Author: maike.hummen

1. Prioritize clarity over decoration
   • Use clear, sans-serif or simplified serif typefaces (e.g., Grundschrift) with large x-height
   • Avoid overly decorative or playful fonts that may look child-friendly but reduce legibility
   • Ensure clear differentiation of commonly confused letters (b/d, p/q, i/l)
2. Use adequate font size
   • Opt for larger font sizes (14–16 pt) for beginner readers
   • Avoid small fonts that strain children’s eyes and slow reading speed
3. Mind your spacing
   • Ensure sufficient letter, word, and line spacing
   • Slightly increased word spacing helps word recognition
   • Maintain consistent line spacing for clear eye guidance.
   • Avoid overly wide letter spacing, as it disrupts word shape recognition (avoid tight tracking; allow letters to “breathe”)
4. Use illustrations purposefully
   • Illustrations should support and clarify the text
   • Avoid overloaded or chaotic visuals
   • Maintain a clear visual hierarchy to guide children’s focus
   • Use illustrations to aid comprehension, showing key actions or emotions in the story
5. Maintain consistency between reading and writing
   • Use typefaces that resemble the forms children will use when writing (e.g., Grundschrift)
   • Avoid abrupt differences between printed and handwritten forms to ease transfer between reading and writing
6. Support multisensory learning
   • Where possible, integrate visual, auditory, and tactile elements (e.g., tracing letters, interactive pointing while reading aloud)
   • Use colors consciously to highlight structures (e.g., syllables) but avoid random color overload
7. Provide Visual Structure
   • Break down text into short, manageable chunks with paragraphs
   • Use headings and visual cues to structure content clearly
   • Avoid large, dense text blocks that overwhelm beginner readers
8. Optimize contrast and background
   • Ensure high contrast between text and background (e.g., black on white)
   • Avoid busy or colorful backgrounds that reduce readability
   • Use calm, child-friendly color palettes
9. Foster Motivation
   • Create visually engaging, but not overwhelming, materials
   • Use illustrations and color to spark curiosity and emotional connection to the content
   • Support the child’s success experience with materials that are neither too easy nor too hard
10. Test, reflect, iterate
    • Even if tests with children aren’t immediately possible
    • Use simulated blurring and letter confusion tests on your materials.
    • Self-test or test with peers for readability and emotional response.
    • Be prepared to refine layouts and type choices based on feedback and observation.

In my research on how design and typography can support children in learning to read, I came across “Die Grundschrift”, a typeface specifically developed for use in German primary schools.

What is “Die Grundschrift”?

“Die Grundschrift” (translated: the basic script) is a simplified, clear typeface developed by the German Grundschulverband to help children learn to read and write with fewer obstacles.

Unlike traditional cursive scripts taught in schools, Grundschrift:

• Is print-like and clear, making it easier for children to recognize and differentiate letters
• Uses consistent, simple letter shapes that resemble printed text, reducing the confusion caused by complex letterforms
• Encourages fluid writing movements without forcing strict connections between letters, allowing children to develop their own handwriting style gradually

Why is “Grundschrift” easier for beginners?

• Clear Letterforms: Letters are designed to be visually distinct, helping children avoid common mix-ups (like b/d or p/q)
• Transition-Friendly: Since Grundschrift looks similar to printed text in books, children can transfer their reading skills more easily to writing
• Less Cognitive Load: Simplified forms reduce distractions, helping children focus on learning to decode and write simultaneously
• Supports Individual Writing Style: By not enforcing strict cursive connections, children develop confidence in writing at their own pace

Why is this relevant?

It’s easy to assume playful or decorative fonts are “child-friendly,” but for learning to read, clarity and structure are more important than decoration.

Using Grundschrift in learning materials:

• Supports readability for first readers.
• Ensures consistency between what children read and write.
• Builds confidence in reading and writing simultaneously.

Reading Didactics
The science and practice of teaching reading, including methods, materials, and strategies to effectively guide children through the reading acquisition process.

Phonological Awareness
The ability to recognize and manipulate the sound structure of spoken language (e.g., identifying rhymes, clapping syllables, isolating sounds), which is a key prerequisite for learning to read.

Decoding
The process of translating written words into their corresponding sounds in order to read and understand them.

Reading fluency
The ability to read texts accurately, smoothly, and with appropriate expression, which is crucial for text comprehension.

Reading Motivation
The inner willingness and joy children have in engaging with texts and reading, influenced by design, content, and early reading experiences.

Syllable Method
An approach in the reading acquisition process in which words are broken down into syllables to simplify reading, particularly helpful for children with reading difficulties.

