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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
06:33
Decomposing the Variance in Reading Comprehension to Reveal the Unique and Common Effects of Language and Decoding
Published on: October 11, 2018
How psychological science informs the teaching of reading
K Rayner1, B R Foorman, C A Perfetti
1Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA. rayner@psych.umass.edu
Psychological Science
|March 7, 2002
Summary
Direct phonics instruction is crucial for children learning to read English. Teaching the alphabetic principle explicitly helps all children, especially those at risk, become skilled readers.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Children's language competency at school entry impacts reading development.
- Understanding early reading development is key.
- Developmental dyslexia affects reading acquisition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize research on how children learn to read English.
- To review theories and practices in reading instruction.
- To identify effective methods for teaching reading.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience research.
- Analysis of connectionist models of reading.
- Summary of phonics and whole language teaching methods.
- Review of laboratory and classroom studies on reading instruction.
Main Results:
- Mastering the alphabetic principle is essential for reading proficiency.
- Direct instruction of the alphabetic principle is more effective than indirect methods.
- Phonics instruction is critical for understanding the alphabetic principle and word learning.
Conclusions:
- Explicitly teaching the alphabetic principle is vital for effective reading instruction.
- Phonics-based methods are superior for developing skilled, independent readers.
- Whole language activities can supplement phonics but should not replace it.
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