Abstract
Struggling with reading can feel like navigating an endless maze of confusion and frustration for some people. It can weigh heavily on their minds, fostering a sense of inadequacy, isolation, and fear of judgment by others. In the United States, a significant portion of both young and older individuals face these challenges, with statistics showing that 37% of fourth graders and 30% of eighth graders read below basic levels. This paper will detail the development and research of a web-based reading application that leveraged typography and technology to engage struggling readers with their favorite content while improving their foundational reading abilities. In essence, we developed a beta version of this web-based application for using typography as a supportive bridge between the written word and the reader, thus potentially creating an environment where reading becomes a more comfortable, motivating, and enjoyable experience for those who may find it challenging.
Keywords
innovation; research; typography; education
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.303
Citation
Seward, R., Breit, A., Keelor, J., Halovick, J., Creaghead, N., Fernández, O., Srivastava, A., Medrano, F., Roberts, S., Healey, S., Plattner, J., and Juju Stojanovic, L. (2024) Impacting literacy through the power of a font: Design research for inclusive reading experiences, in Gray, C., Ciliotta Chehade, E., Hekkert, P., Forlano, L., Ciuccarelli, P., Lloyd, P. (eds.), DRS2024: Boston, 23–28 June, Boston, USA. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.303
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Research Paper
Included in
Impacting literacy through the power of a font: Design research for inclusive reading experiences
Struggling with reading can feel like navigating an endless maze of confusion and frustration for some people. It can weigh heavily on their minds, fostering a sense of inadequacy, isolation, and fear of judgment by others. In the United States, a significant portion of both young and older individuals face these challenges, with statistics showing that 37% of fourth graders and 30% of eighth graders read below basic levels. This paper will detail the development and research of a web-based reading application that leveraged typography and technology to engage struggling readers with their favorite content while improving their foundational reading abilities. In essence, we developed a beta version of this web-based application for using typography as a supportive bridge between the written word and the reader, thus potentially creating an environment where reading becomes a more comfortable, motivating, and enjoyable experience for those who may find it challenging.