You may have heard about dyslexia-friendly fonts—specialized typefaces designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia. But with so many options and so much conflicting information online, a critical question remains: do these fonts actually help?

The question isn’t just if they worked, but how and when to best integrate them into our learning environment. This is a journey many of us share, driven by the desire to help every student succeed.

The Science Behind Dyslexia-Friendly Fonts

To understand the potential benefits of these fonts, we first need to understand the visual challenges some people with dyslexia face. A common theory suggests that letter confusion, or “crowding,” can be a significant barrier. This occurs when letters appear to merge or shift, making it difficult to distinguish one from another.

Dyslexia fonts are designed with specific features to counteract this effect. While traditional fonts like Times New Roman or Arial were not created with readability for dyslexic readers in mind, these specialized fonts incorporate design principles intended to reduce visual stress and improve letter recognition.

Key design features often include:

• Unique Letter Shapes: Letters like ‘b’ and ‘d’, or ‘p’ and ‘q’, are often mirrored in standard fonts. Dyslexia-friendly fonts use distinct, easily distinguishable shapes to reduce confusion. For example, a ‘b’ might have a longer ascender, while a ‘d’ has a taller bowl.
• Heavier Baselines: The line on which the letters sit is often weighted more heavily. This helps anchor the letters and prevents them from appearing to “float” or “jump” around the page, a common complaint from individuals with dyslexia.
• Wider Spacing: Increased spacing between letters (kerning) and words helps to prevent the “crowding” effect. This reduces the visual clutter and makes it easier for the eye to track from one letter or word to the next.
• Open Letterforms: Many of these fonts use wider, more open letterforms, which makes each character more distinct and less likely to be confused with a similar-looking character.

What the Research Says: A Nuanced View

The research on the effectiveness of dyslexia fonts is a topic of ongoing debate. While many anecdotal reports from students and parents praise their efficacy, scientific studies have yielded different results.

Some individuals report a positive impact, although that seems to be more based on personal preference.

A 2017 study in the Journal of Research in Reading found no significant difference in reading speed or comprehension between dyslexic students reading with a standard font like Arial and those using a specialized font. The authors of that study concluded that individual student preferences and other instructional strategies might play a more significant role.

It’s crucial to recognize that dyslexia is a multifaceted learning difference, not a single condition. What works for one student may not work for another. The effectiveness of a dyslexia font is often highly personal and can depend on the specific challenges a student faces.

Practical Considerations for K-12 Administrators and Teachers

Given the research, how can you, as an educator or administrator, make an informed decision? Here are some practical steps and insights:

Focus on Accessibility, Not Just a Single Font

Instead of searching for a one-size-fits-all solution, prioritize a broader approach to accessibility. Ensure your learning materials and digital platforms offer flexibility. This means providing options for students to:

• Adjust font size.
• Change font style to a simple, clean, sans-serif font like Arial or Verdana, which are often recommended for their legibility.
• Modify line spacing.
• Change background and text colors.

Many students with dyslexia and other reading differences benefit from a combination of these adjustments, not just a single font change.

Introduce Fonts as a Personal Tool

Don’t mandate a specific dyslexia font for every student. Instead, introduce them as an option. Explain the features of the fonts and how they might help. Encourage students to experiment and see if they notice a difference. A simple conversation with a student can be the most effective way to determine what helps them. Their feedback is invaluable.

Prioritize Multisensory Instruction

Remember that typography is only one piece of the puzzle. The most effective support for students with dyslexia comes from a comprehensive approach that includes multisensory instruction. This involves:

• Phonological awareness training: Using sounds and rhythm to teach the building blocks of language.
• Explicit phonics instruction: Systematically teaching letter-sound correspondences.
• Fluency practice: Repeated reading to build speed and accuracy.

These evidence-based strategies, combined with a supportive and flexible reading environment, are the cornerstone of effective literacy support.

Conclusion: A Tool in the Toolbox, Not a Magic Bullet

Ultimately, dyslexia-friendly fonts are a valuable tool, but they are not a magic bullet. They should be considered part of a larger, more holistic strategy for supporting students with learning differences. By creating an adaptable and flexible learning environment, you empower students to take control of their own reading experience.

The most important takeaway is this: listen to your students. Observe what works. A clean, legible font, whether specialized or standard, can certainly help. But the real change comes from a thoughtful, empathetic, and research-backed approach to instruction. By doing so, you can create a classroom where every student feels seen, supported, and capable of reaching their full potential.

