Some dyslexics find using eReaders easier

Those who have dyslexia understand the constant challenges of comprehending the written word. Books and newspapers have always been a problem but research suggests that some may have an easier time using eReaders like Amazon’s Kindle.

Using an e-reader may help some dyslexic students understand what they read, researchers at Harvard University argue.

In a paper published in the journal PLOS One, the authors found that a group of dyslexic teenagers showed greater reading comprehension when using an iPod Touch e-reader than when asked to read from paper. The e-reader was formatted to display around nine lines of text on the screen at a time, with only two or three words in each line, leaving fewer visual distractions. The authors therefore concluded that this improvement is due to the reduced demands on visual attention when reading from the iPod.