Friday, May 15, 2015

We're all beginners

A distinction is often drawn between fluent reading and beginning reading to contrast the virtuosos manner in which experienced readers are supposed to read with the stumbling, less proficient behavior of learners. But the distinction isn’t valid. It’s usually possible to find something than any beginning reader can read easily, even if only one word. And it’s always possible to find something an experienced reader can’t read without difficulty. The advantage of an experienced reader over a neophyte lies in familiarity with a range of different kinds of text, not in the possession of skills that facilitate every kind of reading.—Understanding Reading, page 188

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