The Hidden Story

Description:

Two different and opposite kinds of readers are developed at the very beginning stages of reading instruction as the result of different and opposite kinds of teaching. One kind of reader is taught to read by the "sound" of print, and reads automatically and with great accuracy. The other kind of reader is taught to read by the "meaning" of print, as Chinese characters are read, and not only reads inaccurately but is encouraged to do so by so-called "psycholinguistic guessing." The Hidden Story explains why the teaching of psycholinguistic guessing to beginning readers, although it manifestly results in a life-long disability, has been the "experts'" preference ever since 1870, although the term itself is a relatively recent invention.

subjects: Psychology of beginning reading instruction,  Reading,  Education, united states,  Language experience approach,  History,  Phonetic method,  Reading (Elementary),  Whole-word method,  Views on reading,  Influence

People: William James