ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews some of the defining constructs of current reading theories. Reading is a complex human activity. Unlike spoken language, reading needs to be learned through explicit instruction. Language comprehension is usually defined as the construction of a meaningful mental representation from a set of words, sentences, or larger discourse units. The reader also can benefit from their knowledge of text structures. When reading a text, readers construct multiple levels of representation such as, surface level and verbatim level. Reading often involves situations where one must read multiple, related texts. Researchers interested in improving students' literacy skills have called for approaches to understanding reading that capture the reader, the text, and the activity, all interacting within a broader "sociocultural context". McCrudden and Schraw proposed a four-stage goal-focusing model of relevance-based reading. Their model focuses on the role of instructions on reading behavior and outcomes.
