Reading

Abstract

Reading is a skill that most of us acquire as children. As adult readers, we are able to read and understand written works of fiction and non-fiction, letters and webpages, newspapers and tweets. How is it we can do this so efficiently and effectively? What are the factors which make reading easier or harder? How do current models explain these factors? Does technology help or hinder reading? We will discuss all these topics in this chapter; consider evidence from experiments using different techniques such as lexical decision, eye tracking and electroencephalograms; and explore some of the models that attempt to explain the processes involved in reading.