UD: in praise of white space and bigger font

My daughter has recently started to enjoy chapter books. I have noticed that even though she is a strong reader, she will make instant judgment calls about which books are 'too hard' and which ones are 'just right' when we go to the library. Books with text that is 'too small' she often quickly dismisses, even though she is fully capable of understanding the text. Watching Tatum choose her reading material makes me think about the students we teach. How often do our students have a hard time 'buying in' when we offer text that is at an appropriate reading level, but not designed in a reader-friendly way?

'Universal Design' is a design concept that has recently been adopted by educational professionals. 'Universal' meaning design that benefits everyone- not just individuals with particular needs. The basic principles of UD (The Center for Universal Design) demand that design is simple and intuitive, that information is perceptible and that little physical effort is required for access.

Here are a couple of simple UD concepts that can make a big difference for all your students (including English language learners):

White space is not 'nothing'.

White space is the space between letters, words, paragraphs, columns, headings and graphics. It is an essential part of every page that you hand out to your students. If a page has not enough white space, it becomes crowded and may overwhelm the reader. It is hard to differentiate what is important from what is not really that important. A cluttered page offers nowhere for the student to jot personal responses to the text. It tires the eyes.

If the page has adequate white space and this space is used appropriately, the design is clean and the message is clear. Readability is improved. Generous margins, shorter lines of text, and distinct separations between headings, graphics and paragraphs can all help to improve navigation through a text.

Size matters.

Font size, that is. 12 point font is required by MLA, APA and the University of Chicago writing standards. We demand this of our students when they produce essays and research projects. Smaller font is more tiresome to read and can give an impression to the reader that the content is more complex than it actually is.

Headings and subheadings also enhance comprehension. Bold face highlights key words. When our eyes see something on a page that is larger, our brain naturally gets the message that it is more important. Note: many designers also suggest using a contrasting font for headings and subheadings.

 Please take two seconds to view the attached file below:

Article sample- UD-friendly version.

 There, you will find a sample of an article that has been copied directly from the Winnipeg Free Press (online version).

The original is in 9 point font, single spaced.

The second is the same article, however the font is 12 point and the line space between words is 1.5 spaces. Breaks were added between paragraphs. A few key concepts were bold faced. A few subheadings were inserted to draw attention to main ideas. These changes took no longer than 5 minutes of my time, however the adapted text is less intimidating, easier to navigate and friendlier to all.