Reading Research: What do we need to know? John R. Kirby Queens University Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Overview Introduction What we need more of: –Research that links Processes to outcomes Lower-level to higher level processes Qualitative with quantitative data –Topics Bilingualism Word reading processes Compensation and accommodations in dyslexia Multimedia reading Higher-level comprehension Conclusion

Introduction We have already learned a great deal There has been a staggering amount of research on reading in the last few decades However, … There is still need for research at all levels of processing in reading, from neurological and genetic factors to higher-level comprehension There is still need for research in all contexts of reading, from early home experience through school instruction to lifelong learning I focus on a few …

Research that links … 1.Processes to outcomes –Eye movements to comprehension processes, linked to learning, understanding, and appreciation 2.Lower-level to higher level processes –How do enhanced word-reading processes lead to better comprehension? –Do they always? (e.g., Cain et al.) 3.Qualitative with quantitative data –Do strategy reports correspond to strategies used?

Bilingualism Bilingualism and biliteracy are becoming more normal around the world than monolingualism and monoliteracy How does one literacy support the next? Does information/skill transfer in terms of: –phonological awareness? –orthographic/morphological knowledge? –comprehension strategies? How should we measure second-language reading skill? –Need more studies of other languages Do effects depend upon specific languages (e.g., English- French)? E.g., Cormier, Siegel, Wade-Woolley

Word Reading Processes Phonological –What weve learned most about –What are its sources? Orthographic –Automaticity of word/chunk recognition –Why we are so fast recognizing (some) words –What are its sources? (e.g., Levy et al., 2006)(RAN) Morphological –A key to meaning, syntax, spelling, pronunciation –E.g., Carlisle, Bryant Vocabulary –Whatever Andy Biemiller says

Compensation and accommodations in dyslexia Lefly & Pennington (1991) estimated 22-25% of dyslexics compensate somehow for their word reading problems, to develop normal reading performance Many reading disabled students are entering higher education, some receiving accommodations We need to understand how compensations and accommodations work Perhaps these compensations would be of value to other reading disabled students E.g. Parrila

Multimedia reading More and more reading and learning is done on- line or in hypertext –Many new advantages, what possible disadvantages? –Issues of navigation, cut-and-paste, visual-verbal integration, etc Problems of cognitive load (e.g., Schnotz), sense-of-knowing, information evaluation

Higher-level comprehension Current measures of reading comprehension measure different things, and behave differently (e.g., Keenan) –What are the underlying constructs? There seems to be a mismatch between theory and measures; theory refers to higher level integration processes that seem absent from most measures Do school and university environments espouse deeper learning but encourage surface learning? Important distinction between comprehending text and learning from text (Kintsch)

Conclusion No shortage of research left to do!