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Signs of Dyslexia

Dyslexia does not discriminate, equally affecting gender and race. The disorder affects the language processing portion of the brain, the left temporal cortex; specifically it is under-stimulated when reading. As a result, according to the International Dyslexia Association (2017) and Dyslexia Help at the University of Michigan, students exhibit some of the following difficulties:

• Difficulty learning letters and sounds
• Difficulty remembering words
• Reversal of letters and numbers
• Spoken language difficulties but comprehension is typically strong
• Difficulty reading different fonts
• Discrepancy between their potential and performance
• Difficulty telling time
• Oftentimes does not acknowledge punctuation
• Reading fluency is delayed
• Difficulty learning to read or speak
• Difficulty learning a new language

Every reading disability is not dyslexia. However, if you have a student that displays these signs, a universal screener can typically be utilized to determine if there are discrepancies between language processing skills and comprehension. If there is a gap between the two, a reading diagnostic is used to determine if there are phonological processing delays, specifically decoding difficulties. Given this information, additional subprocess assessments from a reading diagnostic assessment would further determine dyslexia over other disorders.

Screening a student and identifying the signs of dyslexia is significant to employ appropriate instructional strategies but does not serve as a medical evaluation, which must be completed for a student to be identified as dyslexic; therefore, the school would need a doctor’s statement to provide an IEP for a student with dyslexia under specific learning disabilities.

Strategies for Teaching Students with Dyslexia

When considering how to best educate a student with dyslexia, there are a couple of ideas to take into account. Specifically designed instruction (SDI) is the instructional strategies a teacher will implement to best teach students content. There are also accommodations, which change the way a teacher presents the same material to a student with dyslexia while removing barriers to instruction.

Specifically Designed Instruction

For General Instructional

• Explicit instruction
• Decoding strategies
• Multi-sensory instruction
• Scaffolding
• Small group instruction

Auditory Instruction

• Auditory strategies including language structure
• Audio texts
• Auditory bombardment

Visual Instruction

• Grapho-phonic strategies
• Visual cues
• Modeling

Accommodations

According to the International Dyslexia Association, there are four categories of accommodations: presentation, response, setting, timing/scheduling.

Presentation

• Verbal instruction
• Repeating instruction
• Larger print
• Audio-recorded instructions/lessons
• Speech-to-text
• Fewer items on a page
• Musical alternatives to information

Response

• Verbal response
  • Orally to teacher
  • Recorded answers
• Mark directly in answer booklet rather than separate answer sheet
• Point to choice

Setting

• Small group
• Reduction in distractions
• Furniture arrangement
• Preferred seating with close proximity for prompting and cuing

Time

• Flexible schedule
• Extended time
• Visual schedule
• Intermittent breaks

Utilize Digital Applications

We live in a time where everyone has a computer in their hands all the time. What an awesome way to engage a student with dyslexia in learning! There are many apps that will help to alleviate some of the pressure for students as they learn in a way that best fits their needs.

• Epic!
• Storyboard That
• Teen and Adults Phonics Library
• Learning Ally
• Dyslexia Quest
• Natural Reader
• Sound Literacy

Classroom Challenges

As with any disability, there are challenges students face when their learning requires something different than the status quo. Teachers are essential to creating a learning environment that is inclusive and meets the needs of the students with disabilities. Dyslexia requires a dedicated practitioner who will learn new ways of instruction and utilize creativity to develop a learning pathway for the student that is differentiated from the general population.

One of the greatest challenges in the classroom to a student with dyslexia is a teacher who does not understand how to teach him or her. Dyslexia has its own set of accommodations, modifications, and specifically designed instruction, and it will require professional learning on how to implement in a way that will be beneficial to the student with dyslexia.

Intelligence is not an issue with dyslexia, and that is a common misconception. Students are able to learn the content; however, the gap lies between ability and achievement and is bridged with intentional instructional strategies.

Frustration oftentimes is demonstrated by students with dyslexia. Defiance or outbursts, in what appears to the untrained eye to be a behavioral issue, are actually a child’s way of letting you know they need a break, they are stuck, or whatever strategy you are currently using is not working for them. Effective teachers will utilize responsive teaching techniques to de-escalate the situation and bring the child back to an instructional level. This may include a physical break including walking, moving from a current seat to a different area of the classroom, or it could mean an instructional break is needed. Chunking out the assignment or providing a visual “If…Then” chart and allowing the student to choose which break activity he or she would like to do have proven to be successful strategies.

Another challenge of students with dyslexia is low self-esteem. Since dyslexia affects the ability to communicate effectively, students may have negative self-talk, feel as though they are not good at anything, or choose to isolate to avoid being singled out in the crowd. As educators, it is imperative that we educate the whole child and not get lost in academia. Allowing a student with dyslexia to complete tasks employing methods that boost their self-confidence is essential to building trust and best instructing a child with dyslexia.

As educators, the most important thing to remember is we teach people, not content. Building a relationship with your students and their families, professional learning, and demonstrating the flexibility to learn and try something new for a student is what will prove to have the ultimate success. Employing empathy and high expectations for all students, regardless of their uniqueness, will bring your classroom alive, establishing a meaningful learning environment.

*Updated December 2020

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