Dual Coding Theoretical Model of Reading: A Comprehensive Analysis

1. Summary of Chapter 47Christina A. ClarkConcord University

2. A Dual Coding Theoretical Model of Reading (DCT)

3. dct • is an established theory of general cognition that has been directly applied to literacy (Ruddell, p1329). • has been extended to literacy as an account of reading comprehension, of written composition, and as a unified theory of reading and writing(Ruddell, p1329).

4. 3 major components • Decoding • Comprehension • Response

5. Decoding • There are two kinds of codes, derived from external experiences (linguistic or nonlinguistic) (Ruddell, p 1330). • Verbal • Nonverbal

6. Verbal code • Cognitive theories have “building blocks” of cognition. • The basic building block for the verbal code of DCT is logogens. A LOGOGEN is anything learned as a unit of language in some sense modality (Ruddell, p1332). • We have visual logogens, auditory logogens, and haptic logogens. • Logogens are activated directly or indirectly, through seeing printed language or by forming images to words.

7. Nonverbal code • The basic building block of the nonverbal code of the DCT is imagens. An IMAGEN is a set in our mental modality that allows us to picture words, and maybe even hear sounds as we are reading text. • Imagens are activated directly by seeing familiar objects, indirectly by reading printed text. EXAMPLE: The dog sat by the tree. We may visualize the dog sitting by an apple tree, we may hear the birds in the tree.

8. 3 Levels of Processing • Three distinct dimensions or “levels” of processing are theorized in DCT. • Representational Processing • Associative Processing • Referential Processing

9. Comprehension • A key factor in reading comprehension is language concreteness (Ruddell, p1343). • Some studies have shown that concrete language, even if it is unfamiliar to a reader is recalled twice as well as abstract language(Ruddell, p1345). • Further research is needed on this topic to fully understand the differences and previous research findings of the concrete and abstract language (Ruddell, p1346).

10. Response • Two types of response • Mental Imagery • Emotional Response • Both are vital to aesthetic response to text (Ruddell, p1346). • There is controversy about whether response should be taught, and how in classrooms (Ruddell, p1346). • Study done by Sadoski and Goetz shows that imaginative responses are central to reading literary stories and that they can be defined, measured, and interpreted. (Ruddell, p1347)

11. Conclusion--decoding • Recently decodable texts have been used extensively in beginning reading.(Ruddell, p1354) • Several studies have shown evidence that concrete and abstract words with a lot of reinforcement will be better recalled by students, than words that are merely shown once or twice, then forgotten. • The results of these studies are very consistent with DCT and suggest that beginning reading materials and lessons should emphasize concreteness as well as decodability and context in learning sight vocabulary (Ruddell, p1355).

12. Conclusion--comprehension • Clark and Pavio (1991) reviewed decades of empirical studies relevant to DCT in education and determined that mental imagery, concreteness, and verbal associative processes play major roles in the representation and comprehension of knowledge, learning and memory of school material, effective instruction, individual differences, and motivation (Ruddell, p1356).

13. Conclusion--response • Images and feelings are deeply person, and instruction in what to imagine and feel is surely less appropriate than to imagine and feel(Ruddell, p1357). • EXAMPLE: When students read a poem/song, if there is twenty students present, it is likely there will be twenty different responses. Teachers feel the need to tell them one “correct” response.

14. References • Sadoski, M. & Paivio, A. A Dual Coding Theoretical Model of Reading. In Ruddell, R. B. & Unrau, N. J. (2004) Theoretical Models and Processes of Reading. (pp. 1329-1362). Newark, DE: International Reading Association