The following tips and techniques can help you learn to read with your magnifier more comfortably, quickly, and efficiently. Keep in mind that it takes time and practice to become proficient.
- Relax. Try to use your magnifier with as little tension as possible. Be aware of neck tightness, raised shoulders, holding breath, and other signs of tension that can cause fatigue.
- Check for good lighting. Position your lamp over the material so there are no shadows or glare. Flexible arm or gooseneck lamps work well. If you prefer natural or overhead lighting, remember that putting your head between the light and your reading material will create a shadow on the page.
- Find the proper focal distance from the object. Every magnifier has an optimal working distance that provides the sharpest focus. Depending on the strength of the magnifier, this is frequently between 2 and 10 inches from the object. If you have selected a stand magnifier, the focal distance is preset and you must keep the magnifier on the surface of the reading material.
- Keep practice sessions short in the beginning. About fifteen minutes several times a day is a good start. Several short sessions are much better than one long one. When you begin to feel eye strain, stop and do something else for a while. After you progress to longer sessions, a reading stand or lap desk will free your hands and reduce the strain of holding the material.
- Make a typoscope. This is a black card with a "window" cut out. It will help you keep your place on the page, cut down on any glare around the page, and provide contrast. Read with a line of print in the window or hold the entire card under the line to keep your position on the page.
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