This article introduces a special issue on the double-deficit hypothesis for dyslexic readers' failure to acquire adequate word recognition skills. This theory suggests that dyslexic readers have a deficit in naming speed in addition to the more widely recognized deficit in phonological decoding skill. (Contains references.) (DB)

This introductory article to a special issue of case studies shows the diversity of students with severe reading disabilities. It notes that poor readers often have difficulties in one or more of three areas: decoding, recognizing words automatically, and reading text fluently, all linked to weaknesses in rapid naming of visually presented items.…

Shows that fingerspelling makes learning the task of separating the word into its parts fun as well as easier for some students. (FL)

This article challenges the word-identification view of reading and the resultant assumption that anyone who has difficulty reading words is dyslexic. It describes research demonstrating that word identification is less important in proficient reading than coordinating various language cues and metacognitive strategies to construct meaning. The…

This commentary on a paper by Diane Sawyer (EC 602 748) on relations between various language skills and the development of reading ability addresses potential limitations in the implementation of structural equation modeling. The commentary concludes that the data presented by Sawyer do not support the interpretation that reading comprehension…