Learning/Word Recognition vs. Acquisition/Sociopsycholinguistics

     Freeman and Freeman (2004) point out that there are two views of reading and that they, "...correspond to the distinction between learning and acquisition" (p. 24).  The two points of view disagree on how reading should be taught and what the reading process looks like and consists of.  One view feels that language must be learned and the other argues that language is acquired.  The following table distinguishes the major differences between the word recognition view and the sociopsycholinguistic view. 

Word Recognition View

Sociopsycholinguistic View

·    Written language must be learned ·    Students learn skills to help them   connect words on a page to words in their oral vocabulary ·    Students combine meanings of individual words to make meaning from what they read ·    Goal:  Help students identify words with a focus on recoding not decoding while reading.  "...there is a danger that students will simply learn to say words without knowing what they mean" (Freeman & Freeman, 2004, p.26). ·    Methods:  Learn phonics rules, memorize sight words, dividing words into parts such as prefix, root and suffix, flash cards, looking for small words within larger words ·    Classroom Practices:  Preteach words that may be difficult for students, word lists and dictionary work, reading aloud in a round-robin fashion correcting miscues and providing unknown words to the reader

·    Ability to use written language is  innate and can be acquired ·    Reading is a process of constructing meaning ·    Readers acquire literacy by focusing on meaning ·    Goal:  Construct meaning while reading by using background knowledge and cues.  "Readers combine cues from the text with their own knowledge of the world to make sense of what they are reading" (Freeman & Freeman, 2004, p. 26). ·    Methods:  Use background knowledge and cues from the three linguistic systems to make meaning from texts.  Good readers learn to use visual and sound information in combination with background knowledge and cues to gain meaning while reading. ·    Classroom Practices:  Students participate in wide reading to acquire vocabulary, some vocabulary is taught before reading but is learned through several encounters with the word in different contexts, silent reading,  comprehension strategies to gain meaning, reading leveled and interesting text, big books, songs and poetry Other Points: "Evidence from linguistics lends strong support to a sociopsycholinguistic model of reading" (Freeman & Freeman, 2004, p. 25).

All information from:
Freeman, D. E., & Freeman, Y. S. (2004). Essential Linguistics: What You Need to Know toTeach. 

     Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Due to the differences in the way that reading is taught within these two views, students learn to read differently and the reading proficiency of students varies as well.  “The two views have very practical consequences” (Freeman & Freeman, 2004, p.29).  Despite the differences in the goals, methods and classroom practices of the two views, the overall belief is the same; “…good readers comprehend text” (Freeman & Freeman, 2004, p. 25).