The cognitive clarity of children learning to read
Date
1986
Authors
Ma, Wendy
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Abstract
This study attempts to examine the concept of cognitive clarity in children learning to read. In order to trace the development of the child's cognitive clarity regarding the purpose and technical characteristics of reading and to ascertain how this affects the child's progress in learning to read, a case study approach was used. An intensive study which incorporated observation, in depth interview and testing was adopted.
Subjects were three grade one boys, all selected by the classroom teacher on the basis of informal observation as being average in ability.
The study found that children who started with cognitive clarity about readĀing were able to make use of the classroom instruction to learn to read. The classroom instruction provided a pool of useful sight vocabulary from which these children developed their own rules regarding the spelling patterns of words. ChilĀdren who were confused about the purposes of reading and writing from the start were able to overcome this cognitive confusion by being exposed to purposeful reading and writing activities.