ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 presents the concept of analytic reading, an approach to reading instruction in the educational therapy context more closely linked to principles of executive function. Analytic reading builds upon the general principles of reading instruction, based on a constructivist definition of reading: A cognitive process in which the reader actively constructs meaning, through the interaction between reader background knowledge and text-based information. The analytic reading approach is appropriate for students who are able to function at a somewhat higher level of analysis of complex text, usually students at upper elementary, middle, and high school, as well as at college level and beyond. These students are able to benefit from a carefully structured approach to reading analysis. With a focus on model passages from sources of expository writing, students are shown how to recognize the common text organization patterns by which writers organize their material. Steps of instruction are presented in increasing levels of challenge, to enable the reader to “go deep.” Instruction includes identification of literary devices such as embedded definitions and the use of redundancy and paraphrase to highlight main ideas. Students are encouraged to read like a writer, and consequently to develop an appreciation for what it takes to be a writer. This form of analytic reading is felt to increase the student’s capacity for self-regulation and meta-comprehension, because it promotes a deeper understanding of the nature of the reading process itself.
