To read or not to read : exploration of use of fonts and ease of read

Abstract

Literature indicates that fonts have an effect on ease of read particularly with reference to children with dyslexia. This study intended to explore whether particular fonts affect or does not affect dyslexic and non-dyslexic children. Specifically children were asked to read four short passages of equal level of difficulty and amount of words presented in four different fonts: Times New Roman, Arial, Comic Sans and OpenDyslexic. Participants were Year 6 students attending State, Independent or Church schools and tasks were in English and Maltese. Students were asked which paragraphs they found easiest to read in order of preference. The pupils also commented on why they found their preferred font the most comfortable to read. Results indicated that in English, the gender type and school type of children were closely related as mostly Arial was the most chosen font amongst all pupils. Regarding the Maltese test, the boys and the church school pupils chose Arial as their first preference while the girls and the Independent and State school pupils chose Comic Sans. On the other hand, OpenDyslexic font was chosen as the least preferred font by the majority of the pupils attending the three types of schools. Results were compared to the literature to elicit necessary recommendations for presentation of written material. These include that for future research on the topic, more variety of font types and gaps in font sizes (10pt, 12pt, 14pt) should be used and also with different age groups. Moreover, the study should be carried out with a group of dyslexics and non-dyslexics in order to provide more in depth research.