The Development of Reading

The development of reading is discussed by analyzing it in terms of a theoretical approach that is focused on the basic cognitive processes relevant to the development of these skills as outlined by Siegel.

Abstract

Learning to read is an amazing achievement for the young child. From mouthing and touching books in infancy, to looking at pictures in a book, to not understanding the words on a page, to halting and slow decoding, the child moves to fluent reading and understanding and remembering what has been read. All of this progress occurs in a relatively short period. This chapter reviews the literature on the normal course of the development of reading and also examines what happens when reading skills fail to develop adequately in children with reading disabilities. It discuss the development of reading by analyzing it in terms of a theoretical approach that is focused on the basic cognitive processes relevant to the development of these skills as outlined by Siegel.