Observing Children Learning to Read

Abstract

38 In the first of the following sections some thought is given to the possibility of making instruments and techniques of reading research more suitable for use by practitioners, thus introducing the associated body of research itself to its audience, and also enhancing the standard of assessment and diagnosis in reading generally. In subsequent sections the shortage of instruments in certain areas of language development other than reading, particularly spelling and vocabulary, is tackled, and a case is made for fresh consideration of descriptive and statistical studies of vocabulary. 1. It is hard to think of many worthwhile fundamental questions about the development of reading particularly in its early stages to which some form of answer has not already been sought by research. This paper therefore has little to say about the possible direction for the future of research into reading development. Instead, the discussion of observation and measurement of reading will concentrate upon new issues to which existing methods and expertise of developmental researchers might be put. There are still areas which are provocative of fresh research, for example the transition from initial to more advanced reading skills, and the nature of 'adult' reading competence, but for the main part the time is ripe for research concerned with reading development to re-appraise some of its aims.