Reading Development and Difficulties

Kate Cain, D.Phil., is a Reader in the Department of Psychology at Lancaster University. Her research focuses on the development of language comprehension in children and she has a particular interest in the cognitive and language-related skill deficits that lead to comprehension problems. To date, she has published widely on language and reading development in journals such as Journal of Educational Psychology, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, and Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, and has written 15 book chapters and co-edited Children's Comprehension Problems in Oral and Written Language: a Cognitive Perspective (with Jane Oakhill, 2007). She is Associate Editor for the International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders and the Journal of Research in Reading.

• Preface xi1 Introduction to the study of reading 1What is reading? 2The relationship between written and spoken language 4How to study reading development and reading difficulties 14Overview of the rest of this book 20Key point summary 20Further reading 21Definitions 222 Skilled word reading 25Word reading: Assessment and sources of variation 26Models of skilled word recognition 36Key point summary 42Further reading 43Definitions 443 The skilled comprehender 47What do we forget and what do we remember? 48Local and global coherence 52Models of text representation 59Key point summary 63Futher reading 64Definitions 644 Learning to read words 67Ways to read words 68Skills and knowledge that aid word reading development 74Phases of word reading development 81What drives word reading development? 85Key point summary 91Further reading 93Definitions 935 The development of reading comprehension 95The relations between word reading, listening comprehension and reading comprehension 96Skills and knowledge that support reading comprehension 99Reading comprehension development 112Key point summary 117Further reading 118Definitions 1186 Developmental dyslexia 121Developmental dyslexia: Definitions and characteristics 122Theories of dyslexia 126A look at subtypes: Are all dyslexic children the same or do different types of dyslexic exist? 134Dyslexia across the lifespan: Precursors, compensation and consequences 140Key point summary 144Further reading 145Definitions 1467 Reading comprehension difficulties 147What is poor reading comprehension? 148Sources of discourse comprehension failure 153Causes of discourse comprehension failure 164The consequences of poor discourse comprehension 166Key point summary 168Further Reading 169Definitions 1708 Instruction and intervention 171Instruction and interventions for word reading 172Instruction and interventions for reading comprehension 179Support and instruction for reading development 185Key point summary 188Further reading 189Definitions 1909 The assessment of reading 191Assessment matters 192Word reading assessment: What, when and how? 196The assessment of reading comprehension: What, when and how? 201Key point summary 209Further reading 210Definitions 21010 The Simple View of Reading: A framework for the study of reading development and reading difficulties 213The Simple View of Reading: A brief overview 214The Simple View of Reading and reading development 215The Simple View of Reading and reading difficulties 218The Simple View of Reading: An evaluation 219Reading development and reading difficulties: Implications 220Conclusions 221Further reading 222Definition 222Bibliography 223Glossary 247Index 253

"Intended for undergraduates studying literacy acquisition and for professionals with no previous background in reading development or difficulties, Cain provides a balanced, comprehensive, accessible introduction to the development of the two core aspects of reading - good word-reading skills and the ability to extract the overall meaning of a text." (Higher Times Education, November 2010)