Visibility Vol 8 Issue 4, 2014

“You read funny” is a comment that students with low vision become accustomed to hearing as peers observe differences in reading techniques. I recall this comment from my own school days as a reader with low vision. Those differences may include bringing the reading material close to the eye, using a head tilt to position the eye for optimal reading, or moving a finger along the line to track print. This observation of “funny reading” is as likely to come up while standing in the lunch line as it is in the classroom. Comments are likely to catch the student with low vision by surprise and bring reactions ranging from embarrassed to annoyance to defensive. Feelings of self-confidence and curiosity about the differences between types of readers may surface for students after giving some thought to these observations. It is important for students with low vision to have an understanding of their unique reading techniques. This literature review examines research that focused on psychosocial aspects of reading for students with low vision who primarily rely on print.