Psychology of Reading

Paula J. Schwanenflugel, PhD, is Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Georgia, where she researches and teaches courses on the psychology of reading, psycholinguistics, and child development. She is also affiliated with the Linguistics and Cognitive Science programs. Dr. Schwanenflugel has carried out both basic and applied research on the topics of reading fluency, lexical processing, semantic development, and vocabulary knowledge, as well as large-scale school-based interventions related to literacy. She has published numerous articles in both psychology and education journals, many book chapters related to reading, and two recent books that describe effective research-based classroom literacy practices related to the development of literacy.Nancy Flanagan Knapp, PhD, is Associate Professor of Learning, Design, and Technology at the University of Georgia, where she teaches courses in literacy and learning theory. She is also affiliated with the Department of Educational Psychology, for which she taught the Psychology of Reading course for 17 years. Dr. Knapp's current research focuses on helping struggling readers and improving instruction at the K-12 and postsecondary levels. She offers professional development courses and seminars and is the developer of the Reading Apprenticeship Program, a Tier 2 intervention for delayed elementary school readers. She has published numerous articles on literacy and teaching and is a founding editor of the journal Teaching Educational Psychology.

"I highly recommend this book. It provides an up-to-date perspective on the field, with an effective blend of theory, research, and instructional implications. The developmental focus is a particular strength and makes the book stand apart. Professionals will appreciate the depth of scholarship, and students will appreciate the nontechnical presentation of research findings. The case studies and discussion questions enhance the text's value for courses in psychology and education. I plan to use it in my own courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels."--Linda Baker, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County“This book excels at presenting a thoughtful and accessible accounting of the state of affairs in reading development. The authors blend two traditionally separate fields of inquiry--research on reading processes and classroom literacy instruction--in a novel way, advancing our understanding in both areas. This important resource will find an eager audience of graduate-level instructors and students, as well as researchers and practitioners interested in learning more about each other’s domains of expertise while garnering a deeper understanding of the psychology of reading.”--David Therriault, PhD, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies, University of Florida"I love this book. It provides a thorough overview of all the most important work to date on the psychology of reading. Well organized and easy to read, this is a wonderful text for courses in the psychology of reading or for teacher education reading development courses. Students will benefit from the clear and concise summary of research and the links to classroom practice."--Susan Parault Dowds, PhD, Department of Community Psychology, Counseling, and Family Therapy, St. Cloud State University, Minnesota-The Psychology of Reading: Theory and Applications…addresses the interests of both psychologists and educators. It discusses, in an admirably impartial manner, the research conducted by cognitive psychologists into the reading process along with some of the theoretical models such research has stimulated….The book is organized developmentally….The writing style is straightforward and clear. The chapters begin with case studies that serve as advanced organizers by highlighting the issues discussed in the chapter in a vivid manner….The book would be useful as a textbook in classes in reading, language development, and educational psychology. At the same time, psychologists wishing to brush up on current research on reading would benefit from the authors' fair, research-based approach to issues.--PsycCRITIQUES, 7/18/2016

• 1. Families and Reading2. Emergent Literacy3. Learning to Read Words4. Skilled Word Reading5. Reading Fluency6. Vocabulary7. Theoretical Models of Reading Comprehension8. Components of Reading Comprehension9. Motivation to Read10. Linguistic Variation and Reading11. Why Reading?: The Psychosocial Benefits of Reading