Word Knowledge in a Theory of Reading Comprehension

Perfetti, C. & Stafura, J. (2014). Word Knowledge in a Theory of Reading Comprehension. Scientific Studies of Reading, 18(1), 22-37. doi: 10.1080/10888438.2013.827687

Background

The authors asserted that, while progress had been made in comprehension research and theory, attention to how word processes actually contribute to comprehension was minimal.

Aims

The authors aimed to reintroduce the Reading Systems Framework that was developed in 1999 by Perfetti. A point of focus in the framework was the lexicon, which the authors argued was a central connection point between the word identification system and the comprehension system.

Sample

As this is an article, there is no sample.

Method

The article examined modern studies of reading comprehension. The literature the authors studied revealed that the focus of comprehension research had always been on the higher level processes. The authors argued that word-level processes were also equally important. They reintroduced the Reading Systems Framework and illustrated how a focus on the lexical component (word knowledge) and context-specific meaning selection processes led to reading comprehension.

Findings

The authors showed that there was an advantage in targeting a small part of the comprehension process for theoretical focus within the Reading Systems Framework. It allowed a tractable number of comprehension processes to be considered.

Implications

The authors asserted a need to reintroduce the Reading Systems Framework to guide more specific hypotheses about comprehension and differences in comprehension skill. They cited the long history of reading comprehension research, and suggested that a closer view of the interaction between the word identification system and the comprehension system within the Reading Systems Framework be considered.

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