There has always been two views of literacy, one that is simple, one that is more complex. There are many theories of literacy, but the simple Vs the complex are like ground hog day events. First, lets remove the smoke and mirrors of learning to read. No one learns to read without learning phonics. We are forever rooted in endless reading wars about phonics Vs no phonics, this is the straw man argument. Yetta Goodman was my dissertation advisor, and she taught me to learn from those that think differently, we all have much to learn. Now getting back to simple Vs complex views. Phonics is part of learning to read as is the texts use to teach children to read. Simple View proponents value the texts, just as Complex views valued phonics and fluency. There is a great deal of science in both views, as Yetta Goodman said we have much to learn. Simple Yetta Goodman message the science never ends.
Let me take you on a journey to 2005, and my conversation with Louse Rosenblatt at the National Council of teachers of English Conference.
Dr. Dorothy Menosky, (the professor who sent me to the University of Arizona to study with Ken and Yetta Goodman). She knew I was deeply vetted in the literature of Louise Rosenblatt. Dorothy was my outside committee dissertation member, and she loved how I build Transactional Theory in my Literature Review. Dorothy was friends with Louise Rosenblatt, Dorothy told her about my work on the Tohono O'odham Reservation using Transactional Theory as the link to progressive education, American Indian Education, Critical Theory, and Whole Language together. At NCTE 2005 Dorothy arranged for Louise to meet with me for a one on one for two hours to discuss my dissertation. Talk about Transactional moments, this was Dorothy's gift to one of her favorite students. I would leave this meeting fully understanding the importance of my research on the Tohono O'odham Reservation.
My research is vetted not on any "Simple View of Reading", (The Simple View of Reading is a theory that attempts to define the skills that contribute to early reading comprehension. According to the original theory, an individual's reading comprehension is the product of her decoding skill and language comprehension (Gough & Tunmer, 1986). The key idea is that both the ability to decode and language comprehension are necessary for reading comprehension.) Key point is language comprehension is second in the simple view of reading. This second is the achilles heal of the Simple View of Reading, no manner how many rope treads they wrap around this view, the reader brings skills not themselves to the text, the rest is smoke and mirrors.
The text in this view is primary, the reader is the recipient of text based knowledge, even deeper comprehension is text based in this view, you don't understand yourself, life, or the world better, you understand the text better. You bring nothing to the text. In the Simple View of Reading version comprehension does not connect to the reader's personal, social, cultural or political points of view. These are blurred at best. The reader is subservient to the text, and any measure of comprehension is fixed on the text. There is no multicultural literacy views, no cultural literacy views, no racial views of literacy, no personal literacy, no political views of literacy, no world views. Certainly you can see which side President Trump and his “MAGA” Education Reformers fall on.
This is an old story, it goes back to the very beginnings of public education, one camp wanted obedient subjects, the other liberators. In DC 2025, Liberators are out, and we are losing the literacy battle in communities of color. This is not to say we were ever winning the battle, but at least we had a shot at literacy for freedom. The current reform demands teachers take no shots.
Even our Black and Brown children who learned to read, see no point of reading in schools. I am a White Literacy Professor who dares to say it out loud, children of color need greater reason to read than knowing their ABCs. Combined this with banned books, school library closures, and defunding local public schools in communities of color, and you can see the NEW Jim Crow begins long before the polling booth. The Simple Views of Reading fits neatly into White Supremacist purpose of education.
Douglass, F. (2005). Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave, (Signet Classics).
You can see both the Simple View of Reading and the Transactional view of reading in Douglass's literacy journey. His first exposure to literacy was from Mrs. Maud who was reprimanded by her husband for teaching Frederick his slave the ABCs. She saw no Libration value to reading. Most White women in the south read to kill time, make small talk, to think lightly, not deeply. This is not to say to was true for all southern White women, but Mrs Maud knew her place. Her husband would threaten great harm to Frederick Douglass if she continued. Her lessons ended there. Frederick did not see mere ABCs he saw freedom, liberation and independence in reading. His real literacy lessons began that day.
My thinking is Frederick Douglass would side with the Transactional view of literacy. "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free. "~Frederick Douglass Mrs Maud's ABC were not void of the evil and painful experiences of slavery. Mr. Douglass brought every lash, every humiliation, every painful loss to his ABCs, and because of what he brought with him, his lessons could not be stopped, he would become his own master of his ABCs. Frederick Douglass was a major common ground in my conversation with Louise that day, he is quote in my dissertation, but more than that his view of reading as freedom in rooted in every word in my work.
My two hours with Louise began with the understanding " Texts are not expository or poetic, literary or non-literary on their own; those who give texts such labels are actually reporting their interpretation of the writer’s intention as to what stance readers should take. Instead, readers are free to choose their own stance, which guides his selective attention. This will fall somewhere in the efferent-aesthetic continuum. In other words what experiences readers bring to the text impact meaning. Each reader brings millions of life experiences that give each text a unique understanding. Think about it Women, People of Color, Immigrants, Jews, Muslims, Sheiks, Christians, and non believers bring their views to every text. This is what Frederick Douglass taught himself, he found his freedom in literacy. When you understand this, you begin to understand why CRT, DEI and anything multicultural threatens “MAGA” Education Reformers.
For two hours, I shared how my Native Americans students perceptions of reading, writing, listening, speaking, and visually viewing and presenting positively improved the deeper we rooted our reading in Native American History, Poetry, Art, and books written by Native Authors. There were many AHA moments, and pushes to go further. I came to understand the Critical Pedagogy, Multicultural Literature, Whole Language, Feminist Views, and Progressive Education are deeply rooted in Transactional Theory. The gist of my view of The Simple View of Reading Theory is offers few pathways to Freedom from the text. Transactional theory questions the text at every level. While I see the science in the SOR View of literacy. I see freedom in the reader.
I throw my hat into the Arena of Transactional Views Literacy, like Fredrick Douglass I do not see mere ABCs, I see FREEDOM.
Bless by giants, here is to Louise and Dorothy,
Dr. Jesse P. Turner
Professor Emeritus of Literacy, Elementary, and Early Childhood Education
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| This image is from my last visit to Dorthy Mensoky's home before she went to glory, and tea with Lousie. |
If you like to listen to the tune that inspire my morning walk and conversation with Dorothy it's Barry Lane's "If I ever had a teacher"
https://barrylane.bandcamp.com/track/if-id-never-had-a-teacher
Quick simple reference for Transactional view of literacy > https://sites.google.com/site/readwriteliterature/home/about-reading/rosenblatt-s-transactional-theory <
