Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects the development of literacy and language related skills such as accurate and fluent word reading and spelling.
It occurs across the range of intellectual abilities. It is normally present at birth and it’s a disease you don’t “grow out of it” or cure although early recognition and appropriate intervention can help its effects. It tends to be resistant to conventional teaching methods but dyslexic people learn to accommodate to a greater or lesser degree depending on their own personality and the type of support they have received from both home and school.
One thing research has proved is that many people with dyslexia find the glare of white paper and white backgrounds interferes with their ability to see text clearly, (scotopic sensitivity), white can appear too dazzling so offering coloured paper can make a real difference to some dyslexic children. Cream, off-white and other soft pastel shades provide good alternatives. Some dyslexic people will have their own colour preference and the specific shading that is best for an individual often needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
‘many times we have seen great changes in a student’s reading speed and comprehension just by changing the colour of the paper they are working on’
So, the key points to consider for what paper to use for dyslexia students are:
Paper should be thick enough to prevent the other side showing through.
Use matt paper rather than glossy as this reduces glare.
Avoid white backgrounds for paper – white can be too dazzling so provide pastel colours such as cream/ivory, pale yellow, pale blue and pale pink
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Quotations and samples available on request.