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      Common Misconceptions about the Phonological Deficit Theory of Dyslexia

      Brain Sciences
      MDPI AG

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          Abstract

          In this discussion paper, I review a number of common misconceptions about the phonological deficit theory (PDH) of dyslexia. These include the common but mistaken idea that the PDH is simply about phonemic awareness (PA), and, consequently, is a circular “pseudo”-explanation or epiphenomenon of reading difficulties. I argue that PA is only the “tip of the phonological iceberg” and that “deeper” spoken-language phonological impairments among dyslexics appear well before the onset of reading and even at birth. Furthermore, not even reading-specific expressions of phonological deficits—PA or pseudoword naming, can be considered circular if we clearly distinguish between reading proper—real meaning-bearing words, or real text, and the mechanisms (subskills) of reading development (such as phonological recoding). I also explain why an understanding of what constitutes an efficient writing system explains why phonology is necessarily a major source of variability in reading ability and hence a core deficit (or at least one core deficit) among struggling readers whether dyslexic or non-dyslexic. I also address the misguided notion that the PDH has now fallen out of favor because most dyslexia researchers have (largely) ceased studying phonological processing. I emphasize that acceptance of the PDH does not imply repudiation of other non-phonological hypotheses because the PDH does not claim to account for all the variance in reading ability/disability. Finally, I ask where neurobiology enters the picture and suggest that researchers need to exercise more caution in drawing their conclusions.

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          Most cited references91

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          The nature of phonological processing and its causal role in the acquisition of reading skills.

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            Auditory temporal perception, phonics, and reading disabilities in children.

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              Reading acquisition, developmental dyslexia, and skilled reading across languages: a psycholinguistic grain size theory.

              The development of reading depends on phonological awareness across all languages so far studied. Languages vary in the consistency with which phonology is represented in orthography. This results in developmental differences in the grain size of lexical representations and accompanying differences in developmental reading strategies and the manifestation of dyslexia across orthographies. Differences in lexical representations and reading across languages leave developmental "footprints" in the adult lexicon. The lexical organization and processing strategies that are characteristic of skilled reading in different orthographies are affected by different developmental constraints in different writing systems. The authors develop a novel theoretical framework to explain these cross-language data, which they label a psycholinguistic grain size theory of reading and its development. Copyright (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                BSRCCS
                Brain Sciences
                Brain Sciences
                MDPI AG
                2076-3425
                November 2021
                November 14 2021
                : 11
                : 11
                : 1510
                Article
                10.3390/brainsci11111510
                34827508
                8ff321dc-771a-48eb-a697-ae7f2f1b4583
                © 2021

                https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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