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Part of
Learning to Read in a Digital World
Edited by Mirit Barzillai, Jenny Thomson, Sascha Schroeder and Paul van den Broek
[Studies in Written Language and Literacy 17] 2018
► pp. 31–56

Chapter 2
Designing digital texts for beginner readers

Performance, practice and process

| University of Reading
| University of Reading
| Hasselt University
| Hasselt University
| Hasselt University
| Text Matters

This chapter summarises issues that designers consider when they are producing reading materials for beginning and emerging readers, including the constraints imposed by technology. We suggest ways of engaging with users of e-books so that their needs can be considered. We conclude by summarising the typographic parameters that are likely to benefit children’s reading.

Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Considerations that affect designers’ decisions
  • 3.Typefaces, typography and the use of space
    • 3.1Typefaces
    • 3.2Type size, vertical and horizontal space
  • 4.Pictures and text
  • 5.E-reading formats and the control offered to the designer
    • 5.1Markup-based e-books: Flowed page layout
    • 5.2Pictures of pages: Fixed page-layout
  • 6.Finding out what works with beginner and emerging readers
  • 7.Concluding remarks
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 9 August 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/swll.17.02wal
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