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A letter-by-letter reader who could not read nonwords
E A Doctor1, G Sartori, M M Saling
1School of Psychology, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
Summary
This study examines a patient with letter-by-letter reading, challenging existing theories by showing word superiority and effects of word concreteness on reading processes.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychology
- Cognitive Science
- Linguistics
Background:
- Letter-by-letter reading is a syndrome where oral reading relies on naming individual letters, increasing reading time with word length.
- It's typically viewed as a disconnection before visual and phonological lexical access routes.
- This implies reading is unaffected by lexical features, relying on a spelling-out strategy.
Observation:
- A patient with letter-by-letter reading demonstrated superior word reading over nonwords.
- Concrete words were processed more holistically than abstract words.
- Lexical decisions were faster than oral word reading.
Findings:
- The patient's performance contradicts the standard model of letter-by-letter reading.
- Findings suggest reading is not solely mediated by a non-lexical spelling strategy.
- Evidence points towards strategic control influencing the reading mechanism.
Implications:
- Challenges current models of acquired dyslexia and reading processes.
- Suggests a more flexible and strategic component in reading aloud.
- Opens avenues for alternative models of reading, incorporating strategic control.