Reading, Writing, and Speech ; Chapter 1: The problem and the paradox ; Chapter 2: visible language ; Chapter 3: Writing: It's all Mesopotamian Cuneiform to me -- How We Read ; Chapter 4: The eyes have it ; Chapter 5: F u cn rd ths, u cn gt a gd jb n rdng rsch ; Chapter 6: Becoming a reader ; Chapter 7: Reading: the eternal triangle -- Chapter 8: Dyslexia and its Discontents ; Chapter 9: Brain bases of reading -- The Educational Challenges ; Chapter 10: How well does America read? ; Chapter 11: The two cultures of science and education ; Chapter 12: Reading the future -- Acknowledgements -- Notes -- References -- Index.
Summary:
Over half of our children read at a basic level and few become highly proficient. Many American children and adults are not functionally literate, with serious consequences. Poor readers are more likely to drop out of the educational system and as adults are unable to fully participate in the workforce, adequately manage their own health care, or advance their children's education. In this book, cognitive scientist Mark Seidenberg reveals the underexplored science of reading, which spans cognitive science, neurobiology, and linguistics. As Seidenberg shows, the disconnect between science and education is a major factor in America's chronic underachievement. How we teach reading places many children at risk of failure, discriminates against poorer kids, and discourages even those who could have become more successful readers. Children aren't taught basic print skills because educators cling to the disproved theory that good readers guess the words in texts, a strategy that encourages skimming instead of close reading. Interventions for children with reading disabilities are delayed because parents are mistakenly told their kids will catch up if they work harder. Learning to read is more difficult for children who speak a minority dialect in the home, but that is not reflected in classroom practices. By building on science's insights, we can improve how our children read, and take real steps toward solving the inequality that illiteracy breeds. Both an expert look at our relationship with the written word and a rousing call to action, Language at the Speed of Sight is essential for parents, educators, policy makers, and all others who want to understand why so many fail to read, and how to change that.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.