Why Large Print?
THE VALUE OF LARGE PRINT.
Printed books have been with us for centuries, and have been threatened with replacement by various alternatives; microfilm, TV, film, PCs, CD’s, e-books, tablets and many other delivery options for educational materials. There’s no question that recent advances in technology have provided some excellent learning aids for Visually Impaired Students. And today’s students are far more sophisticated in their use of digital media in their everyday lives. But in the classroom, there is still a place for printed textbooks, which are durable and require no power source. More to the point, printed books make it easier to follow along, and can be accessed anywhere, at home, on the bus, in the car, on vacation, on a sleepover with grandma, anywhere.
If the decision is made to use printed textbooks then it’s important that visually‐impaired students don’t feel left out, or singled out. LRS large print books provide the student with a book that fits in their backpack or locker and doesn’t dominate the desk. Our calendar‐style split page format keeps the closed book size close to the original while allowing type sizes of 18 pt and up. The page is identical in layout, format and numbering to the original, so it’s use is completely transparent. This is the vision aid that visually‐impaired students can use, and will use!
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
‐Ben Franklin
A Key Visual Aid.
Bigger Is Better.
Why large print books?
Even in today’s educational environment with multiple platforms to provide learning materials, the hard copy book has an important role. Books are durable, can withstand being taken from room to room and back and forth to home in a backpack. In addition, books work better for the scanning of the page, especially for visually‐impaired students. Books are familiar, there is no software to load, no power source needed, no internet connection required. The scientific evidence indicates that students learn better from printed books. See hechingerreport.org
Why LRS large print books?
In a classroom where printed books are the norm, the advantages of LRS large print becomes apparent. Visually‐impaired students get the identical page numbering and layout as their classmates, making it easier to follow along. LRS books have a closed book size close to the original and the same cover art, so the users don’t stand out as different. LRS large print books fit in a backpack or locker too!
These are the reasons that LRS books are the learning aid that students can use and will use, as there is anecdotal evidence from teachers that vision aids often go unused.
LRS large print books keep the original page layout and pagination unchanged. LRS signature formats and binding methods have provided the best in large print books to schools across the U.S. for over 35 years. LRS large print books are ideal for mainstreaming and inclusion of visual-impaired, multi‐disabled, and other print challenged students and their teachers.
Made to suit your needs.
Each LRS large print book is made to order for the individual student.
Color or B&W: Most LRS books are available in full color; all color books can be printed in B&W if this is preferred.
Paper: LRS Large Print Books are normally printed on white paper, but ivory is an option.
Type size: LRS default large print is 20pt while keeping the closed book size near to that of the original. LRS considers type size to be more important than font style in improving readability, so we keep the same fonts as in the original. LRS also provides larger fonts to meet the needs of individual student who read better at a different sizes.
Binding: LRS has three basic binding methods to choose from:
- Hardcover: Our most popular binding is our hardcover library-style binding. It is durable, hard‐wearing and lays open flat. Glued rather than sewn, it can be folded completely back on itself.
- Plastic Coil (Spiral): Ideal for workbooks or when the preference is to fold the book back on itself. This durable plastic coil binding is lightweight.
- Perfect Binding (Flexible Laminated Cover): LRS is also able to provide a flexible glued soft cover binding that lays open flat, though cannot be folded back on itself. As durable as the hardcover, it is also flexible and lightweight.
Format: The format of the LRS Large Print book is decided mainly by the type size and page size of the original material. The page layout and numbering remain exactly the same as in the original. LRS has four basic formats
- Calendar View: This innovative format, designed by our founder some 39 years ago, remains our most popular. This format allows the greatest enlargement while retaining a small closed book size nearer the original. Each original page is presented in a calendar like format while retaining the page numbering and layout of the original.
- Side View: This format is ideal for literature. It is much like the calendar view but opens on the side instead of page top. The original page is displayed side by side, with the top half on the left, the bottom on the right. This allows the book to be even more like an ordinary book.
- Normal View: It is possible to enlarge a book without splitting the page. These books are often much larger than the original and cannot reach as large of a font.
We Have Options
Special Needs Children
Large Print For Special Needs Children
LRS large print books have been helping the visually impaired student for over 30 years, but did you know that large print can benefit the learning disabled as well? Large print is being used more and more for learning disable students! In the last few years, both parents and teachers of children and adults with learning disabilities, particularly dyslexia, have been telling us that large print books can facilitate the initial reading process.
Large print can truly “open up the world of reading” for learning disabled students by:
- Unjumbling words
- Reducing focus demand & visual delineation between the text & background
- Making the tracking process easier
Large print is not the answer for all students with learning disabilities, but it is a valuable tool to have on hand ‐ serving as that crucial “jump start” needed for moving the student with learning disabilities down the road to reading success!
Print Versus Digital.
Despite many advances in technology, hard-copy paper books still seem to be the best medium for educational purposes. Furthermore, the physical book provides a superior learning tool for the visually impaired. The physical book provides an easier interaction interface, allows for physical aids in the reading process, and reduces the eye strain digital versions create.
Remember how LP records, microfilm, television, cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, and the PC were each, in turn, going to replace books? Remember the predictions of the forthcoming “paperless office”? Studying techniques such as making margin notes, underlining, and highlighting are each much easier on paper.
Books are durable, portable, comfortable, and readable.
Durable: Books are rugged, can be dropped, thrown, get wet (somewhat), stood on, sat on, and all without breaking a screen, a case, or fragile internal components like the processor.
Portable: Books can be carried in a backpack (even traditional LRS large print school books), stored in a locker or a desk, read on the bus, in a car, on the beach, in the bathtub, on a plane, on a camping trip, and need no power source or WiFi.
Comfortable: Books are familiar; easily recognized, understood and used; no special formatting or computer language required. Traditional LRS large print school books look the same as everyone else’s school books. So visually impaired students who use them don’t feel singled out as being different.
Readable: It has proved to be much easier to read paper copy than from a computer screen. Most people print out emails more than a couple of pages long. Science Daily even detailed a report that reading books on paper is better for children than from a computer screen.
What about digital textbooks?
There are an increasing number of colleges using digital textbooks, and several middle and high schools have adopted these too, though primarily these are private schools. Aside from the above, a number of issues have prevented rapid adoption.
- Digital does not mean free. Just because the books are downloadable and need no printing and binding does not mean that the books are free, or even substantially cheaper. The primary cost of producing textbooks is the content, not the paper.
- Time limits. Most digital textbooks have a limited life to prevent re‐selling and to reduce the risk of piracy.
- Ability to print. One of the most common complaints from users is that they are not able to print out pages of the digital books. This feature is often disabled to prevent multiple copies being made and to avoid piracy. Ironically this also demonstrates that students often prefer to read hard copy rather than from the screen.
Is Print Dead?
Made to Order.
We can customize the following features for each visually-impaired student:
- Type size, depending on the size of the original.
- Binding: Hardcover, Softcover or Spiral Binding.
- Format: Split Page (Calendar) or Full Page.
- Paper: White or Ivory.
Contact Us:
Let Us Help.