| By Thorndike Staff |
Although 10-year-old Sid excelled in school subjects like math, he struggled consistently with reading. In addition to being affected by widespread reading proficiency declines from COVID-19, Sid was diagnosed with ADHD and saccadic eye movement disorder, a visual processing disorder that causes rapid, jerky eye movements. These conditions make tracking challenging for Sid, leading to issues with fluency and comprehension.
Amy Dix searched relentlessly for an answer to help her son overcome his barriers to reading. After a long journey that included occupational therapy, a 504 plan, and more, she discovered a simple and effective solution: large print books.
Explore Amy & Sid’s Reading Journey
With a background in health sciences and experience working with patients with visual disruptions, Amy was uniquely positioned to identify her son’s vision and literacy needs. Even with all her experience, though, finding an effective reading intervention for Sid was a challenge.
It wasn’t until Sid was connected with a vision therapist through his elementary school that the family made a breakthrough. The therapist’s recommendation? Trying large print books.
When Sid picked up the large print format, starting with The Wild Robot series, Amy saw immediate benefits. Instead of having disdain for reading, Sid started reading because he wanted to and for longer periods of time.
Sharing the Large Print Difference
After seeing how large print transformed her son’s reading experience, Amy is determined to help more families facing reading challenges discover this simple literacy solution.
“My mission at this point is to make sure everyone knows—whether they’re behind in school or ahead in school—the benefits of large print as it comes to getting kids to enjoy reading, but also helping them with retention and comprehension.” —Amy
She wants more caregivers, educators, and healthcare providers to know that the answer to your students’ reading challenges could be as simple as switching to a more accessible format.
Dive into Amy’s Story & More Large Print Research
Read the full Success Story to learn more about Amy’s journey with Sid, from struggling with reading to making strides in literacy with large print. Plus, get more details about large print’s proven benefits on students at every reading level.
Large print makes reading easier with an approachable 16-point font, high-contrast black ink, and fewer words per page. These features help students turn pages faster and stay engaged with a book, improving both their reading skills and confidence.
Over 85% of teachers said they would recommend using the format to support student literacy development. Want to see more research? Explore results from a nationwide study demonstrating the positive impacts of large print on youth literacy.
