1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,700 This is the Reading Instruction Show. I'm your host, Dr. Angie Johnson. 2 00:00:05,100 --> 00:00:10,740 The topic of today's podcast. It's a two or three, maybe four part series. 3 00:00:10,740 --> 00:00:14,720 I don't know on the pseudoscience of reading. It's called 4 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,600 the pseudoscience of reading and space alien gravity theory. 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:25,400 Now that I've got your attention, the essence of science is this. 6 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:31,400 You ask a question and then collect data to answer the question. 7 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:38,600 This is science. It's a process. It's a verb to science. 8 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:43,960 With science, the data can't just be collected all higgly-piggly. 9 00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:50,200 There must be an approved method and that method must be systematic. 10 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:57,800 There are many systematic methods that can be used to collect the data used to answer questions. 11 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,400 And there are many types of data to collect. 12 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:11,400 Hence, there is no single scientific method. Rather, there are methods of science. 13 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,400 Now in this whole discussion about research and science, 14 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:22,400 an important distinction has to be made between science and pseudoscience. 15 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:30,400 Science asks a question and then collects data to answer the question. 16 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:38,400 Pseudoscience starts with the answer and then collects data to support that answer. 17 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:47,400 The science in quotation marks, the science of reading is really the pseudoscience of reading. 18 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:55,400 That's because in examining the questions related to effective reading instruction, 19 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:03,400 the pseudoscience of reading research starts with an answer, such as sounding out word instruction 20 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:09,400 or phonemic awareness activity or systematic skills instruction. 21 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:19,400 Pseudoscience reading research selectively collects only that data which supports their predetermined answer. 22 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:26,400 Data that conflicts with their predetermined answer is dismissed, ignored, 23 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:33,400 or considered to be irrelevant flawed opinions or methodologically unsound. 24 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:41,400 But in order to sound less pseudoscience and more like science, 25 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:54,400 pseudoscience of reading believers use fancy pants words in terms like orthographic mapping, morphemes, rigorous phonics progression, 26 00:02:54,400 --> 00:03:03,400 graphophonological semantic cognitive flexibility, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, corticothalamic connections, 27 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:14,400 thalamocortical connections, epistemology, morphological awareness, orthographic lexicon, phoneme grapheme relationships, 28 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:23,400 diagraphs, morphophononemic awareness, orthomorphographo-femonio awareness. 29 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,400 I made up that last one, but you get the point. 30 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:38,400 But describing pseudoscience research using only third person pronouns and big words doesn't make you sound scientific. 31 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:41,400 It just makes you sound silly. 32 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:48,400 Now, pseudoscience of reading enthusiasts are fond of saying things like the research. 33 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:58,400 The research says that or the research shows that or the research proves that. 34 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:08,400 The research, the research, the research, except that there's no such thing as the research. 35 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:13,400 The research is a product of their pseudoscience imaginations. 36 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:20,400 There is, however, research scientific research. 37 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:29,400 Now, let's take a look at theory, all just a bunch of theory and where research scientific research comes in. 38 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:35,400 Each scientific research study creates a data point. 39 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:40,400 These data points are used to create theories. 40 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:48,400 A theory is like a dot to dot picture connecting a series of research based data dots. 41 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:58,400 And theories, good theories, sound theories are made up of many research based data points or data dots. 42 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,400 And why are theories considered useful? 43 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:07,400 A theory is a way to explain a set of facts. 44 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,400 Theories are used to understand phenomena. 45 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:18,400 There are different theories of reading, all of which are made up of data dot research facts. 46 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:28,400 Theories help us understand the process of reading and to make good decisions about reading instruction. 47 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:34,400 But here's the dirty little secret about theories. 48 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:39,400 All theories are a little bit right and a little bit wrong. 49 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:45,400 As such, technically there's no such thing as correct and incorrect theories. 50 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:51,400 There are, however, robust theories and weak theories. 51 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,400 Robust theories connect a lot of data dots. 52 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:59,400 Weak theories connect a few data dots. 53 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:03,400 Robust theories account for a lot of facts. 54 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:08,400 Weak theories leave important facts unaccounted for. 55 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:15,400 Now as an example, let's take some theories of gravity and their theories. 56 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:22,400 Einstein's theory of gravity made Newton's theory of gravity obsolete. 57 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:24,400 Newton's theory wasn't wrong. 58 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,400 It was based on data and stood for a long time. 59 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:36,400 Newton's theory of gravity essentially said it was a force in which bigger things tug on littler things. 60 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:44,400 But a new set of data dots reconfigured the dot-to-dot picture of theoretic reality. 61 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:55,400 Einstein's theory said that it wasn't a force at all, rather it was a curvature of space and time caused by mass and energy. 62 00:06:56,400 --> 00:07:03,400 Now picture a bowling ball put in the middle of a trampoline and a ping-pong ball two feet away. 63 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:09,400 The bowling ball would sink into the trampoline pulling the ping-pong ball with it. 64 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:16,400 But it wasn't the bowling ball that pulled the ping-pong ball but the curvature of the trampoline. 65 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:25,400 Now picture a trampoline in three dimensions and you have Einstein's theory of gravity. 66 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:36,400 This theory explains a lot of data dots and will hold until one comes along and reconfigures this theory and makes it obsolete. 67 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:42,400 Now consider Ralph's space alien theory of gravity. 68 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:52,400 Ralph's theory states that gravity is caused by massive magnets buried deep within the earth by space aliens. 69 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:59,400 These are super special space alien magnets that attract all things, not just metal. 70 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:05,400 Now there are indeed some facts to support this theory. 71 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:13,400 However, to be honest, there are far more facts to disprove or refute this theory. 72 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:18,400 These are facts that are in conflict with Ralph's theory. 73 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:28,400 But if Ralph wanted to maintain his space alien theory of gravity, he would focus only on those facts that support his theory. 74 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,400 Now do you see where this analogy is going? 75 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:39,400 Hang on. Let's look at bottom-up theory and the phonological processing model of reading. 76 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:46,400 The science of reading is based on a theory called the simple view of reading. 77 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:50,400 The simple view of reading is very simple. 78 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:58,400 It defines reading as a combination of two things, decoding and listening comprehension. 79 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,400 Decoding plus listening comprehension equals reading. 80 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,400 And what could be simpler than that? 81 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:12,400 Well, the phonological processing model is a little simpler. 82 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:16,400 The phonological processing model is a theoretical model. 83 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:21,400 Models are representation that show how things work in reality. 84 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:30,400 The phonological processing model of reading posits that reading is sounding out words. 85 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:40,400 It represents reading as being a one-way flow of information from the page to the thalamus and up to the cortex. 86 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,400 You just sound it out. That's reading. 87 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,400 Sometimes this is called a bottom-up theory. 88 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:50,400 The bottom-up theory of reading. 89 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:59,400 Simple view of reading, phonological processing model, the bottom-up theory of reading are all relatively the same. 90 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,400 All see reading essentially as sounding out words. 91 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,400 But it's a weak theory. 92 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:17,400 It provides a very simplistic and inaccurate view of reading and doesn't fully explain important phenomena or account for relevant facts. 93 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:25,400 Now, four facts in particular are left totally unaccounted for by the simple view of reading. 94 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:32,400 And remember, the science of reading is constructed around the simple view of reading theory. 95 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:34,400 Four facts. 96 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:41,400 First, proficient readers do not look at fully one-third of the words on the page. 97 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:50,400 Now, this indicates that readers are using more than the words and letters on the page to create reading. 98 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:58,400 They're using semantic and syntactic information along with background knowledge to fill in the blanks as they read. 99 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:08,400 The second fact, proficient readers often insert words that are semantically or syntactically correct as the reading. 100 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:20,400 Again, this points to the fact that information besides what's on the page is being used to recognize words and construct meaning. 101 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:39,400 And third, the ratio of cortical thalaminic nerves moving from the cortex down to the thalamus is more than thalidomococortical fibers moving from the thalamus up to the cortex. 102 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:50,400 There's more nerves going from the cortex down to the thalamus during reading as from the thalamus up to the cortex by 10 to 1. 