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People are raving about how much easier it is to read with 'bionic reading' font

This viral tool could be a game-changer for some.

Photo via Canva, @WhattheADHD/Twitter

The 'bionic reading' font is designed to help keep you focused and read faster.

Reading is a fundamental tool of learning for most people, which is why it's one of the first things kids learn in school and why nations set literacy goals.

But even those of us who are able to read fluently might sometimes struggle with the act of reading itself. Perhaps we don't read as quickly as we wish we could or maybe our minds wander as our eyes move across the words. Sometimes we get to the end of a paragraph and realize we didn't retain anything we just read.

People with focus or attention issues can struggle with reading, despite having no actual reading disabilities. It can be extremely frustrating to want to read something and have no issues with understanding the material, yet be unable to keep your mind engaged with the text long enough to get "into" what you're reading.

But what if there were a font that could help you stay focused? That could help you not only read faster but better retain what you've just read?

That's what the creators of Bionic Reading claim is possible with their font tool."Bionic Reading revises texts so that the most concise parts of words are highlighted," the Swiss company's website reads. "This guides the eye over the text and the brain remembers previously learned words more quickly."

Give it a try:

@WhattheADHD/Twitter

The gist is that our eyes don't need to focus on the entire word because our brains can fill in the rest for us. By bolding the first part of the word, we're more quickly able to move from word to word.

"Bionic Reading aims to play a supporting role in the absorption of volume text," states the website. "We see technological progress as an opportunity for all those who want to increase the pleasure of reading in a noisy and hectic world in a focused way and without distraction."

While there are no studies cited on this method of reading, there are plenty of anecdotes about it being helpful. The example shared by @WhattheADHD on Twitter got people's attention and many people responded with enthusiasm at how much easier the bionic reading text was for them to read.

"This is amazing! I have ADHD and I didn’t even realize that I was having trouble fixating when I read," wrote one person. "My eye latches right on to the bold face. Can’t wait to try reading a book again. It’s been all audiobooks for a while."

"It's incredible how reading this feels like finally unlocking 100% of your brain," wrote another.

@juanbius/Twitter

However, not everyone was impressed or thrilled with the sample. Some people said that they had a harder time reading the bionic text or that it distracted or slowed them down. Both positive and negative responses came from a diverse pool of people. Some who described themselves as neurodivergent said that they loved it and some said it was harder. The same went for people who said they were neurotypical, so it's hard to say who this tool may specifically help the most. Everyone's brains work differently, and different people will find different things helpful.

Bionic reading might be a game-changer for some, but it's not the only tool of its kind. There are speed-reading programs that train you to stop reading each word and allow your brain to read visually instead of auditorily. There are also various methods of making reading easier by adjusting how your eyes move across the text.

For instance, check out this "space reading" technique:

@uxjavi/Twitter

Bionic Reading has a free text converter on its website that you can use to try out its font changes. A YouTube clip from the company also shows possibilities for how the font can be adjusted to individual preferences, making more or less of the initial letters bolded.

And again, if this doesn't work for you, then it's probably not made for you. For people who struggle with reading, something like Bionic Reading could make a huge difference.

Three cheers for technology being used to help people overcome difficulties and make learning easier and more efficient.


This article originally appeared on 5.30.22.

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How this NFL player went from underdog to champion for kids struggling with literacy.

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NFL

Growing up in Flint, Michigan, Brandon Carr of the Baltimore Ravens had a deep connection with the teachers in his life.

His fourth and fifth grade teacher, Denise Pitman, made a major impression on him.

"She really turned my education around," Brandon says. "I was so excited to go to school. She was like my mom — she pushed me."

Brandon always had a soft spot for teachers because his mom, Kathy, was one for 33 years, and he saw firsthand just how hard they worked.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I honor Kathy Carr #CrucialCatch

Posted by Brandon Carr on Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Kathy's two sisters were also teachers, and they all wound up in Flint together, so it's no surprise that education was a regular topic of conversation in the Carr household.

His mom did everything she could to help her boys grow up well-rounded, and that meant prioritizing education, even when football came into play.

Simultaneously Brandon's dad always stressed the foundations one needs to be a great athlete, and that included stepping outside your comfort zone.

