“Sawaru Glyph” is a learning program developed in Japan that uses tactile reading. The word “sawaru” means “to touch” in Japanese, which corresponds to “haptics” in English. We use haptics to provide effective multisensory learning for individuals with dyslexia.
The causes of dyslexia include weak associations between letters and sounds, difficulty recognizing words at the spelling level, challenges in memorizing letter shapes, and slow Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN).
Sawaru Glyph addresses and helps improve these cognitive difficulties through tactile reading, where users “see, touch, and read aloud” three-dimensional words and sentences.
We aim to support people around the world who struggle with reading and writing through the innovative tactile reading program, Sawaru Glyph.
Contact Us
Keisuke Miyazaki, Speech-Language Pathologist
I am involved in the development and research of Sawaru Glyph in Japan. I have conducted training using Sawaru Glyph with many individuals with dyslexia. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about multisensory learning using the tactile reading format.
We welcome inquiries regarding the following topics:
- Want to know if Sawaru Glyph is available for use
- Want to learn how to use Sawaru Glyph
- Interested in receiving guided instruction from a speech-language pathologist
- Considering implementing Sawaru Glyph in a clinic or school
- Requesting a lecture or interview
Sawaru Glyph Tactile Reading Program
The Sawaru Glyph program can be conducted at home using specially designed tactile materials along with video and audio resources. To support home-based learning, we provide easy-to-follow instructions and evaluation sheets that help track progress. The program begins with basic letter shapes and gradually progresses to simple and then more complex spellings, using tactile reading where learners “see, touch, and read aloud” raised letters.
Through tactile reading, neural networks involved in letter recognition are formed in the brain, enhancing cognitive functions related to recognizing letters and words. As a result, the cognitive load required to recall letters is reduced, leading to improved reading fluency and spelling ability.
The Sawaru Glyph learning set is available for purchase online. We recommend starting with the Starter Kit, which is designed to help learners study letters and spelling based on phonics principles. Additionally, paid online instruction and assessment by a licensed speech-language pathologist are available upon request.
Who Can Benefit from Sawaru Glyph
Sawaru Glyph is designed for both children and adults with dyslexia.
It can also be helpful for individuals who do not have a formal diagnosis of dyslexia but struggle with reading or spelling.
This program is suitable for individuals who experience the following difficulties:
- Difficulty reading fluently
- Fatigue when reading sentences
- Trouble remembering how to spell words
- Challenges in understanding basic math concepts
Effects of Sawaru Glyph
awaru Glyph promotes fluent reading and strengthens four cognitive functions related to letter recall by leveraging the benefits of haptics. It helps improve the cognitive vulnerabilities commonly found in individuals with dyslexia.
Haptics has three key functions:
- Haptic feedback enhances attention to the target and reinforces memory traces.
- Haptics integrates with visual information in the brain to form concrete, multimodal representations.
- Haptics bridges the characteristics of visual information (simultaneous and spatial) and phonological information (sequential and temporal).
By utilizing these functions of haptics, Sawaru Glyph strengthens the neural networks in the brain that are essential for reading and writing.
Learning Materials
In the “Sawaru Glyph” program, learners progress through tactile reading in stages using tactile plates along with visual and auditory materials. The learning begins with individual letters and gradually moves on to spelling and whole words. This process helps build three types of memory networks: letter-form memory, word-form memory, and letter-sound association memory. As a result, the cognitive load of letter recognition is reduced. These changes in brain function lead to improvements in reading and spelling skills.
Basic Spelling and Phonics Edition
The Basic Spelling and Phonics Edition is the foundational material used at the beginning of the Sawaru Glyph program.Learners engage in tactile reading using specially designed video and audio resources.
The program starts with the 26 letters of the alphabet and gradually progresses from simple phonetic spellings to more complex ones.Through tactile reading, it promotes the integration of spelling and sound memory, as well as the formation of orthographic word memory.This step-by-step process helps build the memory networks essential for fluent reading and accurate spelling.
Highly Imaginable Words and Short Sentences Edition
The Highly Imaginable Words and Short Sentences Edition is a more advanced learning material that follows the Basic Spelling and Phonics Edition. This edition uses tactile reading—“seeing, touching, and reading aloud”—to help learners engage with short sentences composed of highly imaginable words.
It reinforces the spelling and orthographic word memory previously developed in the Basic Edition.Clinical research also suggests that reading vivid and image-rich words and sentences through tactile engagement may enhance RAN (Rapid Automatized Naming) ability.This edition also includes dedicated video and audio resources to support tactile reading.
Number Concepts and Basic Math Materials
Dyslexia is known to share many cognitive features with dyscalculia (mathematical learning disability). The Number Concepts and Basic Math Materials promote the development of number sense by allowing users to touch three-dimensional numerals and their corresponding quantities. Through tactile reading of three-dimensional equations and quantities, learners explore how numerical values change in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.This material is designed to help build foundational skills in mathematical understanding.