Complexity of Reading

           There are so many things to consider when we think about the brain processes  that children must use in order to read.  I just thought about elliptical sentences, such as, "Are you doing the library today?"  This means are you doing a trip to the library today?  We also must consider colloquialisms, and slang. It is not a simple matter of decoding texts, it is also a matter of using background knowledge which incorporates culture as well.  The amount that we take a sentence or paragraph literally, depends on our understanding of the culture from which the author's perspective represents. For example, take any song or  poem and look at what each line means. Are there double meanings that are important to the underlying message that the author is trying to convey?  We need to think about what clues there are from previous text on the page.
            It is also interesting that we can arguably be called "reading" even for logic puzzles such as this one; "All Worble are Goffels.  All Goffels are Shlankies.  Are all Worbles also Shankies?"  We use syntax to determine that the sentence structure allows us to deduce that all Worbles are infact Shlankies.  Even though English speakers will be reasonably certain that there are no such things as Worbles, Shlankies, or Goffels.

           None of these questions can even be considered until students can decode a vast majority of the text. Which itself requires a lot of brain processes to do successfully.  Here is a video about the things that are involved.

I hope you enjoy it and that it helps you with the project on reading processes.  Stay tuned for the group one that Darah and I are preparing.

We use Assistive technology to help students who struggle with an one of these processe.
     We take a screen shot and use read Iris, or Starfall, Tumblebooks, or other related programs to help remediate these disengaging, reading difficulties.