Developing a Logarithmic Chinese Reading Acuity Chart.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Vision Science
• Reading Science

Background:

• Traditional visual acuity tests (letter acuity, contrast sensitivity, visual field extent) are insufficient for predicting reading ability.
• Developing specialized reading acuity charts is crucial for accurately assessing reading performance in specific populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a set of Chinese Reading Acuity Charts (C-READ) for assessing the reading ability of Chinese readers.
• To establish the reliability and comparability of the C-READ charts.
• To evaluate the predictive validity of C-READ for continuous text reading speed.

Main Methods:

• Developed three C-READ charts using simplified Chinese sentences from first- to third-grade textbooks.
• Recruited 118 native Chinese-speaking college students with normal or corrected-to-normal near vision.
• Validated C-READ against International Reading Speed Texts (IReST) under corrected and uncorrected near-vision conditions.

Main Results:

• Established normative values for reading acuity (0.16 logMAR), critical print size (0.24 logMAR), and maximum reading speed (273.44 characters/min) for young Chinese readers.
• Demonstrated high reliability among the three C-READ charts with no significant order effect.
• Showed that C-READ maximum reading speed reliably predicts IReST reading speed (adjusted R² = 0.72 corrected, R² = 0.69 uncorrected).

Conclusions:

• The C-READ charts are comparable and reliable for assessing Chinese reading performance.
• C-READ accurately predicts continuous text reading speed across various refractive errors.
• C-READ serves as a valid and reliable clinical instrument for quantifying reading performance in simplified Chinese readers.