Learning to read may be the most complex cognitive operation that children are expected to master, and the latest research in cognitive development has offered important insights into how children succeed or fail at this task. The Cognitive Development of Reading and Reading Comprehension is a multidisciplinary, evidence-based resource for teachers and researchers that examines reading comprehension from a cognitive development perspective, including the principal theories and methods used in the discipline. The book combines research into basic cognitive processes-genetics, perception, memory, executive functioning, and language-with an investigation of the effects that context and environment have on literacy outcomes, making clear how factors such as health, family life, community, policy, and ecology can influence children's cognitive development.

Learning to read may be the most complex cognitive operation that children are expected to master, and the latest research in cognitive development has offered important insights into how children succeed or fail at this task. The Cognitive Development of Reading and Reading Comprehension is a multidisciplinary, evidence-based resource for teachers and researchers that examines reading comprehension from a cognitive development perspective, including the principal theories and methods used in the discipline. The book combines research into basic cognitive processes-genetics, perception, memory, executive functioning, and language-with an investigation of the effects that context and environment have on literacy outcomes, making clear how factors such as health, family life, community, policy, and ecology can influence children's cognitive development.

This latest volume in the Extraordinary Brain series represents a joint effort between researchers and practitioners to shape the future of early reading intervention by taking stock of the present and making recommendations for the future. Effective early reading intervention depends on research and practice that leads to positive changes in classroom practice and better student reading outcomes. This important volume promotes the valuable “research to practice to research” loop, bringing top experts and practitioners together to examine what we know—and what we need to know—about effective reading and writing intervention. The newest addition to the respected Extraordinary Brain series, this book compiles and expands on critical findings presented at The Dyslexia Foundation’s biannual symposium. More than 35 researchers and practitioners explore the latest on topics relevant to effective reading and writing education, from neurobiology and genetics to specific strategies for translating research into intervention—and learning from the results of these interventions to inform new research. The concluding chapters map out key priorities for future research and innovation. An essential text for teachers, reading specialists, reading researchers, administrators, and students in graduate courses, this volume marks a significant step toward resolving the literacy challenges of young learners. It will also help move the field toward a firmly established “research to practice to research” collaboration among researchers and practitioners. Key topics covered: neurobiological bases of word recognition and comprehension how behavioral genetics can inform education translating and applying research to the classroom designing and interpreting the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) the correlation between rapid automatized naming (RAN) speed and reading development the impact of eye movement research on our understanding of skilled reading reading development and difficulties among English Language Learners dialect variation in African American children the writing challenges of children with dyslexia and Language Learning Difficulty (LLD) developing research ideas from classroom and school experiences specific considerations for the field as it progresses and develops and more

An alarmingly high number of American students continue to lack proficiency in reading, math, and science. The various attempts to address this problem have all too often resulted in "silver bullet" solutions such as reducing class size or implementing voucher programs. But as the authors of this critically important book show, improving literacy also requires an understanding of complex and interrelated social issues that shape a child's learning. More than twenty years of research demonstrate that literacy success is determined by a combination of sociocultural forces including parenting, preschool, classroom instruction, and other factors that have a direct impact on a child's development. Here, Frederick J. Morrison, Heather J. Bachman, and Carol McDonald Connor present the most up-to-date research on the diverse factors that relate to a child's literacy development from preschool through early elementary school. Urging greater emphasis on the immediate sources of influence on children, the authors warn against simple, single solutions that ignore other pivotal aspects of the problem. In a concluding chapter, the authors propose seven specific recommendations for improving literacy-recommendations that can make a real difference in American education.