Dyslexia Reading Overlay Test

ISEF Category: Behavioral and Social Sciences

Subcategory: Other  ·  Difficulty: Intermediate  ·  Setup: Home Setup  ·  Time: 1 to 2 Months

The Hook

A page can look the same to you and still feel harder to read for someone else. Small changes in color, contrast, or layout can change how fast text is read and how much sticks. That makes this a strong science fair topic, because you can measure the effect instead of guessing. You can also keep the project low-cost and easy to explain.

What Is It?

This project studies a simple accessibility tool that changes how text looks on the page. A printable color overlay, for example, sits over the text and may reduce visual strain or make letters easier to track. Think of it like a filter on a camera lens. The words stay the same, but the visual experience changes.

A within-subject design means each reader tries more than one condition, such as plain text and overlay text. That matters because each person acts as their own control. You then compare reading speed and comprehension for the same reader across conditions. If the overlay helps, you should see faster reading, better understanding, or both.

Why This Is a Good Topic

This is a good science fair topic because you can test a real accessibility problem with simple materials and clear numbers. It connects to reading support, inclusive design, and assistive technology. You will learn how to plan fair comparisons, collect human-subject data, and analyze paired results. That gives you a real research skill set, not just a one-off demo.

Research Questions

• How does overlay color affect reading speed for the same student?
• What is the effect of overlay color on comprehension scores?
• Does a colored overlay change the number of skipped lines or rereads?
• To what extent does the intervention help readers with self-reported visual discomfort?
• Which overlay tint produces the best balance of speed and comprehension?
• How does the intervention compare with plain paper under matched lighting?

Basic Materials

• Printed reading passages matched for difficulty.
• Transparent colored sheets or report-cover film in several colors.
• Plain paper control passages.
• Stopwatch or phone timer.
• Pencil and answer sheets for comprehension questions.
• Clipboard or hard surface for reading.
• Spreadsheet for recording trial data.

Advanced Materials

• University or school reading lab access.
• Eye-tracking system for fixation and regression measures.
• Standardized reading assessment materials.
• IRB-approved survey platform for participant responses.
• Controlled lighting setup or light meter.
• Statistical software for paired tests and mixed-effects models.
• High-resolution scanner or camera for documenting overlay prototypes.

Software & Tools

• Google Sheets: Organizes trial data, calculates reading rate, and tracks paired comparisons.
• R: Runs paired tests, effect sizes, and mixed-effects models for within-subject data.
• jamovi: Provides a free point-and-click option for basic statistics and graphs.
• Google Forms: Collects comprehension answers and short participant feedback.
• Canva: Helps you design and print clean overlay prototypes and text layouts.

Experiment Steps

1. Define the exact reader group and the one intervention you will test.
2. Choose a matched reading task and a comprehension measure that stay the same across conditions.
3. Design a within-subject order that balances practice effects and fatigue.
4. Build a scoring plan for speed, accuracy, and comprehension before collecting data.
5. Plan controls for text difficulty, lighting, and font settings so the intervention is the main difference.
6. Decide how you will compare results across readers and report effect sizes, not just averages.

Common Pitfalls

• Using different passages for each condition, which makes text difficulty look like an intervention effect.
• Letting participants choose the order themselves, which adds practice and fatigue bias.
• Changing font, spacing, or paper brightness at the same time as the overlay, which hides the source of the effect.
• Measuring only reading speed, which can miss cases where speed rises but comprehension drops.
• Testing too few readers or mixing very different reading skill levels without grouping them, which can wash out the signal.

What Makes This Competitive

A stronger version of this project goes beyond simple before-and-after averages. You could compare several overlay colors, test whether the effect changes by reader profile, or use paired statistics that show how big the benefit really is. The best entries also control lighting, page layout, and passage difficulty very carefully. That turns a basic accessibility test into a solid human-subject study.

Project Variations

• Compare overlay color on paper text versus tablet text to see whether the effect depends on display type.
• Test whether line spacing or colored overlays does more to improve speed and comprehension for the same readers.
• Measure whether the intervention helps readers with different self-reported visual stress levels in different ways.

Learn More

• PubMed: Search review articles on dyslexia, visual stress, and colored overlays.
• NIH National Library of Medicine: Search for free full-text papers on reading interventions and literacy research.
• NCBI Bookshelf: Find free textbook chapters on reading development and experimental design.
• Journal of Research in Reading: Search peer-reviewed studies on reading support and visual stress through your school library or author copies.
• APA Style: Check guidance for reporting participant studies, statistics, and results clearly.