Read complete books and articles on: Reading Research

Reading - process of mentally interpreting written symbols. Facility in reading is an essential factor in educational progress, and instruction in this basic skill is a primary purpose of elementary education. The ability to read was not considered important for most laymen until sometime after Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press (c.1450) and the Protestant Reformation, with its emphasis on individual interpretation of the Bible. Until that time reading was generally restricted to the clergy and certain members of the nobility. Although illiteracy is still a problem in many areas of the world, compulsory childhood education laws have assured that most citizens of advanced industrial nations can read.

Physiological and psychological studies suggest that the process of reading is based on a succession of quick eye movements, known as fixations, across the written line, each of which lasts for about a quarter of a second. In each fixation more than one word is perceived and interpreted, so that a skilled reader may take in more than three words per fixation when reading easy material. Depending on the rate of fixations and the difficulty of the material, an adult can read and understand anywhere from 200 to 1,000 words per minute.

There has been considerable difference of opinion about the best method of teaching children to read. By the end of the 20th cent. the educational concensus was largely that a combination of phonics, which emphasizes sound, and the whole-language method, which emphasizes meaning, is the most effective way to teach the skill. Most educators also agree on the importance of remedial work for students whose progress is impeded by impaired vision, faulty eye movements, developmental disabilities such as dyslexia, or personal handicaps resulting from poor teaching.

Bibliography

See G. Hildreth, Teaching Reading (1958); I. A. Richards, How to Read a Page (1959); G. Cuomo, Becoming a Better Reader (1960); H. Diack, Reading and the Psychology of Perception (1960); J. S. Chall, Learning to Read: The Great Debate (1967); M. Cox, The Challenge of Reading Failure (1968); M. J. Adler and C. Van Doren, How to Read a Book (rev. ed. 1972); M. C. Robeck and J. A. R. Wilson, Psychology of Reading (1974).

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8 of the Best Books and Articles on: Reading Research

as selected by Questia librarians

1.

Handbook of Reading Research, Vol. I » Read Now
by Rebecca Barr, Michael L. Kamil, Peter Mosenthal, P. David Pearson. 899 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library
2.

Handbook of Reading Research, Vol. II » Read Now
by Rebecca Barr, Michael L. Kamil, Peter B. Mosenthal, P. David Pearson. 1086 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library
3.

Handbook of Reading Research, Vol. III » Read Now
by Rebecca Barr, Michael L. Kamil, Peter B. Mosenthal, P. David Pearson. 1010 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library

In Volume III, as in Volumes I and II, the classic topics of reading are included--from vocabulary and comprehension to reading instruction in the classroom--and, in addition, each contributor was asked to include a brief history that chronicles the legacies within each of the volume's many topics...
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In Volume III, as in Volumes I and II, the classic topics of reading are included--from vocabulary and comprehension to reading instruction in the classroom--and, in addition, each contributor was asked to include a brief history that chronicles the legacies within each of the volume's many topics. However, on the whole, Volume III is not about tradition. Rather, it explores the verges of reading research between the time Volume II was published in 1991 and the research conducted after this date. The editors identified two broad themes as representing the myriad of verges that have emerged since Volumes I and II were published: (1) broadening the definition of reading, and (2) broadening the reading research program. The particulars of these new themes and topics are addressed.
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4.

Learning to Read: Basic Research and Its Implications » Read Now
by Charles A. Perfetti, Laurence E. Rieben. 213 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library
5.

Research on Learning to Read and Spell: A Personal-Historical Perspective, in Scientific Studies of Reading » Read Now
by Linnea C. Ehri. 18 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library
6.

What Reading Research Tells Us about Children with Diverse Learning Needs: Bases and Basics » Read Now
by Edward J. Kameenui, Deborah C. Simmons. 402 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library
7.

Reading Comprehension: From Research to Practice » Read Now
by Judith Orasanu. 385 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library
8.

Reading for Understanding: Toward a Research and Development Program in Reading Comprehension » Read Now
by Catherine Snow. 156 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library

The Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) asked RAND to examine how OERI might improve the quality and relevance of the education research it funds. The RAND Reading Study Group was charged with developing a research agenda to address the most pressing issues in literacy and the teaching of reading.