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I think this is a must-read for most people here: A History of Reading, by Alberto Manguel. It's amazing - goes through the actual way people read, like how it physically happens, although that's not completely understood... and the history of reading - out loud -> silently, etc, as well as pictures to be 'read'... and that's as far as I've got, so far. But it's a very engaging read in itself, and I think it's great because it [will probably] makes you think about how you yourself go about the act of reading. It's also interesting to me because one of my subjects last semester spent ages going on about the four ways people can 'read'...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear Alexis: I'd be interested to hear your views on the use of computers to help kids learn to read.
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Pooh-Bah
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Do others feel that the book as a physical object, the heft and feel, is part of the enjoyment of reading? or is this a rare and unusual psychosis?
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I love the feel of a good book. and it doesn't necessarily have to be a hard cover, either. there are some good, solid paperbacks. there is an esthetic and balance to the size and heft of a book which can make a difference.
formerly known as etaoin...
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I love holding books - and I think covers and binding are important too. I can remember a lecturer telling us offhandedly one day that a previous student had found our text book too unwieldy (it was The Riverside Chaucer...), and so had torn it in half! I was mortified!
As for computers and learning to read - I'm not sure - in some ways, it should be fine, since you're just teaching to recognise a symbol and its relation to a sound and/or concept. However, later in school... and I'm just now writing an essay on whether it is imperative for me as an English teacher to use ICT in the class... there are apparently some studies that show 'reading' differs between page and screen. Whether this is bad or not, I'm not sure - I'm sure there were changes in how people read with the change from scroll to codex, too...
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Yes, books are something special, (and i was tempted in college to rip some of my text books in to chapters to make them easier to read, but never could quite bring myself to do it!)
i know i read faster on paper than i do with text on a monitor, (most people read about 30% slower one study showed, but the younger you start to read electronic media, the better you are at it...
i don't know exactly which font, and formates i like best, (partly i think because it varies on what i am reading!) but i do recognize some fonts are easier to read, and others are more pleasurable.. (not always the same thing!)
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I read a long time ago that computers would be valuable in teaching kids to read is that as soon as the kid learns to used the keyboard, the computer could give individual attention to each child. Repetition where needed, as long as needed. Or rapid advance for bright kids.
Has this materialized?
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veteran
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veteran
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In very narrow areas. For example, there are training programs that look at your answers to questions and take you to a more or less difficult section, or possibly back to the beginning with a simpler explanation.
Examples of this are the training programs for SAT/GRE. (Also the tests themselves are like this.)
I know the national guard is doing stuff in this area. It seems clear enough that the NEA and other teacher orgs are vehemently opposed to a lot of this stuff. They've funded studies, for example, that show that distance education has very limited utility. Of course this is all very clinical and they started their "studies" with open minds, and it's simple coincidence that they've produced the results their leadership expected.
k
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a rare and unusual psychosis
I'm sure there were plenty of people who felt that turning pages just wasn't the right way to do things; rolling the scroll was an essential part of the reading experience. And let's not forget those who were of the firm opinion that one couldn't get the true value of a story unless it was being told by a trained bard. Looking at all those silly squiggles on a piece of parchment couldn't possibly recreate the experience properly.
So, no, it's a very common and unusual psychosis.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Call it an illusion. Psychosis means a serious mental disorder.
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