Historical and Theoretical Perspectives in Teaching Reading - Research Paper Example

The learner has to be taught visual identification, so that meaningful recognition can occur. Prodded to the habit of reading, the learner gains ease in perceiving meaning, relationships and messages of the printed word.  In the Traditional Theory, the reader is a passive receiver of information, and so the bottoms-up view approach to teaching reading is adopted and this consists in giving prime importance to building pre-cognitive skills which lead to the end processes of construction of meaning or comprehension (Dole et al. (1991). The second Cognitive Theory is the psycho-logistic model which recognizes the fact that the  heart of the reading process is the reader, not the text.

Under this theory, the learner of reading is introduced to the sampling of  the text, making  guesses or a series of hypothesis about the meaning of the text, and proceeding  with the process of fusion, interpretation and comprehension.  The cognitive experts highlight the importance of observation, data judgment, recall, imagination, problem recognition, and analysis in teaching reading.  They also train learners to identify levels of comprehension namely: literal, interpretative, applied and evaluative (Nunan, 1991). .  Thirdly, the Metacognitive Theory centers on training the reader to have control in executing his ability to interpret and comprehend the text.

  In this theory,  meta-reading is  characterized by self-awareness, careful reading and greater retention.. Yes, there had been schooling in reading especially so among ancient civilizations, but these were most rudimentary and confined to the more precocious in knowledge and love of the written word. Only since the 1980s can there be claimed theoretical perspectives in teaching and their benefits still have to be widely and deeply felt by modern learners. Theoretical perspective There are three main theories in the turns and trends in scientific approaches to teaching reading.

The first Traditional Theory has been practiced for ages. This theory is founded on the neuro-physiological process which gives importance to the textual material . The learner has to be taught visual identification, so that meaningful recognition can occur. Prodded to the habit of reading, the learner gains ease in perceiving meaning, relationships and messages of the printed word. In the Traditional Theory, the reader is a passive receiver of information, and so the bottoms-up view approach to teaching reading is adopted and this consists in giving prime importance to building pre-cognitive skills which lead to the end processes of construction of meaning or comprehension (Dole et al. (1991). The second Cognitive Theory is the psycho-logistic model which recognizes the fact that the heart of the reading process is the reader, not the text.

Under this theory, the learner of reading is introduced to the sampling of the text, making guesses or a series of hypothesis about the meaning of the text, and proceeding with the process of fusion, interpretation and comprehension. The cognitive experts highlight the importance of observation, data judgment, recall, imagination, problem