So Brandon started playing football. "I followed in my brother’s footsteps," he says. "He was the first African-American quarterback in my high school."

As a smaller guy, Brandon was a bit of an underdog, but it ended up working to his advantage. He played college football for Grand Valley State and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. In 2012, at 25 years old, he was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys on a five-year $50 million contract.

[rebelmouse-image 19532571 dam="1" original_size="600x646" caption="Brandon Carr. Photo by Keith Allison/Wikipedia." expand=1]Brandon Carr. Photo by Keith Allison/Wikipedia.

Needless to say, his athletic career was soaring, but Brandon started to feel a tug to do more.

He was itching to give back in a big way but didn't know how he could be the most useful. Then he remembered his dad's advice: Go outside your comfort zone.

With that in mind, Brandon signed up to speak publicly about juvenile diabetes.

As a shy guy, he was more than a little nervous at his first speaking engagement. But when he saw all these kids in the auditorium, his nerves melted away. He immediately owned the space, joking and laughing with them. He felt like he could totally be himself.

Carr with kids from Glenmount Elementary School. Photo via Carr Cares, used with permission.

That's when he realized he wanted to continue to help instill confidence in kids. And how does one do that?

Well, thanks to voices in his head like his mom and his old teacher Ms. Pitman, it became clear — teach them to read.

"You need to be able to comprehend everything around you to get ahead in this world," Brandon says. "That starts with reading."

So, in 2012, Brandon started the Carr Cares Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to improving children's literacy.

Carr with a student from Roots and Branches Elementary School. Photo via Carr Cares, used with permission.

The idea for the foundation was rather broad at first, but after talking to his mom, aunts, and former teachers, he began to hone in on what schools and students really need. Now they offer programs specifically designed to identify students who are struggling with literacy and give them the tools to succeed.

For example, there's a peer-to-peer reading program that pairs younger, struggling readers with high school mentors who provide one-on-one tutoring twice a week.

"A big piece of it is the young students build a sense of trust with their mentor and let them into their lives which can be extremely helpful when a student is having problems outside of the classroom," Brandon explains.

The mentors get a great deal in return as well. Having to be there for younger students every week teaches them accountability. Some even choose to go into education, and in turn, Carr Cares offers them scholarships.

Beyond helping improve kids' confidence levels, Brandon is doing everything he can to preserve his mom's legacy.

Carr reading to kids at Roots and Branches Elementary School. Photo via Carr Cares.

Kathy passed away in 2014 from her second bout of breast cancer. While he misses her every day, his work in schools lets him feel close to her.

"When I go into these schools, I know she’s with me, and she’s getting the same joy out of seeing these kids," Brandon says.

And to bring it full circle, he opened three reading centers back in his hometown of Flint in 2015, which provides kids with over 500 books, a fun place to read, and tutors whenever they might need them.

What's even cooler is that some of Brandon's former teachers have come back to help run the program.

Thanks to his teachers and loved ones, Brandon's the confident man he is today, which is why he always comes back to his community.

Carr reading to kids. Photo via Carr Cares, used with permission.

Thats why he'll be wearing cleats that broadcast the Carr Cares message for NFL's initiative My Cause, My Cleats during week 13 of the season.

"We all want to go out and do great things in this world, but [we can't] forget about the ones coming up behind [us]," Brandon says.

One day, he hopes to take his volunteers and literacy programs and build a school dedicated to bolstering reading skills. It may seem like a massive undertaking, but for the small football player who made it to the top of the NFL by age 25, the sky's the limit.

Brandon Carr is one of more than 750 NFL players who will lace up for charitable causes as part of the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats initiative. Starting November 28th, NFL players will reveal their custom cleats, several of which will be auctioned to raise money for the charitable organizations they support. For more information, visit www.nfl.com/mycausemycleats.

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Why paws and whiskers can be the best therapy for people in need of TLC.

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State Farm

It was Christmas 1994 when Scarlet Ross and her 10-year-old son went to get photos of their cat and dog with Santa.

Getting a dog — let alone a cat — to cooperate for such a photo op might be tough.

Not for these pets. Neither one seemed fazed by being held by a bearded stranger in a bright red suit.

