Toward a Usable Psychology of Reading Instruction.

This report offers the premise that a psychology of reading instruction has a set of questions of its own, questions that concern the ways in which the environmental interventions called instruction interact with cognitive processes to modify competence. The report discusses two streams of psychological research as they relate to reading instruction: that of the cognitive psychologists and that of the learning psychologists. Sectir,ns of the report include discussions of skilled performance ant' acquisition, individual differences, and inventions and discovery in learning to read. Suggestions for continued study are also offered, and include contrastive studies of good and poor readers, longitudinal studies of reading development, readiness and aptitude matching, and inquiries into who is likely to invent reading and who seems to need very exrlict instruction. The report concludes that a great deal more must to learned about the relationship between skilled performance in reading and patterns of acquisition, and that more must be learned about how development is modified by environmental events, particulary instruction. (MKM) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EARS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** TOWARD A USABLE PSYCHOLOGY OF READING INSTRUCTION U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION T $iiS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OP ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING I T POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATE? DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT 01$ iCIAL. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF F DuCATIoN POSITION OR POLICY