Reading the Bible can be tough, especially if you’re dyslexic, have ADHD, or just struggle with reading in general. If that’s you, I have good news. Zondervan has released the Clear Focus Bible just for you.
The Clear Focus Bible is unlike any other Bible I’ve ever seen. It’s based on the Bionic Reading® approach and has made quite a difference in Bible reading for many. My son-in-law who’s a preacher says he knows several people who use the Clear Focus Bible and have found it quite helpful.
I’m excited today to interview Laura Bartlett, Associate Publisher for the Bible, to learn more.
Interview
What is your role at Zondervan Bibles?
I serve as Associate Publisher for the Zondervan Bible Division, part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. In my role, I help guide both the editorial and business sides of our publishing program alongside our publisher Melinda Bouma. That means working closely with our editors, designers, marketers, and partners to develop new Bible projects from idea to printed book.
One of the joys of this work is that I get to help create Bibles that meet people right where they are—whether that’s a teen opening Scripture for the first time, a long-time believer looking to go deeper, or someone who struggles to stay focused when reading. I also spend a lot of time listening: to readers, pastors, translators, and to what God seems to be doing through His Word in people’s lives.
My goal is to help our team publish Bibles that make a positive, lasting difference in how people experience Scripture and grow in relationship with the Lord.
What are some of the Bibles you’ve worked on?
Over the years, I’ve been privileged to help bring several unique Bible editions to life. Each one reflects a specific reader need or spiritual vision that emerged through collaboration and prayer.
Two that stand out especially are the NIV Application Bible and the NIV Timeline Bible.
The NIV Application Bible comes from the longstanding NIV Application Commentary series that’s been treasured by pastors, small groups, and everyday readers for decades. It helps people bridge the gap between what Scripture meant to its original audience and what it means for us today. Working on this project gave me a deep appreciation for the care it takes to honor faithful scholarship while making God’s Word freshly relevant for daily life.
The NIV Timeline Bible is another favorite because it helps readers see the grand story of Scripture unfolding through time. It’s arranged chronologically and simultaneous passages are presented in parallel. It also has a lot of maps and charts, and a timeline on every page, to show when and where the action of the Bible is taking place through history. It’s designed for visual learners who love to connect dots and see patterns. Readers have told us that this Bible helped them see the coherence of God’s plan in a whole new way.
And of course, one of our newest projects, the Clear Focus Bible, has captured my heart. It’s designed to help readers who would like help focusing more on Scripture reading, overcoming distraction, or reading more of Scripture. The focus features are also helpful for readers with reading challenges such as dyslexia or ADHD.
I love that at Zondervan, we get to publish such a wide range of editions—each one serving a different kind of reader and helping remove barriers to engaging with God’s Word.
What makes the Clear Focus Bible different from other Bibles?
The Clear Focus Bible is unique because it’s designed from the ground up with the reader’s brain in mind. We asked ourselves: what if we could design a Bible that actually helps the brain stay engaged and focused while reading, instead of fighting distraction or fatigue?
To answer that, I reached out to Bionic Reading®, an organization with an innovative reading method that uses subtle changes in typography to guide the eyes through text in a way that supports comprehension and flow. The first several (between one and five) letters of each word are set in a bold font. So your eye can move smoothly from one word to the next with less friction in reading. Rather than changing the translation or simplifying the language, the Clear Focus Bible changes the presentation, so readers find it easier to read without distraction and retain Scripture more easily.
We also intentionally removed distractions: no study notes, sidebars, or cross-references, creating what could be called a quiet page. This allows readers to rest their eyes and minds on Scripture itself. For people who have struggled to stay focused while reading, this can be a truly transformative experience.
The result is a Bible that looks and feels calm, uncluttered, and deeply readable. It has generous line spacing, and the Bionic Reading® format that emphasizes key portions of words to help your eye smoothly move through the text. It’s a little hard to imagine if you’ve never seen it, so we’ve put samples online at www.clearfocusbible.com If this is intriguing to you, I recommend you spend a few minutes with a sample to see if it is helpful to you.
What was the inspiration for the Clear Focus Bible?
The inspiration came from our growing awareness of how many people find reading the Bible challenging, not because they lack desire, but because the traditional layout can be hard to focus on.
We heard from people who said things like, “I love the Bible, but my mind wanders after a few verses,” or “I want to read more often, but my ADHD makes it hard to stay with it.”
So I started asking: what would it look like to design a Bible specifically for those readers? What if we could use current research in reading science to make Scripture more approachable without changing a single word of it?
