http://nprillinois.org/post/gap-between ... t#stream/0The Gap Between The Science On Kids And Reading, And How It Is Taught
By CLAUDIO SANCHEZ
I'm cross-referencing this post with some reviews of Seidenberg's book, Language at the Speed of Sight:Mark Seidenberg is not the first researcher to reach the stunning conclusion that only a third of the nation's school children read at grade level. The reasons are numerous, but one that Seidenberg cites over and over again is this: The way kids are taught to read in school is disconnected from the latest research, namely how language and speech actually develop in a child's brain.
Seidenberg is a cognitive scientist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In his latest book, Language at the Speed of Sight, he points out that the "science of reading" can be a difficult concept for educators to grasp. He says it requires some basic understanding of brain research and the "mechanics" of reading, or what is often referred to as phonics.
I talked with Seidenberg about what it will take to improve reading instruction. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
http://www.iferi.org/iferi_forum/viewto ... 1881#p1881