The increase in studies of the interaction of readers' prior knowledge systems with language cues in print has been a significant trend in reading research. Current research questions reflect the belief that the prior knowledge systems of readers are a principal determinant of what a reader can learn and remember from text. Cognitive style…

WORD PERCEPTION IS DISCUSSED NOT AS A MECHANICAL TOOL BUT AS A THINKING PROCESS. HOW INDIVIDUALS PERCEIVE PRINTED FORMS DEPENDS ON THE STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR READING ABILITIES. THE BEGINNING READER PROCEEDS ON THE BASIS OF WORD FORMS HE RECOGNIZES AS WHOLES. LATER HE USES CONTEXT AND PICTURE CLUES, VERBAL CONTEXT, GENERAL CONFIGURATIONS,…

This paper considers the implications for rhetorical studies of recent research and theory on hemispheric functions. After discussing differences between the functions of the right and left hemispheres of the brain, these differences are related to metaphor (which is seen as propositional in nature) and synecdoche (which is seen as appositional).…

The importance of metalinguistic awareness in early language learning and reading is stressed. It is reported that a number of studies support the contention that many children beginning first grade do not segment language into conventional words in either the auditory or the visual mode. Thus, it is suggested, instructional demands are often…

In discussing the relationship between cognitive development (perception, pattern recognition, and memory) and reading processes, this paper especially emphasizes developmental factors. After an overview of some issues that bear on how written language is processed, the paper presents a discussion of pattern recognition, including general pattern…

This study was designed to extend the generality of the Substrata-Factor Theory by two methods of investigation: (1) theoretically, to est"blish the validity of the hypothesis that an isomorphic relationship exists between the Substrata-Factor Theory and the General Open Systems Theory, and (2) experimentally, to disc"ver through a…

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the units of word perception used by adults and children reading on different levels of reading maturity. The purpose of the investigations was to determine whether whole words, single letters, or spelling patterns operate in the recognition of isolated words. Both experiments used a same-different…

This paper reviews the The Durrell Analysis of Reading Difficulty test. A brief overview of the test discusses the physical format and the procedures for administering it. Norms, reliability, and validity are discussed for the subtests: Oral Reading, Silent Reading, Word Recognition and Word Analysis, Visual Memory of Word Forms, Spelling, and…

Two experiments were conducted to ascertain whether the reader uses phonological cues, semantic cues, or both types of cues in identifying letter combinations. Sixty introductory psychology students participated in the first experiment, which tested the differential effects of phonological and semantic cues on the speed with which a verbal unit…

This study was designed to extend the generality of the Substrata-Factor Theory by two methods of investigation: (1) theoretically, to establish the validity of the hypothesis that an isomorphic relationship exists between the Substrata-Factor Theory and the General Open Systems Theory, and (2) experimentally, to discover through a series of…

Students can become more versatile in reading factual and fictional material by comparing the processes of reading factual and fictional material with processes which the students know well and about which they usually have a favorable attitude. Analogies are used to effectively accomplish this objective. (Author/RK)

Author offers his version of the ultimate reading packet, based on Piaget's developmental psychology and following a basic philosophy of reading instruction. (Author/RK)

Explores whether reading ability and competence with, or appreciation of, art have some cause and effect relationships. Concludes that evidence against such a relationship is stronger, pointing out that the indications are that the intellectual, linguistic, and perceptual processes involved in art are different from those in reading. (JM)

Suggests that studying reading and reading instruction in other languages and other countries may help us better understand the processes of reading, and notes that there is a need for more college courses on the topic of comparative reading. (MKM)