[Xmca-l] Re: Can symbols help people learning to read?

[Helen Harper]

Hi Andy,

I'm a bit vague about what it is that we're refuting - what kinds of symbols are we talking about? So my contribution may be way off - it's more to do with 'struggling readers' than non-readers per se. I suggest a lovely little book by Max Kemp - very old now, but kind of timeless: 

Kemp, M. 1980. “Examining Reading Processes.”  Reading-language processes: assessment and teaching. Australian Reading Association.

I like it as an explanation of the complexities that come into play when we learn to read. The bit about cueing systems is standard stuff, but I think we need to understand it as a basis for any conversation about reading.

Am attaching an extract I copied a few years ago when I was teaching a course and I wanted the students to think about the cognitive load involved in learning to read. I think this was the limit of the number pages I could legally copy and distribute!

Might not be specific enough for your friend's purposes, but it's a nice little piece to share anyway.

Helen



> On 11 Mar 2015, at 3:29 pm, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:
> 
> I am forwarding this message from a good friend who has a question about literacy education.
> If you know of research on this question, perhaps you could cc Mike B. in your reply.
> ***
> My sister is in the education field and she is looking for theory and research to refute an influential paper which claims introducing symbols to non-readers actually hampers their ability to develop literacy skills. The little I have read on AT and semiotics seems to at least indicate that under certain conditions, symbols can aid literacy. But I am looking for something specific and/or definite.
> ***
> Andy
> -- 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *Andy Blunden*
> http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/
>