexia reads back text using a computer generated voice and is especially helpful for dyslexics who have difficulty reading, focusing while reading, or are looking for direct feedback. Helpful features to look for in text-to-speech software include highlighting capabilities, local dialects or accents, spellchecker, and the potential to use on multiple devices. There are many text-to-speech programs currently available on the market and different programs may be helpful for different students.

Note-taking and speech-recognition:

Students with learning disabilities may have a hard time keeping up with note taking or even later on recognizing their handwriting. Tools such as the Livescribe smartpen allow student to record lectures, take pictures of all written notes during the lecture, and upload finished notes to a computer afterwards. In addition, speech-recognition aids such as Naturally Speaking for PC and Dragon Dictate for Mac allow users to dictate text directly to a computer.

Phonics and reading software:

A student who is just learning to read will get great assistance from phonics software such as Earobics. This type of reading software helps teach students basic phonics, from speech sounds all the way up to vocabulary and sentence-building. The programs are also highly customizable and suitable for a wide range of ages.

Spelling and writing software:

Word processing tools such as Franklin handheld devices and text editing software allows students to check their own writing for spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. Many of these applications come with a built-in dictionary and thesaurus, while more sophisticated programs come with their own text-to-speech and note-taking abilities. Fonts 4 Dyslexia has created a fantastic toolkit to alleviate dyslexia in just months. See it here. 


 What is your favorite dyslexia software?  

Dyslexia Fonts: Easy Read - Easy Write - Easy Brain Games

Beginning readers, people with dyslexia and students that learn differently have a tendency to add, rotate, transpose, reverse, swap and confuse symbols within words throughout the learning process. Unlike other readers, dyslexics maintain these issues throughout time, making it difficult for them to properly write and to comprehend what they’re reading.

 

EasyRead/EasyWrite is a collection of 12 unique typefaces may bring some relief.  Inspired by scientific studies, good typographical design, extensive teaching experience, and keen intuition, we have developed a comprehensive collection of 12 different fonts that may help dyslexic [and students who learn differently] read, facilitating handwriting practice, and stimulating thinking skills.

These San-serif typefaces offer a standardized character width on all styles, which means lines of text remain the same length. This useful feature allows users to change type styles on-the-go without re-flowing a text body. 



Description:

A new collection of typefaces designed for dyslexics and special needs students makes it easier for them to:

• Recognize characters (improve legibility)
• Comprehend what they read better (improve readability)
• Practice their initial handwriting
• Avoid common reading and writing mistakes

EzRead/EzWrite/EzBrainGames is divided into three unique categories:
 
EzRead: 
In this category there are two fonts:


1. Dyslexia Font: EzRead Adults 
2. Dyslexia Font: EzRead Kids

Contrary to the majority of typefaces, which pay attention to aesthetics and symmetry reusing the same shapes for multiple letters (such as b, d, p and q), EzRead makes each letter significantly unique so that readers can more easily distinguish one character from another.

The form of the letter must be generic and familiar, yet still stand out and be unmistakable. Characters are simplified, meaning the “cleaner,” the better. This means NO QUIRKS and no serifs.
Other unique characteristics are (see main page in detail): greater space between letters, words and lines; open counters (the inner space of letters such as a, e, a, o, p or d); heavier capital letters, diacritic marks and punctuation marks; wider stroke at the bottom; capital letters fall slighty under the baseline; ascenders are shorter that descenders; large x-heigth; letters are heavier and flatter at the bottom and curved and thinner at the top; variable angle of inclination; letters do not all seat straight over the baseline….

This category contains two fonts variations, where three letters (a, g and q) have been adapted according to the user’s age:

EzWrite:
These typefaces focus on the child natural problem to recognize shapes and properly orienting them. The student will practice copying the character in each box or row.  You may wish to show how to form the letter before he does it on his own.

3. Dyslexia Font: EzWrite Box 
4. Dyslexia Font: EzWrite Box Dots 
5. Dyslexia Font: EzWrite Write Lines  
6. Dyslexia Font: EzWrite Lines Dots  
7. Dyslexia Font: EzWrite Dots

EzBrainGames:
These practice worksheets are very easy to create and will be very beneficial to children who tend to reverse and confuse certain letters and numbers.  These exercises are fun but can be overwhelming for the mind if the child is pressure to complete several pages at once. So, start with simple drills, and do not overload the child unless he asks for more.

8. Dyslexia Font: EzBrainGames A
9. Dyslexia Font: EzBrainGames B
10. Dyslexia Font: EzBrainGames C
11. Dyslexia Font: EzBrainGames D
12. Dyslexia Font: EzBrainGames E
 
The main goal of this category ones again  is to help readers to better decoding the characters  facilitating reading comprehension and reducing.

See some examples in comparison to other commonly used fonts in education: