Critical Review of Language at the Speed of Sight: How We Read, Why So Many Can’t, and What Can Be Done About It By Mark Seidenberg

Authors

Elizabeth Fincher, The University of TennesseeFollow

Abstract

This comprehensive book review on Mark Seidenberg’s Language at the Speed of Sight: How We Read, Why So Many Can’t, and What Can Be Done About It advances the conversation around the “reading wars” in scholar and educator stances on effective methods to teaching reading through explicit phonics-based instruction versus a whole-language approach that emphasizes the child’s discovery of meaning through experiences in a literacy-rich environment. Seidenberg’s support of science-based or “brain-based” teaching of reading is critically examined, as it relates to theoretical and practical knowledge in reading pedagogy. This review aims to provide scientific insight into reading development and pedagogy, to address reading achievement disparities in the US.

Recommended Citation

Fincher, Elizabeth (2022) "Critical Review of Language at the Speed of Sight: How We Read, Why So Many Can’t, and What Can Be Done About It By Mark Seidenberg," Literacy Practice and Research: Vol. 47: No. 2, Article 3.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/lpr/vol47/iss2/3