Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Decomposing the Variance in Reading Comprehension to Reveal the Unique and Common Effects of Language and Decoding
Published on: October 11, 2018
Effects of Spectral Overlays on Reading Performance of Brazilian Elementary School Children
Ana Carla Oliveira Garcia1, Teresa Maria Momensohn-Santos1, Douglas de Araújo Vilhena2
1Graduate Program on Speech Language Pathology Studies, Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Objective:
To investigate the effects of spectral overlays on reading performance of Brazilian elementary school children.
Methods:
Sixty-eight children (aged 9-12 years) enrolled in the 5th and 6th grade were included in the study. The Rate of Reading Test (RRT - Brazilian Portuguese version) was used to evaluate reading speed and the Irlen Reading Perceptual Scale was used to allocate the sample according to reading difficulty/discomfort symptoms and to define the optimal spectral overlays.
Results:
A total of 13% of the children presented an improvement of at least 15% in reading speed with the use of spectral overlays. Pupils with severe reading difficulties tended to have more improvement in RRT with spectral overlays. Children with severe reading discomfort obtained the highest gains in RRT, with an average of 9.6% improvement with intervention, compared to a decrease of -8.2% in the control group. Participants with severe discomfort had an odds ratio of 3.36 to improve reading speed with intervention compared to the control group.
Conclusion:
The use of spectral overlays can improve reading performance, particularly in those children with severe visual discomfort.
Related Concept Videos
Uncertainty in Measurement: Reading Instruments
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children
Buffer Effectiveness
The buffer capacity is the amount of acid or base that can be added to a given volume...
Framing Effects
Pathophysiology of Cardiac Performance
Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...

