Setup

Using the MNREAD® Charts 

Conditions for testing:

1. Illumination

The chart should be lit evenly so that no shadows or glare will interfere with reading. The luminance of the white background on the charts should be 100cd/m2. This is usually achievable with typical room lights or desk lamps.

2. Viewing Distance

The print sizes and markings on the chart are designed for testing at the standard reading distance of 40 cm (16 inches). However, the range of print sizes can be extended to larger values for low vision by testing at a shorter viewing distance.

A head rest can be used to maintain a constant viewing distance to the chart. This will prevent the patient from creeping forward to see the smaller print. If a head rest is used with patients who have central field loss, they may need to position the MNREAD card themselves so that the sentences can be comfortably read with their peripheral vision.

3. Testing Procedure

Patients should be instructed as follows:

When I say ‘start’ please read the sentence aloud as quickly as you can without making errors. But if you do make an error, or realize that you have missed a word, continue to read to the end of the sentence and then go back and correct yourself.

Start with the largest sentence and move onto the subsequent sentences in decreasing size order. Keep going until the patient cannot read any words in a sentence. Record the reading time and any reading errors on the datasheet as described on our "Reading Measures" page. Reading time is defined as the time between when the patient is told to ‘start’ and when the patient finishes uttering the last word in the sentence. If a patient makes a reading error on a word but corrects that word before reaching the end of the sentence, that error should not be counted.

During testing, it is useful for the examiner to use a blank card to cover the sentence that is about to be read. The sentence should be uncovered at the same time as the examiner instructs the patient to start reading. This gives an objective means to determine when the reading process starts, and it also prevents the patient from previewing the subsequent sentences.