Problems in Applying Piaget to Reading, or Letting the Bird Out of the Cage

Abstract

The phenocopy concept in Piaget's biological model is used as a backdrop to evaluate applications of Piagetian theory to the process of reading and learning to read. Research and implications from the psycholinguistic model of reading are emphasized as more “Piagetian” than some past attempts to apply aspects of the theory to reading. Reading is viewed from the Piagetian concept of equilibration as mind to eye; some applications of Piagetian theory to reading erroneously emphasize an eye to mind approach. By studying the cognitive abilities of early, fluent readers, links between the coordination or construction base of Piagetian theory may be linked to the necessary concert of phonetic, syntactic and semantic sources in the process of reading.