Getting in Touch with Literacy 2015
Life,
Literacy,
and the Pursuit
of Happiness
Presented by
Mrs. Pat Geditz, M.S.
Dr. Marva Gellhaus, PH.D., CLVT®
Presentation Objectives
1. Using the criteria developed by the presenters,
participants will be able to rank children’s book
illustrations by
• color and contrast,
• complexity of illustrations,
• and legibility of print on the page.
2. Using the spreadsheet designed by the presenters the
participants will be able to add additional children’s
books.
3. Using the spreadsheet, the participants can locate
books by color preference and contrast, complexity of
illustrations and legibility of print on the page.
Color & Contrast
Color
Dr. Anne Corn describes color as
including
• hue,
• saturation, and
• brightness.
Hue
The traditional color name of a specific
wave length is a hue. All of the colors of
the spectrum are hues.
Hue
Aspects of color that
give it its name
Red Truck
By Kersten Hamilton
Illustrated by Valeria Petrone
Hue
Leads to saturation
Color Chaos
By Lynn Rowe Reed
Illustrated by Lynn Rowe Reed
Saturation
This is the quality of visual perception
that permits the judgment of different
purities of any one wave length. It is the
amount of black, white, or gray within a
color hue.
Saturation
Amount of black, white, or gray within a color hue
Saturation
Amount of black, white, or gray within a color hue
Tint
A color plus white
Big Snow
By Jonathan Bean
Illustrated by Jonathan Bean
Shade
A color plus black
In a Village by the Sea
By Muon Van
Illustrated by April Chu
Colors of the spectrum
used as contrast
New Red Bike
By James E. Ransome
Illustrated by James E. Ransome
Brightness
This is the subjective attribute of any light
sensation giving rise to the perception of
luminous intensity. The more intense the
color’s brightness, the more the retina is
stimulated.
Brightness
It is sometimes
referred to as
luminance contrast.
(Gellhaus and Olson)
Bright Stanley
By Matt Buckingham
Illustrated by Matt Buckingham
CVI and Color
Research by Dr. J. E. Jans and presented
by Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy has
indicated that many students with CVI
have a strong color preference.
Their studies indicated the following color
preferences:
• Red 55%
• Yellow 34%
• All others 11%
Red and yellow are
often preferred colors
for students with CVI.
My Second Book of Symbols
By Dr. Marva Gellhaus
Illustrated by Toby Ferguson, Jeremy
Reuter, Matt Cobb
Luminous contrast is
greatly influenced by
the amount of light.
My Second Book of Symbols
By Dr. Marva Gellhaus
Illustrated by Toby Ferguson, Jeremy
Reuter, Matt Cobb
Visual Complexity
Visual Complexity
The complexity of visual array is the
complexity within the entire area to be
viewed. This includes the object to be
viewed and its background.
Visual Complexity
Outline figure on
simple background
A Story to Tell
By Dick Bruna
Illustrated by Dick Bruna
Visual Complexity
Complex object on a
simple background
Olivia Forms a Band
By Ian Falconer
Illustrated by Ian Falconer
Visual Complexity
Complex object on a
complex background
Olivia Forms a Band
By Ian Falconer
Illustrated by Ian Falconer
Visual Complexity
Complex objects on a
complex background
My Garden
By Kevin Henkess
Illustrated by Kevin Henkiss
“For many children with CVI, when an
object against a visually complex
background or when objects are placed
too closely together, no single object can
be sorted out from any other.“
Dr. J. E. Jan
Dr. Jan has labeled this phenomenon as
“visual crowding.”
Text Complexity
(Legibility)
Reading
“This process involves more than visual
processing, more than cognition, more
than motor control; it requires the
integration of all these processes. “
Dr. Gordon E. Legge
Text Legibility
According to Dr. Legge, legibility refers to
perceptual properties of text that
influence readability.
Legibility depends on both local and
global properties of text.
Local Properties
Font:
Fixed fonts are better for low vision
readers, but take more room. In fixed
font, all letters occupy the same amount
of horizontal space.
Local Properties
Print Size:
Print size is obviously a factor for low
vision students.
Local Properties
Letter Spacing:
Ample space between letters is best for
low vision readers.
Global Properties
(Layout Characteristics)
Line Length:
Long or short lines can be distracting and
tiring to a low vision reader. The reader has a
hard time locating the next line of type with
long lines. Short lines can work with a small
amount of text. For best readability the line
should be between 40-80 characters,
including spaces. Text spanning 65 characters
is considered ideal.
Line
Length
Global Properties
(Layout Characteristics)
Line Spacing:
Space between horizontal lines.
Global Properties
(Layout Characteristics)
Page Format:
The manner in which pictures, text, etc.
are arranged on the page.
Format
I’m Bored
By Michael Ian Black
Illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Global Properties
(Layout Characteristics)
Page Navigation:
Moving the eyes from the end of one line
of print to the beginning of the next line
of print.
Navigation
Russell the Sheep
By Rob Scotton
Illustrated by Rob Scotton
Monkeys
By Kate Riggs
Illustrated by Kate Riggs
A Snowman Named Just Bob
By Mark Kimball Moulton
Illustrated by Karen Hillard Crouch
Bibliography
Corn, A.L. “Visual Function: A Theoretical Model for Individuals with Low Vision.”
Journal of Blindness and Visual Impairment October 1983: 373-77. Print
Gellhaus, M.M. My First Book of Symbols. Sioux Falls, SD: Pheasantland Braille and
Graphics, 2009. Print/Braille.
Gellhaus, M.M. My Second Book of Symbols. Sioux Falls, SD: Pheasantland Braille
and Graphics, 2010. Print/Braille.
Gellhaus, M.M., and M.R. Olson. “Using Color and Contrast to Modify the
Educational Environment of Visually Impaired Students with Multiple
Disabilities.” Journal of Blindness and Visual Impairment January 1993: 1920. Print.
Legge, Gordon E. Psychophysics of Reading in Normal and Low Vision. New Jersey:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2007. Print.
Roman-Lantzy, Christine. Cortical Visual Impairment: An Approach to Assessment
and Intervention. American Foundation for the Blind, 2007. Print.
Segun, Mabel, ed. “The Importance of Illustrations in Children’s Books.”
Illustrating for Children 1988: 25-27. Print.