ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to put the ‘specific’ into the context of the ‘general’. Whilst research into specific learning difficulties has largely focused on the written word and its elements (see Chapter 5), other aspects of literacy learning might have been taken for granted. It needs to be emphasized, therefore, that print recognition is embedded in a broader perspective that forms the basis for the development of particular skills. This viewpoint does not deny that some children have marked and debilitating specific difficulties with print. It stresses the importance of a wider focus on psychological theory and research relevant to those concerned with the identification and alleviation of such difficulties.
