UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF READING AND WRITING DIFFICULTIES: AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW

Abstract

A case study of a 9‐year‐old boy's reading and writing difficulties is presented. The learner's written language concepts, strategies, attitudes, and perceptions of himself as a reader and writer were observed and documented over a period of 3#fr1/2> months while he attended a literacy center in an urban university near his school. Quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed that the learner lacked clear concepts about the functional nature of reading and writing. The diagnosis was based on an alternative model of understanding written language difficulties. Instruction grounded in sociopsycholinguistics, whole language, and emergent literacy helped the learner overcome his difficulties. This article provides an account of (a) alternative approaches in assessing written language difficulties and (b) the important role of the reader's belief system or written language concepts in literacy learning.