Reconceptualizing Reading and Dyslexia

Abstract

—Among reading professionals, a basic controversy exists between those who conceptualize proficient reading as first and foremost a matter of identifying words automatically and fluently and those who conceptualize proficient reading as first and foremost a matter of orchestrating various reading strategies to construct meaning. The view of reading that underlies conventional concepts of dyslexia is the word-identification view; indeed, this concept of reading underlies both the deviance and the delay hypothesis, which are described. Briefly cited is some of the evidence from which researchers have concluded that difficulty in reading coherent and connected text may often be instructionally induced, through an overemphasis on skills for identifying words in isolation. This article further explains and challenges the word-identification view of reading and the resultant assumption that anyone who has difficulty reading words is dyslexic. Two decades of miscue analysis (analysis of readers' “errors”)demonstrate unequivocally that even though proficient readers identify most of the words correctly, they focus more upon constructing meaning than identifying words; that constructing meaning involves using prior knowledge and context along with letter/sound knowledge; and that readers who make many miscues (either on isolated words, connected text, or both)may nevertheless construct meaning effectively from conceptually appropriate and naturally written texts. That is, this research demonstrates that accuracy in word identification is less important in proficient reading than being able to coordinate various language cues and metacognitive strategies to construct meaning. Reconsidering the nature of proficient reading leads us to discover the reading strengths of readers who have difficulty with word identification but who nevertheless control the needed strategies to construct meaning from appropriate texts. The argument is illustrated by a case study of Erica, who was diagnosed as dyslexic in the first grade, and who indeed has difficulty identifying words when reading aloud, but who nevertheless has developed effective strategies for constructing meaning and for dealing with words in context, by using ALL the available language and meaning cues and not just her letter/sound knowledge. Retrospective miscue analysis, a tutorial technique used with Erica, is also briefly explained.