That’s when I got in touch with Renato Casutt, the Swiss typographic designer behind Bionic Reading®. His method helps readers stay oriented and immersed in text through subtle visual cues. When I first experienced it, I thought, This could be life-changing for so many people who struggle to read the Bible.
From there, our design and editorial teams spent months refining how to apply this technique to Scripture in a way that felt natural, beautiful, and reverent. The result is a reading experience that feels calm and steady, helping readers engage with God’s Word in a more peaceful way.
What is the science behind Bionic Reading®?
Bionic Reading® is grounded in research about how the brain processes written language. When we read, our eyes don’t move smoothly—they jump across the text in short bursts called saccades, pausing briefly to process meaning.
By bolding the first few letters of important words, Bionic Reading® gives the eyes subtle visual anchors, allowing those pauses, also known as “fixations” to happen more efficiently. The brain then fills in the rest of each word automatically. This helps reduce fatigue and increases comprehension and retention.
It’s not about simplifying the language. It’s about working with how our brains naturally read best. Many people find that it helps them stay focused longer and remember more of what they’ve read.
In the Clear Focus Bible, we applied this method with careful attention to Scripture’s literary beauty. We wanted it to feel fluid and reverent, not mechanical. The result is a page that looks clean and calm but feels surprisingly alive when you start reading.
Who is the intended audience for the Clear Focus Bible?
The Clear Focus Bible is designed for anyone who struggles to stay focused in our fast-paced world. We all live in an age of constant distraction. Even devoted readers sometimes find it hard to slow down and settle into Scripture. The Clear Focus Bible offers a space of stillness, for a design that invites focus, not multitasking.
For readers with ADHD, this focused reading experience can be especially helpful for cutting down on distraction.
And we have heard from many readers with dyslexia who have found new enjoyment and confidence in reading the Bible with Clear Focus. They are finding that the letters set in bold provide some internal organization within each word, so decoding becomes easier. Also, pacing becomes smoother. The rhythm of bold-to-light text creates a kind of natural cadence. So instead of reading in a choppy, stop-and-start way, their eyes move more steadily, almost as if the text itself is pulling them forward.
How does Bionic Reading help adults to read the Bible?
For adults, especially those who’ve felt frustrated or guilty about their reading habits, Bionic Reading® can be freeing.
The bolded word beginnings gently guide the eyes through the text, reducing the need to reread lines or lose one’s place. That small adjustment allows readers to focus on meaning instead of mechanics. Over time, this can rebuild confidence and enjoyment in reading.
Many early readers have told us things like, “I didn’t realize how much energy I was spending just trying to concentrate,” or “For the first time, I could read an entire chapter without my mind wandering.”
It’s a reminder that accessibility isn’t just about physical ease. It’s also about connection. The Clear Focus Bible tells adults who struggle to focus, “You’re not alone, and you’re not less spiritual for finding this hard. Here’s a tool to help you meet with God in a way that fits how He made your mind.”
What has been the response to the Bible so far?
The response has been both heartwarming and humbling. From the earliest prototypes, we’re hearing from people who said, “I didn’t know it, but I’ve been waiting for something like this.”
Adults with ADHD and dyslexia have said it’s the first time they’ve been able to read for long stretches without fatigue. Parents have shared that their kids, who usually avoid reading, are now volunteering to read out loud.
We’ve also heard from readers who simply found the experience more peaceful. It’s like someone turned down the noise and they can rest in reading God’s Word.
That feedback has affirmed our belief that this project isn’t just a publishing innovation. It’s about opening the Bible’s doors a little wider so more people can come in and encounter God’s truth.
Anything else?
When I think about the Clear Focus Bible, I often return to Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
For many people, reading the Bible has felt like effort and striving: trying to stay focused, trying to keep up, trying to understand. My hope is that the Clear Focus Bible gives those readers rest. That it creates a gentle, welcoming space for the Holy Spirit to speak without distraction.
I’m so grateful for the incredible team behind this project: editors, designers, typesetters and production experts who poured their skill and heart into every detail. And I’m grateful to God for allowing us to be part of His work of making His Word accessible to all.
The Clear Focus Bible released in August 2025, in the NIV, NASB, and NIrV translations, and digitally in the Spanish NVI translation. My prayer is that every reader who opens it will experience the gift of clarity, calm, and renewed connection with the Word of God. You can see all of the available editions and samples of the text at www.clearfocusbible.com.
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