Reading, writing, and learning in the classroom

Abstract

Recently, the study of reading has moved out of the laboratory and into the real world. From a broad range of perspectives, researchers have been studying reading as it occurs in classrooms, communities, and families, among other settings. In this article, we will discuss the emerging picture of classroom reading provided by the new work of researchers from the perspectives of anthropology, social psychology, and sociolinguistics. We will first present a brief overview of reading as a social process. Of special emphasis will be recent work on the social context of reading and reading as a cultural activity. Then, we will discuss recent findings-especially those concerned with the classroom processes of gaining access and text reproduction. Finally, we will discuss the implications of this new direction for educators concerned with special students. Although our discussion emphasizes reading, reading and writing often co-occur and are related in numerous ways. To understand classroom reading often requires understanding the nature of classroom writing (and vice versa). Thus, we will occasionally discuss both classroom reading and writing.