Orthographic Phase
A phase in the reading acquisition process where children automatically recognize words as whole units and can read them quickly without decoding letter by letter.

Whole-Word Method
A method of learning to read in which children recognize and store entire words as visual units without sounding them out.

Visual Perception
The ability to recognize and process visual stimuli, such as letters or illustrations, which is essential for letter recognition during reading acquisition.

Educational Typography
The targeted use of typography in educational contexts to improve readability and facilitate children’s learning.

Illustrations are powerful tools in children’s books. They guide understanding, support text, and make stories come alive. But what happens when illustrations are not clearly structured?

While analyzing children’s books for my research, I tried an experiment:I took single sentences out of context from illustrated pages to see if I could reconstruct the storyline using only the illustration. Result: It was surprisingly confusing.

Why did it become confusing?

• Illustrations without clear sequencing: Many pictures are rich in detail but do not guide the eye clearly. Without the text, it is hard to know what happens first or what the focus of the scene is
• Too many simultaneous actions: Some illustrations show multiple characters doing different things at once. For a beginner reader, this is overwhelming without visual hierarchy
• Missing visual cues: If characters or actions are not clearly distinguished, it is easy to lose track of who is speaking or what the central event is on the page
• Text and image are too interdependent: Sometimes, the image only makes sense together with the text. When separated, the meaning collapses

What I learned

• Illustrations should support the narrative independently where possible, providing visual anchors that help reconstruct the storyline even if the text is unclear or skipped
• Clear visual hierarchy (size, color contrast, character focus) helps direct the reader’s eye and narrative understanding
• Illustrations should not overload the scene with unrelated details that distract from the core storyline, especially for first readers

I looked at two different books for my research to analyze the visual elements more. Storytelling is not just the text but also the illustrations, which are very important for children.

On the left:

• Style: It is a bright, airy illustration style with soft watercolor textures and delicate, detailed linework. It encourages exploration and point out context clues for the story
• Color palette: Pastel greens, blues and generally more cool-toned colors, but they are still creating a light, inviting tone
• Layout: Full double-page scenes with characters integrated into large nature environments
• Text placement: Typically left-aligned blocks on white space within the scene. It has a clear but subtle presence and is still easily readable.

On the right:

• Style: It is a bold, very cartoonish illustrations made up of simplified shapes and heavier outlines. The characters and their facial expressions are central in this style, making emotional interactions clear and readable
• Color palette: Warmer, saturated tones with prominent reds, browns, and yellows, giving a cozy, direct feel
• Layout: Focus on characters in the foreground, with minimal background elements, emphasizing interaction and expression
• Text placement: Larger, bolder fonts with clear speech bubbles or separated lines for dialogue, placed prominently within the visual flow

Both these styles are what kids gravitate towards for different reasons. But when looking at the illustrations isolated, the illustrations on the left underline the story better in the sense that they tell the story more forwardly, while the ones on the right are rather supporting.

In my third experiment, I wanted to find out how much the spacing between letters and words affects reading, especially for early readers.

The setup:

• I wrote the same sentence in various versions to analyze the impact of different spacings and tracking settings:
  – Normal tracking and line breaks
  – Slightly increased word spacing
  – Paragraph-separated structure
  – No spacing at all (letters and words merged)
  – Very large spaces between letters and words

My observations throughout the experiment:

• Normal spacing version: Easy to read, smooth reading flow, recognizable word shapes
• Increased word spacing: Supported reading, as words were visually clearer without disrupting the reading rhythm
• Paragraph structure: Increased clarity, reduced the overwhelming effect of text blocks, and helped with content chunking
• Merged text: Extremely difficult to read, words blended into each other, word shapes were unrecognizable, requiring high cognitive effort
• Very large letter and word spacing: Letters were recognizable, but word shapes were destroyed, slowing down reading and making it tedious

My key take-aways:

• Reader-friendly spacing is essential for keeping word shapes clear and supporting eye tracking
• Text that is too tight not only makes reading harder but can also lower motivation to continue reading
• Spacing that is too wide destroys the reading flow, as children cannot perceive words as whole units
• Structure through paragraphs can serve as a helpful orientation for beginner readers

In my second experiment I wanted to find out how font size and typeface affect reading speed and the reading flow.

