Following the Rules in an Unruly Writing System: The Cognitive Science of Learning to Read English

AbstractThe core task of reading is to look at letters and identify their sounds and meaning. In English, the spelling system isquasiregular, meaning it includes many reliable patterns (some so reliable they could be called "rules") but also many inconsistent ones (the sound ofEA inheat vs.head). The triangle model of reading (Seidenberg& McClelland, 1989) demonstrates that novice readers gradually learn the connections between the features of words, including their letters, the ways they make sounds, and  the concepts that comprise their meaning. Learners' knowledge changes gradually based on experience pronouncing printed words. Eventually, the reader will say words with variable patterns (like how to sayEA) correctly but be unable to articulate rules associated with thier pronunciation —because rules are not and inherent part of the learning process. Building robust knowledge of reading words aloud sometimes happens without any help,however novice readers will often learn more in less time if the teacher explains the structure of the language in terms of sound-spelling rules (so metimes termed "patterns" to emphasize their variability). This type of instruction, phonics, has known value in supporting reading development. However, distinguishing between the underlying learning process (which doesn't involve rules) and associated teaching practices (which often do)has implica tions for practitioners. Students will benefit from a balance of implicit and explicit forms ...
Source: Reading Teacher - Category: Child Development Authors: Tags: Viewpoint Source Type: research