Glossary

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Rapid Serial Visual Presentation(also: RSVP)

A text display method in which words or short phrases are shown one at a time in a fixed location on screen in quick succession, eliminating the need for eye movements (saccades) between words. RSVP was first proposed in the 1950s for reading research and adapted for practical…

Read-Along(also: Read Along, Synchronised Highlighting, Karaoke-style Highlighting)

An accessibility pattern in which on-screen text is highlighted word-by-word or phrase-by-phrase in synchronisation with spoken audio. Used in children's reading apps, language-learning tools, accessible ebook formats (e.g., EPUB Media Overlays), and podcast players.…

Read-Aloud Technology(also: Read-Aloud Feature, Text Read-Aloud)

Technology that converts written text to spoken audio output, allowing users to listen to content rather than or in addition to reading it visually. Read-aloud technology differs from general text-to-speech in its focus on synchronized presentation — highlighting words or…

Readability(also: Text Readability)

The ease with which a reader can read and understand written text. Readability encompasses both visual readability (typography, layout, color contrast, spacing) and linguistic readability (vocabulary complexity, sentence structure, text organization). In accessibility contexts,…

Readability(also: Text Readability)

The ease with which written text can be read and understood, determined by factors including vocabulary complexity, sentence length, grammatical structure, and text organisation. Readability is distinct from legibility (which concerns the visual clarity of individual characters…

Reading Assistance(also: Reading Assistance Technology, Reading Support Tools)

Reading assistance refers to technologies and strategies that help people understand written text more easily. This includes tools like text-to-speech, automatic text simplification, screen readers, reading rulers, and dictionary lookups. For accessibility, reading assistance is…

Reading Comprehension(also: Text Comprehension)

The ability to understand, interpret, and derive meaning from written text. Reading comprehension involves multiple cognitive processes including decoding words, activating background knowledge, making inferences, and monitoring understanding. It is a key target for reading…

Reading Disability(also: Reading Difficulty, Reading Disorder)

A condition that impacts a person's ability to read and develop literacy skills. Reading disabilities encompass a wide range of conditions including dyslexia, alexia, and difficulties arising from intellectual disabilities, cognitive impairments, sensory disabilities, or…

Reading Fluency

The ability to read connected text accurately, at an appropriate pace, and with proper expression - distinct from word-level decoding skill on one side and from reading comprehension on the other. Fluency is typically measured along three dimensions: accuracy (proportion of…

Reading Model(also: Theory of Reading)

A theoretical framework that explains the cognitive processes involved in reading and how reading skills develop. Key reading models include the Simple View of Reading (comprehension = decoding × language comprehension) and the Rope Model (which describes fluent reading as the…

Reading Speed(also: Reading Rate, Words Per Minute)

The pace at which a person can read and process text, typically measured in words per minute. Reading speed is a common metric in evaluating reading support technologies and varies significantly among people with different disabilities. People with dyslexia often experience…

Reading Support Technology(also: Reading Assistive Technology, Reading Aid)

Any technology designed to make reading more accessible for people with disabilities, encompassing tools that support decoding, comprehension, readability, navigation, and literacy development. Reading support technologies range from visual augmentations and text simplification…

Regression(also: Regressive Saccade, Regressive Eye Movement)

In the context of reading and eye tracking, a regression is a backward eye movement (right-to-left in left-to-right scripts) where the reader returns to previously read text. Regressions typically occur when a reader has difficulty understanding a word or passage and needs to…

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