Scarlet's dog, Tyler, with Santa. Image via Scarlet Ross, used with permission.

Amazed by their calmness, someone approached Scarlet and asked her if she would be interested in getting her animals involved with a new animal therapy group: the Human Animal Bond (HAB).

After all, the stranger explained, if her animals were so even-tempered with Santa, they’d probably make great therapy animals.

Scarlet was immediately intrigued.

She decided to leave the cat at home, but she took her sheltie to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to see if he was a good fit. He passed with flying colors, and "That’s just how I got involved," she says. She remains a volunteer with HAB to this day.

Scarlet and Tyler visiting a nursing home resident 20 years ago. Image via Scarlet Ross, used with permission.

The volunteer-run organization was started by the U.S. Military Veterinary Services because they know how strong the bond between humans and animals can be.

The military veterinary services "felt that animals had a particular benefit to army families because of all the moving," explains Ruie Gibson, a long-time HAB board member and volunteer.

Snickers, a greyhound HAB therapy dog, at HAB's annual picnic. Image by Tammy Patton, used with permission.

Not to be confused with service dogs, therapy dogs can provide comfort and support to those who need it. And there is science to back it up.

Psychologists, psychiatrists, and doctors have used, and continue to use, therapy dogs with patients because they have found they can help reduce feelings of depression.

Studies have also shown that simply petting dogs can help lower people’s heart rates and reduce stress and anxiety.

The military wrote a regulation, and the animal therapy group Human Animal Bond was born to help provide this service to those in need of comfort and support.

Families that are interested in being a part of HAB can sign up their dogs, cats, and even rabbits to be therapy pets.

HAB volunteer Erika Chester and her cat, Mia. Image via HAB, used with permission.

If these animals pass the temperament test, they can join the HAB network with their family.

"I would say that 99% of the time, the people who come to us and who want to do this, or think that their pet would be good at this, pass the temperament test no problem," Ruie says. "They wouldn’t even consider it if they didn’t think their dog would like it."

Once they’re members, the families take a special training session once a year — which, Ruie says, is actually more for the owners than the dogs.

After that, the volunteers and their therapy pets sign up for and attend as many HAB events as they can with their schedules.

Two volunteers and their HAB therapy dogs at the annual Veterans Day Parade. Image via HAB, used with permission.

Sometimes the HAB therapy pets go to schools and libraries to meet students.

They even help kids who are having trouble reading practice doing it aloud.

Cobalt, a beagle mix, visits a teacher and her classroom in Leavenworth. Image via HAB, used with permission.

Other times, the pets visit nursing homes, elderly care facilities, or rehab facilities.

Goose, an HAB therapy dog, visiting a rehab facility.  Image via HAB, used with permission.

They also go to a minimum security correctional facility on the military base to visit nonviolent offenders.

"That’s a very popular program," Ruie says, adding that there is always a waiting list of inmates wanting to see the dogs.

Scarlet has now been an active volunteer with HAB for the last 23 years and has had several of her dogs join the program.

"It is very important to me," she says. "It’s very rewarding to see the joy of it."

"A couple of years ago, I had a dog that was blind, deaf, and incontinent, and we would go to the nursing home and talk about that," Scarlet remembers.

Scarlet's dog Aunt Bea was a regular visitor at the local nursing home. Image via Scarlet Ross, used with permission.

This dog, named Aunt Bea, was 12 or 13 when Scarlet adopted her, and she was also missing her teeth. When she went to the nursing home to visit, Aunt Bea "had to wear her Depends," Scarlet continues, but "many of the residents related to her health condition. ... They really enjoyed meeting her."

Today, Scarlet's two dogs — a rescued golden retriever named Josie and a wild-haired shih tzu named Phyllis Diller — are both in the program.

Scarlet and Josie, an HAB therapy dog. Image via Scarlet Ross, used with permission.

"I love sharing my animals with these people that have had animals in the past and can’t have them now," she says. "They get to hug them, they pet them, and I take photos of them with my pet and give it to them so they can have it."

That's why she particularly loves visiting the nursing homes with her dogs.

Tyler with a nursing home resident at Christmas. Image via Scarlet Ross, used with permission.

"So many need a special touch or hug that they used to get," she says.

