Reading Reflection Prompt:
Do you agree with Marilyn Adams (1990, p. 108) who argued that rather than relying on context, �Skillful readers of English thoroughly process the individual letters of words in their texts?� Why or why not?
I do not agree with Marilyn Adams and her theory that readers thoroughly process individual letters of words rather than relying on context. As Weaver's Reading Process and Practice book has stated in earlier chapters, proficient readers use the context of the word, syntax of the sentence, and their schema of other words they have read in order to verbalize words or create meaning.
Weaver's book references a study about eye fixation on page 106 and it says that skilled readers do not focus on each and every word as they read (Weaver, 2002). The section on eye fixation also reveals that the brain is able to identify the individual letters of a word after the reader has identified the word and the brain does not identify the individual letters first (Weaver, 2002).
I think about myself as a reader, and when I am reading new material, I do not process each letter or letter sound as I come to an unknown word. I use the context of the sentence or paragraph, and my schema in order to create meaning. Weaver's book reveals in earlier chapters that if adult readers, or even child readers, read each letter or letter sound of a word, the meaning of the word or sentence would be lost because that reader has spent so much time trying to identify that word.
Readers are able to use semantic and syntactic context within the sentence in order to determine the meaning of unknown words. It would be an waste of valuable time for a student or adult reader to process each individual letter of a word while reading. The brain is able to make connections to other passages where those words have been used, or conversations where the word has been said and is able to recognize the meaning or pronunciation of the word in a passage that is unfamiliar to them.
I do not agree with Marilyn Adams and her theory that readers thoroughly process individual letters of words rather than relying on context. As Weaver's Reading Process and Practice book has stated in earlier chapters, proficient readers use the context of the word, syntax of the sentence, and their schema of other words they have read in order to verbalize words or create meaning.
Weaver's book references a study about eye fixation on page 106 and it says that skilled readers do not focus on each and every word as they read (Weaver, 2002). The section on eye fixation also reveals that the brain is able to identify the individual letters of a word after the reader has identified the word and the brain does not identify the individual letters first (Weaver, 2002).
I think about myself as a reader, and when I am reading new material, I do not process each letter or letter sound as I come to an unknown word. I use the context of the sentence or paragraph, and my schema in order to create meaning. Weaver's book reveals in earlier chapters that if adult readers, or even child readers, read each letter or letter sound of a word, the meaning of the word or sentence would be lost because that reader has spent so much time trying to identify that word.
Readers are able to use semantic and syntactic context within the sentence in order to determine the meaning of unknown words. It would be an waste of valuable time for a student or adult reader to process each individual letter of a word while reading. The brain is able to make connections to other passages where those words have been used, or conversations where the word has been said and is able to recognize the meaning or pronunciation of the word in a passage that is unfamiliar to them.
Courtney, good point about readers using semantic and syntactic context in order to determine the meaning of unknown words. I believe this is true as well. Word structure and how it is used in context is very important in constructing meaning. Recognizing each letter of a word does waste time that could be spent on reading the text to comprehend. Identifying each word takes away from the message that the author is trying to convey.
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