Departmental Seminar: Writing systems, text experience and instruction in reading acquisition
Professor Kathy Rastle (Royal Holloway, University of London)
Thursday, 23 January 2020, 12.15pm to 1.15pm
Hosted by Kate Nation
Learning to read is arguably the most important milestone of a child’s education, as it provides access to knowledge, work, and social interaction throughout one’s life. But the importance of reading contrasts sharply with the fact that it is not a universal part of human experience. Rather, reading is a skill that must be acquired over many years. In this talk, I develop the view that reading systems are always reflections of writing systems, and that skilled reading is best understood as the product of instruction and text experience within a particular writing system. I will highlight how an understanding of learning can enhance our understanding not only of reading acquisition but also of skilled reading.