Students are discovering the pleasure of reading thanks to the addition of large print books published just for students. Large print books from Thorndike Press look identical to other books on the shelves from the outside, but when students open them up to read they are pleasantly surprised by the large font (16 point), expanded spacing between words and lines, and the high-contrast black ink that makes reading less of a struggle for many readers. Research shows improved decoding skills, better letter and word recognition, enhanced reading fluency, increased comprehension, and better retention. Students also reported increased confidence in reading and showed less fatigue.
Thanks to the Judson Education Foundation, librarian Wendy Howk is providing over 150 high-interest titles in a large print format that benefits all readers. The books are easy to spot with a neon yellow label on the spine. Student library aides created clever posters to advertise the new additions to the library.
Kitty Hawk students are reporting:
- “I have dyslexia and usually only read a few pages at a time, but I read 99 pages last night.”
- “Do you have more books like this? I only want to check this kind of book out.”
- “This print is better on my eyes, especially when I’m tired.”
The Kitty Hawk library will continue to promote these books and add more to the collection with titles that are popular among students.
