I’ve been trying to sort out types of reading processes (aka “styles”, aka “strategies”, aka “patterns”) that relate to differing goals. Let me summarize a handful of key identifications and distinctions that have been made in the research literature:
Lunzer identifies four processes: scanning, skimming, receptive, reflective
O’Hara recognizes Lunzer’s four processes, and identifies 12 types of reading activities that overlap with Carver’s 5 gears
Birketts recognizes vertical (deep) and horizontal (range) axis; Levy calls these intensive and extensive, and predicts hyperextensive
Wolf refers to any reading apparently above skimming as deep reading
Guthrie suggests that scanning is not a type of reading, arguing that information finding is a distinct cognitive process that utilizes reading, but deserves its own model
I’m still synthesizing the meaning of these distinctions and relationships of the categories to cognition. For instance, depth suggests completeness of coverage of the text, and reflectiveness suggests degrees of attentiveness, even interaction with the text. Both of these are process variables. So the gear of learning, for example, which aims to be deep and attentive, suggests increased demands on cognitive resources such as working memory. Speed is a reader variable, but it is also limited by the reading strategy or type as an aspect of process, e.g. skimming is meant to be faster that rauding, while memorizing is at least initially slower. Intensive reading, such as learning, is presumably slower than extensive reading for pleasure. I haven’t yet looked at how these process variables affect outcomes, though I have seen such studies referenced in the literature.
I’ve attempted to visually approximate the relationship of Carver’s gears of reading to the following aspects of process: depth / completeness, attention, and speed:
The “measurements” of these areas are speculative, but might eventually be teased out by research. I do not have much experience visualizing relationships between variables beyond basic, two-dimensional charts, so if you have other ideas, please share.
The real purpose of this exercise is to begin thinking about types of reading and their relationship to cognitive processes and models.
Diagram of Types of Reading, Take 1
I’ve been trying to sort out types of reading processes (aka “styles”, aka “strategies”, aka “patterns”) that relate to differing goals. Let me summarize a handful of key identifications and distinctions that have been made in the research literature:
I’m still synthesizing the meaning of these distinctions and relationships of the categories to cognition. For instance, depth suggests completeness of coverage of the text, and reflectiveness suggests degrees of attentiveness, even interaction with the text. Both of these are process variables. So the gear of learning, for example, which aims to be deep and attentive, suggests increased demands on cognitive resources such as working memory. Speed is a reader variable, but it is also limited by the reading strategy or type as an aspect of process, e.g. skimming is meant to be faster that rauding, while memorizing is at least initially slower. Intensive reading, such as learning, is presumably slower than extensive reading for pleasure. I haven’t yet looked at how these process variables affect outcomes, though I have seen such studies referenced in the literature.
I’ve attempted to visually approximate the relationship of Carver’s gears of reading to the following aspects of process: depth / completeness, attention, and speed:
The “measurements” of these areas are speculative, but might eventually be teased out by research. I do not have much experience visualizing relationships between variables beyond basic, two-dimensional charts, so if you have other ideas, please share.
The real purpose of this exercise is to begin thinking about types of reading and their relationship to cognitive processes and models.