Reading is a complex activity that involves a range of skills in order to access meaning via the printed word. Reading Development and Difficulties demonstrates that there are two aspects to a child becoming a skilled reader: the development of good word reading skills and the ability to extract the overall meaning of a text.

Preface xi 1 Introduction to the study of reading 1 What is reading? 2 The relationship between written and spoken language 4 How to study reading development and reading difficulties 14 Overview of the rest of this book 20 Key point summary 20 Further reading 21 Definitions 22 2 Skilled word reading 25 Word reading: Assessment and sources of variation 26 Models of skilled word recognition 36 Key point summary 42 Further reading 43 Definitions 44 3 The skilled comprehender 47 What do we forget and what do we remember? 48 Local and global coherence 52 Models of text representation 59 Key point summary 63 Futher reading 64 Definitions 64 4 Learning to read words 67 Ways to read words 68 Skills and knowledge that aid word reading development 74 Phases of word reading development 81 What drives word reading development? 85 Key point summary 91 Further reading 93 Definitions 93 5 The development of reading comprehension 95 The relations between word reading, listening comprehension and reading comprehension 96 Skills and knowledge that support reading comprehension 99 Reading comprehension development 112 Key point summary 117 Further reading 118 Definitions 118 6 Developmental dyslexia 121 Developmental dyslexia: Definitions and characteristics 122 Theories of dyslexia 126 A look at subtypes: Are all dyslexic children the same or do different types of dyslexic exist? 134 Dyslexia across the lifespan: Precursors, compensation and consequences 140 Key point summary 144 Further reading 145 Definitions 146 7 Reading comprehension difficulties 147 What is poor reading comprehension? 148 Sources of discourse comprehension failure 153 Causes of discourse comprehension failure 164 The consequences of poor discourse comprehension 166 Key point summary 168 Further Reading 169 Definitions 170 8 Instruction and intervention 171 Instruction and interventions for word reading 172 Instruction and interventions for reading comprehension 179 Support and instruction for reading development 185 Key point summary 188 Further reading 189 Definitions 190 9 The assessment of reading 191 Assessment matters 192 Word reading assessment: What, when and how? 196 The assessment of reading comprehension: What, when and how? 201 Key point summary 209 Further reading 210 Definitions 210 10 The Simple View of Reading: A framework for the study of reading development and reading difficulties 213 The Simple View of Reading: A brief overview 214 The Simple View of Reading and reading development 215 The Simple View of Reading and reading difficulties 218 The Simple View of Reading: An evaluation 219 Reading development and reading difficulties: Implications 220 Conclusions 221 Further reading 222 Definition 222 Bibliography 223 Glossary 247 Index 253

“This is a scholarly textbook which should become essential reading for psychologists, educationalists and speech and language therapists. Kate Cain has an ability to present very complex issues with a degree of clarity that ensures the reader comes to a deep understanding of the issues and quality of the scientific evidence that she presents for analysis.” —Professor Rhona Stainthorp, Institute of Education, University of Reading "Kate Cain’s valuable account of the psychology of learning to read is clear, incisive and always interesting. It tells us how children learn to decipher single words and to read whole sentences, and also how they are eventually able to co-ordinate the meanings of several, different sentences in order to understand quite complicated texts." —Peter Bryant, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Education, Oxford University Reading is a complex activity that involves a range of skills in order to access meaning via the printed word. Reading Development and Difficulties demonstrates that there are two aspects to a child becoming a skilled reader: the development of good word reading skills and the ability to extract the overall meaning of a text. This book provides a comprehensive and balanced introduction to the development of these two core aspects of reading. In addition, the author examines the specific problems that underlie reading difficulties with a detailed review of two populations: children with developmental dyslexia, and children with poor reading comprehension. The final chapters focus on instruction and intervention, and the assessment of reading for educational, research, and diagnostic purposes. Unique in its balanced coverage of both word reading and reading comprehension development, this book is an essential resource for undergraduates studying literacy acquisition.Offers wide coverage of the subject and discusses both typical development and the development of difficulties in reading.Accessibly written for students and professionals with no previous background in reading development or reading difficulties.

"Intended for undergraduates studying literacy acquisition and for professionals with no previous background in reading development or difficulties, Cain provides a balanced, comprehensive, accessible introduction to the development of the two core aspects of reading - good word-reading skills and the ability to extract the overall meaning of a text." (Higher Times Education, November 2010)