Stephen Parker: 'The Simple View of Reading: Still Conclusive After 33 years'

This is the hub of the site and the place to post queries, start discussions and join in the conversation!
Post Reply
User avatar
Debbie_Hepplewhite
Posts: 2498
Joined: Sat May 23, 2015 4:42 pm

Stephen Parker: 'The Simple View of Reading: Still Conclusive After 33 years'

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

Retired teacher, Stephen Parker, writes a truly excellent guest-post for Professor Pamela Snow's very popular blog, The Snow Report. I'm putting a 'sticky' on this thread and will also include it in other threads, and cross-reference, featuring the 'Simple View of Reading':
The Simple View of Reading: Still Conclusive After 33 years

by Stephen Parker
https://pamelasnow.blogspot.com/2019/02 ... still.html

I have a lot of empathy with Stephen's suggestion below - as a teacher-trainer, I have to make the distinction to people about the LC Language Comprehension referring to 'spoken' language as compared to 'reading comprehension'. This slight shift the equation is very sensible:
Since Gough and Tunmer referred to two distinct types of “comprehension” in their model, it will likely avoid some confusion if we take the liberty to rename two of the variables in the Simple View this way:

RC = D x LC

Reading Comprehension is the product of Decoding and Language Comprehension.
Gough and Tunmer's original equation is:
Whole Language, in 1986, was nearly universally accepted by the educational establishment and by reading teachers everywhere.

All the more surprising, therefore, that in that same year, Philip Gough and William Tunmer proposed their Simple View of Reading. Surprising because their model placed “decoding” front and center, right along with “language comprehension,” as the two independent factors necessary for a child to read. The model succinctly states:

R = D x C

where R stands for “reading comprehension,” D for “decoding.” and C for “language (listening) comprehension.”

To understand this model today, 33 years after it was proposed, it’s important to know how Gough and Tunmer understood their three variables. It’s also important to recognize that the numerical values assigned to the variables D and C are multiplied, not added.

Language comprehension (C) involves not only hearing words spoken by another, but also understanding what was just spoken. Reading comprehension (R), which comes later developmentally, is exactly what everyone means when they speak about reading something: not only producing the words (mentally or aloud), but also understanding what was just read.
Serious educationalists need to understand about the model of the Simple View of Reading, and I recommend that they read Stephen's full post!
User avatar
Debbie_Hepplewhite
Posts: 2498
Joined: Sat May 23, 2015 4:42 pm

Re: Stephen Parker: 'The Simple View of Reading: Still Conclusive After 33 years'

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

Here is the link to the 'Research and Recommended Reading' forum where various responses to the Simple View of Reading are provided:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1178&p=2446#p2446
User avatar
Debbie_Hepplewhite
Posts: 2498
Joined: Sat May 23, 2015 4:42 pm

Re: Stephen Parker: 'The Simple View of Reading: Still Conclusive After 33 years'

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

And here is a link to a wonderful interview with Bill Tunmer himself - a must watch for anyone in the field of reading instruction:


viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1416



We are very fortunate that Bill Tunmer is on the Founding Committee of the International Foundation for Effective Reading Instruction:

https://iferi.org/team-members-profile/ ... ew-Zealand
Post Reply