ABSTRACT
This chapter differentiates the roles of individuals responsible for reading instruction from the view of the educational psychologist. The goal, or overall purpose, of a program is to make the learner increasingly cognizant of the reading objectives and eventually self-directing in achieving them. The preschool child's accountability is slight and the traditional role of the school has been significant. As students mature and attain metacognitive control, responsibility for reading shifts to the students themselves. Students who achieve fluency at the level of mass media tend to improve their reading during absences from schooling, while otherwise their skills deteriorate. In recent years many colleges and universities have instituted reading courses for students who have difficulty in reading well enough to master the academic courses they are taking. Determining accountability, setting goals, selecting programs, and evaluating results are all designed to improve instruction. The psychological process of synthesis means combining the detailed elements of language into larger units.
