Key Aspects of Experts' Views on Reading:
* A Cognitive Process: Reading is not simply decoding words; it's a complex cognitive process involving multiple interacting skills. This includes phonological awareness (sound awareness), orthographic processing (visual recognition of letter patterns), semantic processing (understanding word meaning), syntactic processing (understanding sentence structure), and pragmatic processing (understanding the text's purpose and context). Experts emphasize the active, constructive nature of reading – readers don't passively absorb information; they actively build meaning.
* A Transactional Process: Reading isn't just about the text; it's a transaction between the reader and the text. The reader's background knowledge, experiences, beliefs, and motivations all shape their interpretation. The text's features (author's style, genre, etc.) also influence the reading experience. This emphasizes the reader's role in meaning-making.
* More than Decoding: While decoding (converting print to speech) is a crucial foundational skill, it's only one part of reading. Fluent reading goes beyond decoding to encompass comprehension, critical thinking, and engagement with the text. Experts highlight the importance of reading for meaning and purpose, not just for technical skill.
* Multifaceted Skill Set: Reading proficiency involves a range of abilities, including vocabulary knowledge, fluency (reading speed and accuracy), comprehension, and critical analysis. These abilities are interconnected and mutually supportive. Improving one area often enhances others.
* A Developmental Process: Reading ability develops over time, with different skills emerging at different stages. Experts highlight the importance of scaffolding and instruction to support the development of these skills.
Different Theoretical Perspectives:
The way experts define reading often depends on their theoretical framework:
* Psycholinguistic models: Focus on the cognitive processes involved in reading, emphasizing the interaction between the reader's linguistic knowledge and the text's structure.
* Sociocultural perspectives: Highlight the social and cultural contexts that shape reading practices and comprehension. They emphasize the role of social interaction and shared understanding in reading development.
* Cognitive load theory: Focuses on the mental resources required for reading and how to optimize reading strategies to minimize cognitive load.
In summary, while no single definition encompasses every expert's view, the consensus centers on reading as a dynamic, multifaceted cognitive process that involves decoding, comprehension, critical thinking, and a transactional relationship between the reader and the text. It's a developmental process influenced by individual differences and the social and cultural contexts of reading.