Reading and Reading Disorders

Reading as a human activity is a ubiquitous and complex linguistic ability involving numerous functions, applications, and concepts. While one [Page 1562]frequent definition of reading is the process of deriving meaning from print, this definition is not sufficient. Although as a linguistic ability the construction of meaning from a text is typically the primary function of reading, the term can refer to a host of functions ranging from the perfunctory utterances produced by a newsreader to the detailed interpretation of any written text. Similarly, reading has been applied across a wide array of phenomena, from reading facial expressions, tea leaves, and pressure gauges to reading package labels, novels, and philosophical tomes. The concepts involved in reading as a human activity are also varied. Within the ...