103 00:11:50,400 --> 00:12:08,400 In other words, during the active reading, almost 10 times more information is flowing from the cortex down to the thalamus than is flowing up from the page to the thalamus and up to the cortex. 104 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:19,400 This shows that what's in the head is being used along with text clues to create meaning. 105 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:28,400 And finally, the fourth fact, information from the cortex is used to direct the eyes during the active reading. 106 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:36,400 In other words, higher level processes drive or mediate lower level processes. 107 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:49,400 Now, how do I know these four facts? Did I just make them up? No, you can read them in my book, all based on research, scientific research that did not start with the answer. 108 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:56,400 Now, let's look at a second theory of reading called a top-down theory of reading. 109 00:12:56,400 --> 00:13:09,400 The top-down theory states that during the act of reading, readers use primarily what's in their head to identify words and make sense of the text. 110 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:14,400 In other words, information flows mostly down. 111 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:24,400 Now, top-down teachers would want students to have a whole lot of knowledge about what they're reading and memorize a whole bunch of words. 112 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:31,400 Now, I know of very few, if any, that would adhere to this theory today. 113 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:34,400 The top-down theory. 114 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:45,400 There are many who inaccurately call whole language and balanced literacy and the psycholinguistic model of reading. 115 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:51,400 They call these top-down theories, but they are very, very wrong. 116 00:13:51,400 --> 00:14:08,400 The top-down theory of reading is not in alignment with the principles of whole language, balanced literacy, or the psycholinguistic model or neurocognitive model of reading. 117 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:10,400 It just isn't. 118 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:16,400 So, let's look at a third theory or set of theories called the interactive theory. 119 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:28,400 The interactive theory of reading states that what's in the head interacts with what's on the page to create meaning. 120 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:38,400 In other words, letters, words, and sentences interact with what's in the head during the process of reading to create meaning. 121 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:43,400 Louise Rosenblatt called it a transactional theory. 122 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:50,400 Now, in any transaction, both parties give something to get something. 123 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:58,400 So, this theory states that reading is a transaction between the reader and the text. 124 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:02,400 And this is in alignment with schema theory. 125 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:12,400 And that states that we perceive the salient elements of reality and fill in the blanks with what's in our head. 126 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:22,400 And this is in alignment with constructivist learning theory, which states that we use what's in our head to construct our view of reading or to understand what we're reading. 127 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:30,400 And this is in alignment with a neurocognitive model or a psycholinguistic model of reading. 128 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:33,400 So, let's take a look at these two models. 129 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:43,400 The neurocognitive model of reading or the psycholinguistic model of reading accounts for the four unaccounted four facts described earlier. 130 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:53,400 And here, reading is not defined as sounding out words, but it is the process of creating meaning with print. 131 00:15:53,400 --> 00:16:05,400 During this meaning making process, the brain uses three queuing systems to recognize words on the page. 132 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,400 Recognize means you see them and instantly know what they are. 133 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:17,400 These three queuing systems are the phonological, the semantic, and the syntactic. 134 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:23,400 These are three interacting and interrelated systems. 135 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:29,400 They're used to recognize words to see them and automatically know what they are. 136 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:32,400 This is different from identifying words. 137 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:40,400 Identifying words is you see them, you don't recognize them, and then you employ a strategy. 138 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:50,400 Also, with this model, readers use what's in their head, their schema or schematic to make sense of what's on the page. 139 00:16:51,400 --> 00:17:03,400 This model, this theory accounts for the fact that during the process of reading, our eyes fixate on only approximately 60% of the words on the page. 140 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:14,400 And of these fixated words, our eyes usually stop or fixate on only one or two letters. 141 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:30,400 Since our brain perceives only those things upon which our eyes stop and fixate, it's clear that our brain is filling in the blanks to create meaning during the reading process. 142 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:39,400 It's clear as well that the eyes are directed, not by information on the page, but by information in the cortex. 143 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:54,400 Synthetic cues, semantic cues, and minimal letter cues are used along with the information in our cortex to confirm or revise words and create meaning with print. 144 00:17:54,400 --> 00:18:00,400 Now, here's the analogy. Wait for it. 145 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:11,400 Space alien theory is to gravity as the simple view of reading theory is to reading. 146 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:27,400 This has been the Reading Instruction Show. I'm your host, as always, Dr. Andy Johnson.