1. 1
Reading Theories and Their Relationship to
Reading Instruction
• Major Theories
– Behaviorism
– Cognitivism
– Constructivism
– Transactionalism
• These theories have neither been proven nor unproven.
• They are simply alternative ways of explaining the process
of learning to read.
• These theories have led teachers to a variety of beliefs about
instructional choices to help children develop successful
reading strategies.

2. 2
Behaviorism and a Parts-to-Whole,
Bottom-Up Reading Process
• Behaviorism – learning was essentially a
conditioned response to a stimulus.
• In reading the stimulus for reading is the print
on the page.
• Bottom-up – progressing from the parts of
language (letters) to the whole (meaning).
• Reading theorists for this model include:
– Holmes; Singer; Gough; and LaBerge and Samuels

3. 3
Meaning
Text
Paragraphs
Sentences
Words
Letters
Behaviorist or
Bottom-up model
Of the reading process

4. 4
Sound/symbol relationships
Words
Meaning
Phonics-first or subskills instruction
Teach phonics first with letters
of the alphabet and the sounds
these letters represent before
beginning to read books
independently.

5. 5
Cognitivism and the Interactive
Reading Process
• Cognitive interactive reading theories place equal
emphasis on the role of a reader’s schema and the
importance of the print on the page.
• Word, sentence, and text meaning are conditioned,
influenced, or shaped by the whole set of
experiences and knowledge the reader brings to
reading, rather than the meaning jumping off the
page into the reader’s head based on a verbatim
rendering of text.

6. 6
Cognitivism: an Hybrid
• Cognitivism is a combination of
Gestaltist thinking and
Behaviorism

7. 7
Knowledge
Experiences
Emotions
Reader’s Intentions
Meaning
Gestaltist or top-down
theory reflected in a
model of the reading
process.

8. 8
Experiences
Knowledge
Emotions
Reader’s intentions
Meaning
Select
unit of print
Sentences
Words
Letters
Paragraphs
Text
Cognitive or Interactive
model of the reading process
Strengths of both Gestalt and
behaviorist theories were combined
while at the same time minimizing
weaknesses associated with either
theory.

9. 9
Vocabulary
Decoding Comprehension
A skills instructional approach to reading is advocated by the
interactive model of reading

10. 10
Constructivism and the Transactional Reading
Model
• Constructivism is a theory of learning that
represents the culmination of several distinct lines
of research:
– Developmental Psychology (Piaget)
– Socio-historical Psychology (Vygotsky)
– Semiotic Interactionism (Bruner, Gardner, Eisner, &
Goodman)
• Meaningful learning is at the core of
constructivist theory.
• Language cueing systems – syntax, semantics,
grapho/phonics, pragmatics.
• Reading becomes a whole-to-part-to-whole
process.

11. 11
Syntax and semantics– word order
that determines sentence
meaning.
MEANING
Graphophonics –
Letters and letter sounds
Social and
situational
context and
stance
TRANSACTIONAL READING MODEL
Learner constructs
a mental version of
the text by using
theses cues.

12. 12
Views of Literacy
• Learning to read and write begins at
6.5 years of age.
• Reading develops first, and then
writing.
• Literacy develops through learning
isolated skills, such as phonics and
writing the alphabet.
• Experiences of the child before
schooling are considered irrelevant.
• Children all pass through a
predetermined scope and sequence
of readiness and reading skills and
their progress should be monitored
by periodic formal testing.
• Learning to read and write begins very
early in life.
• Reading and writing develop concurrently
and interrelatedly in young children.
• Literacy develops from real life situations
in which reading and writing are used to
get things done.
• Children learn literacy through active
engagement.
• Being read to plays a special role in the
literacy development of the young child.
• Learning to read and write is a
developmental process. Children pass
through the stages in a variety of way and
at different ages.
Traditional Constructivist
(Reading Readiness) (Emergent Literacy)

13. 13
Focused/ Explicit Language Instruction
Elements of a Balanced Literacy Program (Holdaway, 1979)
•Reading Aloud
•Shared Reading and Writing
•Guided Reading and Interactive Writing
•Language Experience
•Supported Reading and Writing
•Independent Reading and Writing
•Assessment
•Design Literacy Environments
•Instructional Planning

14. 14
Syntax– word order
that determines sentence
meaning.
MEANING
Graphophonics –
Letters and letter sounds
Pragmatics
- Social
and
situational
context and
stance
TRANSACTIONAL READING MODEL
Semantics –
comprehension
/ meaning
Transactional Literacy
Event

15. 15
Transactionalism
• Transactionalism is based on the notion that
all literacy events are a transaction between
the sender and the receiver in which both
are changed by the event.
• The stance taken by each is key to the
transaction. (Efferent and Aesthetic)
(Rosenblatt)

16. 16
Stance
• Efferent – The reader’s expectation is that
the reading will be one that informs, gives
details, and is usually expository.
• Aesthetic – The reader’s expectsation is tht
the reading will deal with feelings,
emotions and is usually narrative.