La mente lectora: Una aproximación desde las ciencias cognitivas a cómo leemos

by Daniel T. Willingham, Editorial Aptus (Translator)

Teachers and administrators consider reading the most important subject in school. They believe that if a child can't read, the chances of success in any subject are slim. But despite such an emphasis on the importance of literacy in school, there are few resources for educators that explain reading from a cognitive standpoint.

Written in an accessible, teacher-friendly format, this book provides a cognitive description of the process of reading, explaining what happens in a child's mind as they are reading. As in his previous bestseller, Why Don't Students Like School?, Willingham offers a perspective that is rooted in scientific research, but with a practical and engaging, ready-for-application sensibility.

The book covers every aspect of reading, starting with two fundamental processes: reading by sight and reading by sound. It also addresses reading comprehension at all levels, from reading for understanding at early levels to inferring deeper meaning from texts at the high school level. Another chapter discusses how motivation works as it relates to reading, and the final chapter focuses on reading on digital devices.

This approachable book helps teachers understand the science behind reading, giving them the information they need to better engage students as readers.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Psychology, Science, Teaching, Professional Development, Neuroscience

277 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2017

About the author

Daniel Willingham earned his B.A. from Duke University in 1983 and his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Harvard University in 1990. He is currently Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, where he has taught since 1992. Until about 2000, his research focused solely on the brain basis of learning and memory. Today, all of his research concerns the application of cognitive psychology to K-12 education. He writes the “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” column for American Educator magazine, and is an Associate Editor of Mind, Brain, and Education. He is also the author of Why Don't Students Like School? (Jossey-Bass) and When Can You Trust the Experts? (Jossey-Bass). His writing on education has been translated into ten languages.

from http://www.danielwillingham.com/about...

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an obsessive reader, and a reading mentor, I was really interested to read, “The Reading Mind.” Author Daniel T. Willingham looks at how we read. As he says, learning to read is a complex process and so he takes the process in steps – from letters, to words, sentences, comprehension, becoming a reader and reading after the digital revolution. Along the way, he explains the mental processes and also outlines actions which help to promote reading.

This is a very interesting book to read for anyone who either loves reading, or is involved in the process of teaching, or promoting, literacy. There was so much of interest in this, but I thought that one of the lessons I learned was in the section about Becoming a Reader. Willingham stresses that reading attitudes are largely emotional and that those teaching reading tend to focus on the pleasure of reading. Especially as those who are keen to help mentor reading in children, such as myself, derive such pleasure from reading myself. However, the author stresses that reading is useful , obviously, and that it is important that this should be explained to children – explaining all the situations in which they might need to be able to read (from finding out about a sport, for example, or filling in forms) and also giving children good role models, so they see it is a cherished activity.

I found this book full of useful information, great ideas and suggestions. From silent reading to helping improve vocabulary, I urge anyone involved in teaching reading to explore this very interesting book.

[Eric Kalenze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Willingham, another five stars. Required reading for teachers of reading and parents.

Though Willingham kicks off the book by saying its foremost purpose is not to be about how people learn to read (but, rather, to describe the processes behind how experienced readers read), there's more important content here for teachers than can be found in most teacher-training programs, NCTE publications, or district-level professional departments. Endure those as you have to, then read this--and other Dan Willingham, of course.

[Zac Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am eager to recommend books, but I have never labeled any as a must read. If any part of your life is dependent on helping children access and understand information through reading, then this is a must-read for you.

Not only do I anticipate this book has helped me better understand the workings of the mind during reading, I imagine it will have helped me elevate my conversation and decisions related to that matter as well.

[Nelson Zagalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel T. Willingham is a professor and researcher in psychology who focuses on the cognitive aspects of learning, from whom I highly recommend reading the previous "Why Don't Students Like School?: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom" (2009). In this book, "The Reading Mind: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding How the Mind Reads" (2017), he exclusively delves into the reading process as a cognitive process to give us an understanding of how we read, from the moment we interpret letters to the moment we create meaning from a text we read.

Resenha completa com diagramas no blog:
https://virtual-illusion.blogspot.com...

[The miscellaneous bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was searching for a book that could provide me with a condensed and thorough account of the reading process. It goes trough many things: how our minds construct letters, sound based meaning of words, our transition into a orthographic representation of words and so much more.

The author does a good job ensuring that the reader has a clear thread to follow throughout the book. The books also backs up its claims with research albeit somewhat outdated.

