Your eyes, your ears, and the connections they make to your brain are all important in reading. If you have more trouble reading than other students in your class, your eyes, ears or brain connections may be different than theirs. Below are some of the ways that brains work differently. If any of these sound like you, click on the description to find ways to strengthen and assist your eyes, ears or brain or to substitute another sense or part of your brain.

Eye, ear, and brain differences that affect reading are sometimes called learning disabilities or dyslexia. Many people who have been very successful in other fields have dyslexia. They have trouble reading, but their minds worked brilliantly in other ways. You may find that you can learn reading skills in ways that are different from the way other students learn.

Do you sometime hear what people say wrong? Do you have trouble spelling words? Do you get lost in long words? Do you get words mixed up and say things like “stringshoe” for “shoestring.” Do you have problems with spelling? Do you have trouble spelling the months and the days of the week? If so, your reading problems may be a hearing problem instead of an eye problem. Do you have trouble spelling the months and the days of the week?

When you read for half an hour, do you get tired or a headache? When you look at a book under bright fluorescent lights, is there a glare on the page or are the letter blurred? Do the words on a book seem to run together? Do the words on a page swim or blur?

Reading glasses or contact lenses may make a big difference for you. An eye doctor can examine your eyes and prescribe contacts or glasses. Some pharmacies have reading glasses with a little chart that you can use to see which glasses work. This is a way to get an idea how much reading glasses might help you. A doctor can prescribe much more accurately.

Some people are very sensitive to color. If you have more trouble reading a book with very white pages and very black print under fluorescent lights, you may be able to read better if you shade your book from the light with a colored folder, if you cover your book with a transparent colored overlay or if you read material printed on colored paper.

Helen Irlen studied this problem. Some eye doctors are trained in the effects of colors and can prescribe colored glasses for severe cases.

Try reading under different kinds of light. Some people read better with a table lamp with a 60 watt frosted bulb. Some prefer a halogen lamp that shines a spotlight on the book. In a room with fluorescent lights, turning off half the lights will sometimes make a comfortable reading level for everyone. Indirect light from outdoors is often more comfortable than overhead lights.

Transparent overlays help some people. Shiny, bright plastic will not help, but dull plastic overlays such as those used on theater lights may help.

If you get lost easily when you read or have trouble focusing, try holding a white or colored card under each line as you read it. Or make a large card with a hole cut out large enough for a single line of type or for a single word. Use this to help you keep your place and to hide the rest of the type that might make your eyes tired.

Many people can read better with a larger type and space between lines. Some books are published in a large print form. You public library may have a section of large print books. Computers can usually print out a variety of type sizes and line spaces.

People who have focusing problems can sometimes write better if they write on colored paper and skip lines.

If there are letters you have trouble seeing, practice using those letters. Make up an alphabet book for younger children or make up a book with rhymes using the letters you have trouble seeing. For example, many people have trouble seeing the difference between “b” and “d”. Write a story about “Bad Babs and her Dad”

Find a friend or classmate who will sit by you in class and occasionally help you if you get lost or need help with a word. Talk with your teacher about your need for a study partner.

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) is a national organization that provides taped educational boks free on loan to individuals who cannot read standard print because of a visual or perceptual disability. RFB&D, 20 Roszel Road, Princeton, NJ 20542. 1-800-221-4792.

The following are some web sites that have more information on learning disabilities and dyslexia for teachers, students and parents.

This is the website of the Learning Disabilities Association of America. The organization holds conferences as well as publishing many useful materials.

Hennigh, Kathleen. (1995). Understanding Dyslexia. Teacher Created Materials, 6421 Industry Way, Westminster, CA 92583.

Jordan, Dale R. (1996). Teaching Adults with Learning Disabilities. (Krieger Publishing Co, Krieger Drive, Malabar, FL 32950)

Jordan, Dale R. (1989). Jordan Prescriptive Tutorial Reading Program. (8700 Shoal Creek Blvd. Austin TX 78757