Being involved with HAB has also helped make Scarlet feel closer to her animals too.

"I love all of my dogs, however, with my therapy dogs there is a special bond and closeness," she explains. "When you work with them like that, that’s a special connection."  

Scarlet's shih tzu, Phyllis Diller, is also a hit at senior facilities because her crazy hair makes them laugh. Image via Scarlet Ross, used with permission.

Whether it's visiting the elderly or helping kids practice reading, it's clear that HAB has been making a difference in people’s lives.

All animal lovers understand the joy their pets can bring. But sharing that joy is a step beyond.

HAB therapy dogs and member families at their 2017 annual picnic. Image via Tammy Patton, used with permission.

All it takes is one visit at a school or nursing home to know your therapy dog is making a difference, Ruie says. "Sometimes they might not even want to touch the dog, but just being in the presence, it’s amazing what a difference it can make."

HAB dog Zorro and Maj. D. Thomas at the Munson Army Health Center. Image via HAB, used with permission.

"You might not know that it raises someone’s mood right away, but after you talk to a nurse, you find out that this patient hadn’t talked all day until they saw the dog."

"It’s amazing the things that do happen in their presence," she adds, "I don’t know how long it stays that way, but at least for a short time, they feel better."

If you think your pet would make a good therapy pet and you live in the Fort Leavenworth area, check out their website for ways to get involved as a volunteer.

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A garbage man saved 25,000 books and turned them into a library. The pictures are amazing.

There is no such thing as book heaven. Unless you're in Bogota, Colombia, and know an angel named Jose.

What do you do with old books?

You might pass them along to a friend, donate them, or add them to one of those Little Free Libraries. But, let's be honest, a good amount of used books end up in the trash.

If you live in Bogota, Colombia, the person who picks up your discarded book might be José Alberto Gutiérrez. And if Gutierrez finds your old book, it is one lucky little book indeed.

Gutiérrez at work. Photo by AP Photo/Fernando Vergara.

For the past 20 years, Gutiérrez has been on a mission to save discarded books.

Bookshelves piled on top of bookshelves? Looks like my room. Photo by Guillermo Legaria/AFP/Getty Images.

Gutiérrez, a garbage man, saves old books that other people have thrown away. Books are usually left separate from the rest of the rubbish, and if they're in good condition, Gutiérrez picks them up and takes them home.

Though Gutiérrez's collection started with a single book (Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina"), today the total number of recovered reads has grown to roughly 25,000 at last count. The books take up the entire ground floor of his house, stacked up into great walls and mountains of pages.

[rebelmouse-image 19530219 dam="1" original_size="750x500" caption=""I want that one!" Photo by Fernando Vergara/AP." expand=1]"I want that one!" Photo by Fernando Vergara/AP.

As the collection grew, people began to take notice. Visitors would ask if they could borrow a book or two to help their kids get ready for school.

The whole endeavor is now a community library: "La Fuerza de las Palabras" — "The Strength of Words" in Spanish.

Think of how much they must weigh! Photo by Guillermo Legaria/AFP/Getty Images.

Gutiérrez's family helps run the project, coordinating pickups, doing the administrative work, and organizing events.

But more than instilling a love of books, the program is also about giving kids a leg up in education.

Gutiérrez lives in the La Nueva Gloria barrio, a low-income neighborhood in southern Bogota. When he started, the community's single school didn't have a library of its own. A donation from Gutiérrez helped fix that.

In fact, since he's started, Gutiérrez has donated reading materials to 235 different schools and communities.

Photo by Fernando Vergara/AP.

"The whole value of what we do lies in helping kids start reading," Gutiérrez told Al Jazeera.

"I grew up, here and I can tell you it got me a Ph.D. in marginalization and poverty," Gutiérrez said. "Kids here don't have a place to study; instead, they have to start working early."

Today the library has become a fixture of the city.

Gutiérrez has been invited to book fairs and profiled by local newspapers. An old, donated ambulance has been turned into a bookmobile. There are even plans to build a real brick-and-mortar building.

The other garbage truck drivers know exactly where to bring books if they find any. There is no such thing as book heaven, but La Fuerza de las Palabras must be pretty dang close.

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