In the late 1970s, reading research had become a true interdisciplinary endeavour with flavours of anthropology, artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, educational psychology, linguistics, neuroscience and instructional technology. Given appropriate integration, results from these diverse perspectives can enhance our understanding of reading behaviour tremendously, both in its acquisition and in its skilled functioning. Thus, the enthusiasm for such interdisciplinary interaction had been quite intense for some time. In the years before publication, the National Reading Conference had been doing everything possible to accelerate this interaction. Originally published in 1981, the chapters in this book are the fruits of that effort. The research focuses on specifying skills in identifying alphabetical elements and the rules that govern their combination, on constructing models that characterize the recognition of individual words and the interpretation of texts, and on discovering what factors are responsible for blocking the normal acquisition process in many children. Chapters 2 to 12 of this book reflect these changing foci. They are nevertheless sandwiched by two chapters that deal with the historical background and future outlook of reading instruction.

In the late 1970s, reading research had become a true interdisciplinary endeavour with flavours of anthropology, artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, educational psychology, linguistics, neuroscience and instructional technology. Given appropriate integration, results from these diverse perspectives can enhance our understanding of reading behaviour tremendously, both in its acquisition and in its skilled functioning. Thus, the enthusiasm for such interdisciplinary interaction had been quite intense for some time. In the years before publication, the National Reading Conference had been doing everything possible to accelerate this interaction. Originally published in 1981, the chapters in this book are the fruits of that effort. The research focuses on specifying skills in identifying alphabetical elements and the rules that govern their combination, on constructing models that characterize the recognition of individual words and the interpretation of texts, and on discovering what factors are responsible for blocking the normal acquisition process in many children. Chapters 2 to 12 of this book reflect these changing foci. They are nevertheless sandwiched by two chapters that deal with the historical background and future outlook of reading instruction.

A large body of knowledge has accumulated on the cognitive processes and brain mechanisms underlying language. Much of this knowledge has come from studies of Indo-European languages, in particular English. Chinese, spoken by one-fifth of the world's population, differs significantly from most Indo-European languages in its grammar, its lexicon, and its written and spoken forms - features which have profound implications for the learning, representation and processing of language. This handbook, first published in 2006 as the first in a three-volume set on East Asian psycholinguistics, presents a discussion of the psycholinguistic study of Chinese. With contributions by over fifty leading scholars, it covers topics in first- and second-language acquisition, language processing and reading, language disorders in children and adults, and the relationships between language, brain, culture, and cognition. It will be invaluable to all scholars and students interested in the Chinese language, as well as cognitive psychologists, linguists, and neuroscientists.

A large body of knowledge has accumulated on the cognitive processes and brain mechanisms underlying language. Much of this knowledge has come from studies of Indo-European languages, in particular English. Chinese, spoken by one-fifth of the world's population, differs significantly from most Indo-European languages in its grammar, its lexicon, and its written and spoken forms - features which have profound implications for the learning, representation and processing of language. This handbook, first published in 2006 as the first in a three-volume set on East Asian psycholinguistics, presents a discussion of the psycholinguistic study of Chinese. With contributions by over fifty leading scholars, it covers topics in first- and second-language acquisition, language processing and reading, language disorders in children and adults, and the relationships between language, brain, culture, and cognition. It will be invaluable to all scholars and students interested in the Chinese language, as well as cognitive psychologists, linguists, and neuroscientists.

What causes dyslexia, and how does it manifest across languages? As bilingualism becomes increasingly important globally, these questions have never been more critical--and this comprehensive volume from The Dyslexia Foundation explores them in unprecedented depth.

Bringing together the best brain-based, genetics, and behavioral research in the field from more than 40 of today's most highly respected researchers, this landmark volume fully examines what we know about the identification, manifestations, and potential differences in dyslexia across languages and orthographies. International contributors share their groundbreaking studies, helping researchers and graduate-level students investigate key questions about dyslexia:

• How does dyslexia vary in frequency and manifestation among speakers of various alphabetic and nonalphabetic languages?
• How might the characteristics of different languages affect reading acquisition and reading difficulties?
• How do genetic profiles interact with environment to influence how reading difficulties manifest?
• Are there unique neurobiological and/or behavioral characteristics that are universal to dyslexia?
• How can computational and statistical modeling contribute to a better understanding of reading difficulties in children and adults?
• In what ways might bilingualism influence reading and reading difficulties?

The editors also lay out a clear agenda for future research on reading, writing, and dyslexia across the world's languages and orthographies. These specific next steps will pave the way for more and better research and encourage stronger interdisciplinary collaborations among fields, such as cognitive science, neuroscience, genetics, and education.

Reflecting 20 years of progress in our understanding of dyslexia, this foundational volume will lay the groundwork for tomorrow's practical resources--and help ensure that all children around the world have access to the best, most effective reading instruction.

With contributions by:

• Diane August
• Stanislas DeHaene
• Albert M. Galaburda
• Tomi K. Guttorm
• Debra Jared
• Chia Ying Lee
• Joseph J. LoTurco
• Gigi Luk
• James S. Magnuson
• Catherine McBride-Chang
• Charles Perfetti
• Ulla Richardson
• Mark Seidenberg
• Ayumi Seki
• Linda S. Siegel
• Shelley D. Smith
• Richard K. Wagner
• Johannes C. Ziegler

This book is part of the Brookes Publishing The Extraordinary Brain Series