[WEB4LIB] Why do children like big type?

[morganj at iupui.edu]

If you working in a library, you might take a look at your children's
books.  You'll find they also feature big print.  I suspect it has
somthing to do with ability to read and comprehend large amounts of dull
text at one time: generally speaking librarians have had more training in
this than six-year olds.

Jim Morgan
morganj at iupui.edu



On Mon, 27 Mar 2000, Hanan Cohen wrote:

> I am working in a library. We offer PC's for typing homework and PC's
> for web surfing. Here are some observations I have accumulated during my
> work here.
> 
> I have noticed that children like to see BIG type on their screens and
> papers.
> 
> When starting a new document, a child would first change the type size
> to 20 or more. Only then he/she would start typing. (The default type
> size in our templates is 12 points.) They want to "fill" the pages with
> their text.
> 
> Whenever they can, children will change the screen resolution to
> 640X480. They like to see BIG text on their screen. They don't care that
> they see less information. They don't mind scrolling. They don't care
> the low-res is low-tech.
> 
> It seems that when children see BIG, they feel that they get "more
> value". They "love" the opportunity to make things bigger, thus better.
> 
> Because I am responsible for setting up the computers in the library, I
> have set them up according to MY preferences (hi-res=more
> information=small text). I have also designed the library's web site to
> be better seen using 800X600 (640X480 optional).
> 
> I wonder if I should try to "educate" children to "see small" or setup
> the computers according to their preferences.
> 
> (cross posted to chi-web and web4lib)
> -- 
> Hanan Cohen - http://www.info.org.il
> ***Love and Peace***
>