I L Bailey¹, A H Lueck², K M Tuan¹, R B Greer¹, V M Bailey¹
¹University of California, School of Optometry, Berkeley, United States; ²San Francisco State University, Special Education, San Francisco, United States
Reading tests are important tools in the evaluation of low vision patients and the prescribing of low vision aids. Reading tests are used to obtain measures of reading acuity (the angular size of the smallest print that can be read) and to identify patterns of changes in reading speed as angular print size is varied. The smallest print size at which maximum speed is achieved is sometimes called the "critical print size"
All reading tests have limitations of which the users should be aware.
With size as a variable the reading tasks should be of the same difficulty from one size to the next. The means a logarithmic size progression, a standardized typeface, a similar number of letters or words in a row, and the content should have similar difficulty at the different print sizes.
Maximum reading speed reduces as material becomes more difficult.
Reading aloud imposes a substantial constraint on maximum reading speed.
Speed of silent reading can be measured by monitoring eye movements or observing return saccades
Unrelated words present a more consistent visual task and give more reliable speeds.
Reading sentences or paragraphs is more representative of real-world tasks but predictability of the story line will vary from one passage to the next.
In all reading tests, there is considerable variation in the speed measured for the first row.
Viewing distance may be varied to control angular size, but accommodation imposes limits. Scant attention has been given to comprehension, endurance or preferred reading distances for different print sizes.
Return to the ISLRR.ORG Home Page
