Case Study 1
F is a 19 year old dyslexic undergraduate in her first year of a degree in paramedic science. She was awarded Visual Reading Online by an Assessor of Need through the DSA. She described her difficulties with reading as primarily a problem of comprehension. She skipped lines and misperceived words. She finds her mind wanders when reading such that it was an extremely inefficient way to absorb meaning and recall it later. Poor comprehension is usually an indicator of over relying on phonics at the expense of visual recognition which would lead to better comprehension, and this certainly fits her experience.
Unsurprisingly, given these difficulties along with her determination to understand what she reads, her reading speed was very slow. She started reading at 75 words per minute (wpm), which is slower than 98% of postgraduates when reading for meaning.
After using the overlays for one week, F reversed that data. She read at 286 wpm (faster than 98% of postgraduates). It was also evident that with previewing and reviewing, her comprehension and recall was effective.
After 2 weeks, she was reading at 400 wpm (faster than 99.9% of postgraduates) with excellent comprehension and recall. The time needed for previewing and reviewing had reduced from the initial 20 and 10 seconds respectively, to 16 and 7 seconds.
After just one month, she is now reading at 670 wpm with excellent comprehension and recall. The time needed to preview a page had dropped to 7 seconds, and her review took 6 seconds.
She now feels that not only is she managing her course reading well, but she has realised that many of the cohort on her course, that she had been comparing herself to, were often faking their reading. Having actually done the reading, she could see where they hadn’t.
Her final feedback reflects this new found confidence in her ability to read well:
“I just wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for your incredible help with visual reading. Over the past month, I’ve seen a huge improvement — my reading speed has increased by 9 times, and I’ve noticed how much more enjoyable reading has become without the constant struggle of losing my place.
Not only has my reading speed improved, but I’ve also found myself able to read and comprehend a variety of new words that I know I would have struggled with before taking this course. It’s made such a positive difference in both my confidence and my overall reading experience.
I truly appreciate your guidance and support throughout this process. Thank you again for everything!”
June 2025
