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Tinted Transparencies to Help with Reading Efficiency

Tags

ELA: Reading Study Skills & Tools All Ages Strategy

Skills

Visual Discrimination Processing Speed Spatial Perception

Tinted Transparencies to Help with Reading Efficiency

If your student complains of headaches, stamina or vision issues while reading

How To Apply It!

  1. Tinted transparencies, sometimes called color overlays, help some children improve their reading efficiency by creating a more comfortable contrast between the words on the page and the background color.
  2. Overlays come in a variety of colors. Sample the colors to decide which one you find most comfortable. This is a personal preference.
  3. Simply lay the transparent sheet over the text.
  4. While they don't help all students, overlays are relatively inexpensive and may be worth trying if you get headaches or feel tired easily from reading.
  5. If tinted transparencies are effective at home, have your parents ask permission from teachers to allow you to use them during school as well.
  6. A close alternative to tinted transparencies are tinted reading strips which can have a similar effect but are less conspicuous in the classroom.

Why It Works (the Science Of Learning)!

The standard textbook contrast between black font on a white background can cause headaches or eye strain for some students. Tinted transparencies lessen that contrast. While the research is mixed on how effective they are and for whom, if a child feels more comfortable and is not distracted by tinted transparencies, they are worth using.