ABSTRACT
Since reading fi rst became recognized as a fi eld of study in the early 20th century, understanding of written linguistic information or text comprehension has been a focus of attention (Pearson & Hamm, 2005). This attention has been manifest in some form regardless of the views toward schooling, learning, and literacy that have prevailed across reading’s colorful and sometimes contentious history (Alexander & Fox, 2004, in press). Indeed, it is almost impossible to discuss reading without considering the traces that human encounters with text leave on the thoughts or behaviors of the individuals or groups engaged in that literacy act.