The setup:

• I set the story “The ugly duckling” in different fonts and sizes
• I then cut the different paper parts apart and gave them to my test people. Because it is too difficult for first readers, I tried it out on adults, who are already proficient readers
• I then observed the time it took to read the individual stories out loud

My observations throughout the experiment:

• Small font sizes (e.g. 8–10 pt) immediately made readability more difficult because letters were closer together and word images became harder to recognize
• Decorative fonts made letter recognition difficult, especially for frequently confused letters like b/d, p/q
• Generous font sizes (14–16 pt) with clear, sans-serif typefaces ensured smooth legibility and a consistent reading rhythm
• Justified text with narrow line spacing led to rapid fatigue, while ragged text with sufficient line spacing supported the flow of reading
• Long blocks of text without paragraphs were intimidating and overwhelming, even for adults

My key take-aways:

• Reader-friendly design is essential for reading motivation and flow, especially for beginning readers
• Font size, line spacing, and the choice of font directly influence visual fatigue and text accessibility
• The aesthetic choice of a “pretty” font can hinder the reading process if it is too complex or playful
• Paragraphs and visual rest areas in the text make it easier to follow the story and support reading skills

For my first design experiment, I explored how similar-looking letters and font choices affect readability for first readers by intentionally making text harder to decipher.

The setup:

• I selected letters that are often confused by early readers (e.g., b/d, p/q, i/l, c/e)
• I tested these in different fonts, focusing on those with low differentiation between similar letterforms
• I added a blur overlay to simulate how children with developing visual discrimination or attention might perceive unclear text

My observations throughout the experiment:

• Even as an adult, letters with low differentiation became nearly unrecognizable under blur (e.g., b/d, p/q merged visually)
• Fonts with small x-heights and tight spacing became unreadable faster than those with larger x-heights and generous spacing
• Decorative or playful fonts often used in children’s materials became difficult to read quickly, suggesting aesthetic choices can clash with functional readability
• Blurring amplified these issues, simulating the challenges first readers may face when text is visually too similar or dense

My key take-aways:

• Letterform clarity is essential
• Spacing matters
• Decorative ≠ child-friendly

I talked to Dana, mother of six year old Ella, who is learning to read. She gave me a lot of insight into what kind of hardships, challenges and joys her daughter is facing.

How old is Ella and in what kind of phase of learning to read would you place her right now?
Ella is six years old and attends the first grade of a primary school. She knows the individual letters and can write down words if you spell them individually for her. She can also sound out shorter words. Longer, more complicated words and full sentences are still too challenging.

What motivates Ella to read?
She loves books with a lot of pictures. When she can kind of see where the story is going, she is a lot more confident to try sounding out the words. Especially if the story is fun. She loves the Amelia Bedelia books and is obsessed with everything about animals right now.

What are the biggest challenges you are facing with a beginner learner right now?
Well, obviously it is patience. She gets frustrated easily if she cannot figure out a word immediately. She switches around letters like “b” and “d” a lot. It really depends on the way the book is designed.

How important are illustrations in the books Ella reads?
Oh very important! The pictures help immensely with comprehension even if she doesn’t understand all the words. Sometimes she “reads” the picture and can guess the word.

Do you look for specific design parameters when buying new books?
Honestly no. I don´t specifically look for something but I can definitely see that some books are easier for her than others. Really small letters are challenging or pages where the text disappears into an illustration.

Do you as a parent have any wishes for designers that work on children’s books?
Yes, I want to invest more in books that truly support her progress. Filled with fun adventures and illustrations that support what we are reading without overpowering it.

What does your child learning to read mean to you personally?
It is a big step toward her independence. I still get surprised when she suddenly starts reading random word on our walks like for example the STOP sign. I just want to keep encouraging her this way and I think reading is so important for her future so I am happy that she makes it easy for me.

While looking into this topic, I also got into a conversation with my mother on how I learned to read as a little girl. She pulled out this artifact from our basement that she kept for 20 years (and probably will until I might have kids some day).

Unfortunately it does not work anymore, but it actually follows very similar learning steps to the ones I researched last semester.
You can start with Setting 1: Learning the letter. For that you click the buttons and a friendly voice sounds it out over the speakers. “A wie Affe”, “B wie Bus” etc. The pictures help with connecting the letter to an object or animal (like the logographic phase”).
Setting 2: Finding letters. On the screen a letter shows up and you have to press the according button. This furthers letter recognition and learning the shapes.

These different learning stages build up one after another. In my case, once I got the basic letters down (and my mother had to listen to all the letters about a billion times), I started asking how certain words are written. So while my mum was cooking dinner I kept asking for new words to type out.
“Mum, how do you write BALL?”
“B wie Bus, A wie Affe, L wie Lampe und nochmal L wie Lampe”

Interactive and digital equipment like this can keep kids entertained and motivated through its playful character. Of course, since then technology has vastly advanced and there is many more opportunities, but I will keep this approach in the back of my head.