New research released by Thorndike Press from Gale, part of Cengage Group, suggests that 87% of teachers saw a positive impact on their students’ reading success when they made the switch to large-print books.
The study was conducted independently by Project Tomorrow, a reputable education nonprofit, on behalf of Thorndike Press, to better understand the potential role of large-print books in supporting students’ literacy development. The study examined the impact of students reading large-print-formatted books on their reading engagement and achievement levels. Approximately 1,500 students in grades 4–12 and 56 teachers and librarians across 13 US elementary, middle, and high schools participated in the study.
“When a simple change in format can lessen distractions, increase the time students spend reading, and improve participation in classroom read-alouds, the impact is enormous,” said Julie A. Evans, EdD, the chief executive officer of Project Tomorrow. “Large-print books are easy to integrate across the curriculum in ELA, social studies, history, and in any library collection—and teachers don’t require any additional training to use them.”
Thorndike’s large-print books contain the exact same text as standard editions but offer a number of features designed to encourage reluctant or struggling readers to keep reading, including a 16-point font in high-contrast black ink, more space between lines and paragraphs, and high opacity paper that keeps large-print books similar in size to standard-print editions.
Key findings about the effectiveness of large print include:
The inclusion of large-print texts in classroom reading activities supports literacy development for all students.
Among participating teachers, 71% reported that reading large print improved Lexile scores by two grade levels among their students who had been reading at grade level, as did 59% of those teaching students who had been reading below grade level.
When asked if large-print books increased reading comprehension levels for specific student profiles:
• 77% of teachers agreed it did for below-grade-level readers;
• 55% of teachers saw increased comprehension among students diagnosed with ADHD.
An overwhelming majority of teachers also found that large print benefited students who:
• have reading comprehension challenges (82%)
• are easily distracted when reading (85%)
• are anxious about reading (91%)
• are learning English (76%)
Students’ access to large-print titles for schoolwork reading increased their engagement in learning and enjoyment in reading.
Among students in grades 6–12 who took part in the study, 89% said they enjoyed reading large-print books. Almost half of high schoolers reported that they were more engaged in large-print books than others they read for schoolwork.
Teachers value the large print as an easy to-integrate reading intervention within their instructional practices.
Bringing large-print books into their classrooms did not require any teacher professional development, changes in curriculum, or adjustments to teaching practices. Of the teachers in the study, 100% said it would be valuable to have more large-print titles easily accessible by students in their classrooms or libraries. At the same time, 86% of the teachers said they would recommend large print to other teachers to support students’ literacy development.
Reading large-print texts for schoolwork supported students’ emotional and mental health and their self-efficacy as readers.
Teachers made these observations:
• Large-print books decreased stress and anxiety about reading for school: 81% of below-grade-level readers 58% of students with ADHD 58% of students reading at grade level
• Saw greater confidence in reading abilities: 87% of below-grade-level readers 55% of students with ADHD 71% of students reading at grade level
• Noticed increased participation in classroom read-aloud activities: 87% of below-grade-level readers 63% of students with ADHD 52% of students reading at grade level
Students believe that access to large print books will support enhanced learning.
A robust 75% of grade 6–8 students and 86% of grade 9–12 students requested more access to large-print books in school. When asked if they thought their reading skills would improve with large print books, 62% of sixth to eighth graders predicted they would.
Anding added that as part of her “fighting any form of screen” as a distraction from reading, she’s doing anything she can to make the library more user-friendly, especially because she has many students arrive at her middle school having never been to a library.
“The findings from the Project Tomorrow study reveal that large-print books serve as a simple yet powerful transformative learning tool that can significantly reduce barriers to reading,” said Sabine McAlpine, vice president of Thorndike Press at Gale. “They demonstrate that these books offer a ‘no-lift’ intervention that helps educators facilitate improved reading fluency and enjoyment without the need for new technology or extensive training. This approach not only engages with students better but also helps them build lifelong confidence in their reading abilities.”