The Reading Act: 04

Components of the Reading Act

The Reading Process

Reading is a complex process. When they read, children must be able to

• perceive the symbols set before them (sensory aspect)
  
  
• interpret what they see (perceptual aspect)
  
  
• follow the linear, logical, and grammatical patterns of the written words (sequential aspect)
  
  
• relate words back to direct experiences to give the words meaning (experiential aspect)
  
  
• make inferences from and evaluate the material (thinking aspect)
  
  
• remember what they learned in the past and incorporate new ideas and facts (learning aspect)
  
  
• recognize the connections between symbols and sounds, between words and what they represent (associational aspect)
  
  
• deal with personal interests and attitudes that affect the task of reading (affective aspect)
  
  
• put everything together to make sense of the material (constructive aspect)

Whereas reading can be broken down into subskills, reading takes place only when these subskills are put into an integrated whole.