This case study chronicles the development of reading and writing in an eight-year-old student identified as learning disabled. The study is rooted in the forms of multiple theoretical perspectives of literacy, including cognitive science, sociohistorical, and developmental (emergent literacy). The central focus is on the changes in the forms of reading and writing the student employed over the course of one school year, and on changes in her understanding of herself as a reader and writer. Additional information is noted regarding growth in phonemic awareness, acquisition of sight words and conventional spellings, and comprehension and interpretation of stories. The secondary focus of the study is on the search for appropriate assistance to be offered while engaging the child in personally meaningful reading and writing tasks.
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