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Part of
Developmental Perspectives in Written Language and Literacy: In honor of Ludo Verhoeven
Edited by Eliane Segers and Paul van den Broek
[Not in series 206] 2017
► pp. 363–378

Imagery in reading and reading disabilities

| | University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
This chapter describes dual coding theory (DCT) and also refers to theories of embodied cognition and multimedia applications. It is suggested that these multiple coding (i.e., verbal and imagery coding) theories should be embedded in education, rather than focusing on verbal coding alone. Imagery coding seems to be an understudied and underestimated component in education, in particular in diagnosing and remediating poor literacy development. Suggestions for measurements of verbal and imagery abilities and styles are made. In the middle and final sections of this chapter DCT applications to reading models and reading disabilities are discussed. Suggestions for improvement of education and reading interventions are made.
Keywords: Dual Coding Theory, embodied cognition, verbal and imaginal thinking, concreteness effects, ability and cognitive style tests of verbal and imagery processes, technical reading, decoding as an ‘unnatural act’, dyslexia research, reading comprehension, visual displays (ViDis), intervention
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.A brief account of DCT
  • 3.Individual differences and measurement issues
  • 4.Visual imagery and reading
  • 5.Imagery and dyslexia
  • 6.Some notes on reading comprehension
  • 7.Conclusions
  • References
Published online: 21 December 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/z.206.22van
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