Small, practical experiments for everyday reading and writing. They are ideas to explore, not treatments, and none is promised to work for any particular person. Try one at a time, so you can tell whether it made a difference for you.
Something to try · 15 to 20 minutes
Listen while you read one document
Most phones and computers can read text aloud without any extra app. Some people like to follow the words on screen while they listen; others prefer listening alone.
- Pick one real document you need to read this week, about one to three pages long.
- Turn on the built-in reader: Speak Screen on iPhone or iPad, Select to Speak on Android, Read Aloud or Immersive Reader in Microsoft Edge or Word.
- Read the first half with audio and the second half without it. Try a slower and a faster voice speed.
How to judge it: Afterward, write one sentence on each half: what you remember, and how tired you feel.
Feature help: Apple: Speak Screen and Speak Selection · Google: Select to Speak · Microsoft: Read Aloud in Word
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · 5 minutes of setup
Make a section map before you start
Splitting a long text into named parts gives you natural stopping points and a way back in after a break.
- Before reading, skim only the headings, bold text and first lines of paragraphs.
- Write a numbered list of the parts in a few words each. If there are no headings, mark a break every few paragraphs.
- Read one part at a time and tick it off. Stop at the end of a part, not in the middle.
How to judge it: Next time you are interrupted, note how long it takes to get going again compared with usual.
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · Under 1 minute each time
Leave yourself a restart note
A quick note at the point you stop records where you were and what came next, so you are not relying on finding the spot again.
- When you have to stop, write three things on a sticky note or in a comment: the page or heading, the last idea you understood, and the next question you had.
- On a screen, use a highlight or comment at the exact line instead of a sticky note.
- When you come back, read the note first, then the paragraph before your mark.
How to judge it: Try it for a week of interruptions and decide whether it saved you rereading.
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · A few days
Try a line guide for a week
Some readers like a visual guide that keeps attention on one line. Browsers and operating systems include reading modes that can show fewer lines at once.
- On paper, use a card or ruler under the line. On screen, try the Line Focus option in Microsoft Immersive Reader, or a browser reading mode with wider line spacing.
- Use it for your everyday reading for a few days, then go without it for a day.
How to judge it: Compare the days. Keep it only if you prefer it. Preference is a fine reason.
Feature help: Microsoft: Immersive Reader
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · 10 minutes of setup
Set up your screen for comfort
Text size, spacing and contrast are personal. There is no single setting that works for everyone, and comfort is a reasonable goal by itself.
- Change one thing at a time: text size first, then line spacing, then background.
- Use the setting for a full day of everyday reading before you judge it.
- Write down the settings you like so you can repeat them on other devices.
How to judge it: Ask yourself at the end of the day whether reading felt more comfortable. Comfort counts.
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · Two short tasks
Compare written and spoken instructions
Comparing formats on a real task shows you which one you prefer, which is useful to know when you ask for information at work or elsewhere.
- Choose two similar tasks this week that come with instructions.
- For one, use only the written version. For the other, ask for it to be explained, or play the written version aloud.
- Write down how long each took and how sure you felt about the result.
How to judge it: If one format worked better, you now have a specific, concrete thing to ask for.
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · No extra time
Tick off steps as you go
Marking each finished step keeps your place in a process without having to reread from the top.
- Before starting, number the steps if they are not numbered already.
- Tick, cross out or move each step to a "done" list as soon as you finish it.
- For forms, cover the parts you have finished with a sheet of paper.
How to judge it: Note whether you had to look back less than usual.
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · 5 minutes per message
Run two separate checking passes
Checking for spelling and checking for meaning are different jobs. Doing them separately can make each one easier to focus on.
- First pass: let the spell checker go through the text and decide on each suggestion.
- Second pass: listen to the text read aloud and listen for wrong or missing words, which a spell checker may not catch.
- For important messages, wait a few minutes between writing and checking.
How to judge it: Count how many changes the listening pass found that the checker missed.
Feature help: Microsoft: Editor in Word
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · A few seconds each time
Keep a personal word list
A short list of words you use often, spelled correctly, saves looking them up each time. Many keyboards can also turn a short code into a full word.
- For two weeks, write down any word you looked up or were unsure about.
- Add the ones that come up more than once to a note on your phone, or to text replacement shortcuts in your keyboard settings.
How to judge it: At the end of two weeks, see how many words on the list you used again.
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · 5 minutes
Dictate a first draft
Speaking a draft separates getting ideas down from getting the spelling right. You then edit the text as a second step.
- Use the microphone key on your phone keyboard, or Dictation on Mac or Windows (Windows key + H).
- Say the whole message without stopping to fix errors.
- Then read or listen back, and edit.
How to judge it: Compare how long the message took with how long a typed one usually takes.
Feature help: Microsoft: Voice typing in Windows · Apple: Dictate text on Mac
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · 2 minutes after each meeting
Use a three-line notes template
Writing less during a meeting, in a fixed format, can make it easier to keep up and easier to use the notes later.
- Before the meeting or class, write three headings: Decisions, Things I need to do, Questions.
- During it, write only under those headings, in a few words.
- Within an hour afterward, spend two minutes turning each line into a full sentence.
How to judge it: A week later, check whether you can still understand the notes.
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · One message
Ask for a recording or written summary
Many meeting and lecture platforms can record or transcribe when the organizer allows it. A summary from the organizer means you can listen fully instead of writing everything down.
- Ask the organizer whether a recording, transcript or short written summary will be shared.
- If it will, try writing only your own questions during the session.
How to judge it: Decide whether you followed the discussion better when you were not writing everything.
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · No extra time
Plan a line that buys you time
Having a sentence ready for when someone is waiting can take some pressure out of reading on the spot.
- Write one sentence you are comfortable saying, such as "Can I take this away and come back to you?" or "Could you send me that by email?"
- Use it the next time you are handed something to read on the spot.
How to judge it: Note how the conversation went and whether the extra time helped.
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · Under 1 minute
Take a photo of text you need to read quickly
A photo turns a board, sign or menu into something you can read at your own pace, zoom into, or have read aloud.
- Take a photo of the sign, screen or page.
- Zoom in, or use the text recognition in your camera app (Live Text on iPhone, Google Lens on Android) to copy or listen to it.
How to judge it: Try it a few times this week and keep it if it is useful.
Feature help: Apple: Live Text
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.
Something to try · One planned slot
Book your best conditions for important reading
If you already know when reading feels easier, you can plan important reading for those times instead of fitting it in whenever.
- Look at the conditions you said make reading easier.
- Block one slot this week that matches them, and use it for the reading that matters most.
How to judge it: Compare that reading session with one done at a random time.
An idea to explore, not a treatment. It may or may not suit you.