Although some concepts and ideas were somewhat familiar I found value in knowing the relevant vocabulary. Now I can think and reflect in a more refined way about these topics.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sort of training manual for teachers, more than a mass-market page-turner, but it's very good for what it is, explaining clearly some counterintuitive or unpopular findings about how we read, with implications for how we learn to read. I would have liked more on precursors to reading in very young children.

[Mr Shahabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not about how You should read, but rather how the mind Works when your reading, in a fast reader's Scenario And an average reader scenario, I liked the science involved in the book, but this is not a HOW TO book for folks who wants to know more about speed reading.

Drink Tea, Green

[Sarah Cupitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

main thing I got out of this was that research shows that readers need to understand about 98 percent of words in a text to read comfortably

Context:
- The development of writing systems emerged independently in several civilizations, notably in Mesopotamia around 3200 BCE and China around 1200 BCE, primarily to serve practical needs like accounting and record-keeping.
- The breakthrough came when civilizations began developing hybrid systems, like Egyptian hieroglyphics and Sumerian cuneiform, where symbols could represent both concepts and sounds. This eventually led to purely phonetic writing systems, such as the Roman alphabet, where symbols, or letters, correspond to distinct speech sounds, or phonemes. In English, for instance, we use 26 letters to represent 44 phonemes.
- why reading, unlike speaking, doesn’t develop spontaneously
- Many letter shapes echo forms found in nature, reflecting the visual vocabulary of our ancestors who developed these writing systems.
- Our brains develop specialized neural networks that activate when recognizing key components of each letter, allowing us to identify them across different fonts and styles.
- Contrary to earlier beliefs that reading difficulties like dyslexia were primarily visual processing issues, research since the 1970s has shown that the challenges are more complex. A crucial hurdle in learning to read is developing phonological awareness – the ability to consciously analyze and manipulate speech sounds. While children naturally learn to speak, making this implicit knowledge explicit is more challenging. For example, when asked to count words in the sentence “I like yellow bananas,” young children might count four words correctly, or break the sentence into more units by separating syllables like “ba-na-nas.” This happens because spoken language flows as one continuous stream – the clear word boundaries that adults perceive aren’t naturally present in speech.
- children first learn to recognize whole words, then break down compound words, master syllables, and finally individual phonemes. English presents additional challenges due to its hybrid Germanic-Romance origins, resulting in inconsistent letter-sound correspondences.

Notes:
- research shows that 90 percent of consonants are pronounced consistently at the start of words, and surrounding vowels often provide pronunciation cues. This complex mapping process, which psychologists call arbitrary-paired-associate learning, explains why early reading development may be slower in languages with less consistent letter-sound relationships, though these differences typically resolve by fourth grade.
- our brains organize word meanings in vast interconnected networks. Take the word “heavy.” A 50-pound watermelon is heavy, but a 50-pound person is not.
- Research shows that readers need to understand about 98 percent of words in a text to read comfortably – that’s only one-to-two unfamiliar words per paragraph.
- As we read, we constantly connect new information with what we’ve already learned
- Motivation to read depends on two key factors: how well you expect to succeed, called expectancy, and how much you value the activity, called value.
- When reading is part of your identity, it naturally occurs to you as an option: a long train ride becomes an opportunity to finish your novel rather than a boring wait.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a number of books about the science of reading out there with claims like “every parent and teacher of reading must read this book” on the cover. IMO this one provides the most useful and accessible summary of the science and its implications. There are some oversimplifications, but Willingham flags many of them and each chapter includes a list of the cited research for going deeper.

He concludes, “If an educator has a model of reading in her head…she can predict what will happen to the system as a whole when a part of it changes in some way. Having this model in memory can serve as a summary of important mental processes and their relationships, to be called on when thinking through instructional decisions and anticipating their outcomes.”

I think he has successfully provided that model of reading.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best general introductions to reading I've come across. Finished it at rapid pace and was not confused or overwhelmed by any of the content. Willingham knows exactly when to turn down the academic language and when to paraphrase scientific content rather than quote. He has an entertaining and easy to follow style. As a general overview of how our brain accesses and interprets the written word this is one of the best.

[Annebet Pettit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars as a work-related title that reminds me of how and why reading, which I love so much and find so rewarding, can be anything but fun for students. Parents who have kids who don’t love reading should definitely read this, too!

[Abbey Ferris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid intro to how the brain works during the reading process, great for practitioners wanting to understand the sciences (plural) of reading and reading instruction. I will be using this with my undergrad students in some of their literacy education courses.

[cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!! Very readable and informative. I heard him speak yesterday- excellent speaker!! Bonus- I left with 6 excellent suggestions for parents to turn their kids onto reading.

[Elisabeth Marksteiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my Christmas present to me. HOW do we read? The structure and clarity of this was marvellous. Having read this once, I need to read again. The diagrams really help explain the mental processes. Fascinating that it is at 4th grade level there seems to be a switch as decoding becomes more complex and reading requires more general comprehension of the world. Every educator should read this.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding look at the actual science of reading. Not to be confused with the Science of Reading. Very well supported and comprehensive yet readable for a lay audience.

[gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

a required read for one of my classes and i actually enjoyed it it was v interesting!!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book fascinating. Probably most of use to those in education, especially those responsible for the teaching of reading, but I think this would appeal to anyone who loves reading and is interested in knowing why and how their passion came to be. A psychologist perspective but very accessible to a layperson. Well worth a read. I loved it.

[Art]

You Still Need Your Brain, NYT Sunday Review. The bionote of the column’s author tipped me to this book: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/19/op...

[Jung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading is an intricate cognitive process that transforms written symbols into meaningful mental representations. Despite feeling effortless, reading requires multiple stages of processing, from recognizing individual letters to constructing complex mental images. The journey of reading begins with visual identification, followed by phonological mapping and semantic comprehension. This process allows a simple sentence like "It was a dark and stormy night" to evoke vivid imagery and emotions. By linking words to existing knowledge, grammar, and context, readers create a cohesive understanding of a text. This book explores the cognitive mechanics behind reading, revealing how the brain deciphers symbols and constructs meaning.

Writing systems emerged as a means of recording and transmitting information across generations. Ancient civilizations such as those in Mesopotamia and China initially relied on pictographic symbols before transitioning to more efficient phonetic systems. Unlike spoken language, which develops naturally, reading requires formal instruction. The cognitive processes involved in reading include visual symbol recognition, phonological awareness, and semantic association. These skills must work together seamlessly, as individuals must distinguish between similar-looking letters, associate them with sounds, and extract meaning from written words. The brain’s ability to manage these processes explains why reading is a learned skill rather than an innate ability.

One of the challenges in learning to read is distinguishing visually similar letters, such as "b" and "p." This difficulty arises because writing systems evolved from shapes found in nature rather than being designed for ease of recognition. Despite this, the brain develops specialized networks that allow for efficient letter recognition. Early misconceptions about reading difficulties, such as dyslexia, assumed the issue was primarily visual. However, research has shown that phonological awareness—the ability to break down and manipulate speech sounds—is a critical factor. Spoken language flows as a continuous stream, making it difficult for young learners to identify distinct words. Developing phonological awareness involves recognizing whole words, then syllables, and eventually individual phonemes. English, with its irregular spelling patterns, poses additional challenges, but readers eventually internalize common letter-sound relationships.

The transition from novice to expert reading involves a shift from phonological decoding to automatic word recognition. Skilled readers rely on orthographic processing, recognizing words by sight rather than sounding them out letter by letter. This efficiency allows them to process text rapidly and allocate cognitive resources to comprehension rather than decoding. The brain becomes adept at recognizing common letter patterns, storing them as single units rather than as separate characters. This explains why experienced readers can quickly differentiate homophones such as "pair" and "pear" and why familiar words are easier to recognize than random letter strings. The development of fluency allows for a more engaging reading experience, enabling readers to focus on meaning rather than mechanics.

Reading is more than decoding individual words—it involves navigating vast networks of meaning. Words do not exist in isolation; they activate multiple associations based on context. A term like "spill" typically implies liquid falling from a container, yet its appropriateness depends on context. While "spilling coffee" makes sense, "spilling water on plants" seems unnatural, despite the action being similar. The human mind organizes word meanings through interconnected networks rather than rigid dictionary definitions. Understanding a word requires considering its relationships with other concepts. For example, "watermelon" is linked to attributes such as "fruit," "summer," "juicy," and "sweet." This complex network helps readers infer meanings from unfamiliar words using context, allowing for smoother comprehension.

Reading comprehension extends beyond word recognition to constructing coherent mental representations of a text. Sentence structure plays a crucial role in meaning formation. For instance, "That dog is biting the cat" and "That cat is biting the dog" use the same words but convey different scenarios. Research indicates that readers remember meaning rather than exact phrasing, emphasizing the importance of sentence structure in comprehension. Effective reading involves making connections between ideas, identifying causal relationships, and integrating new information with prior knowledge. This process creates a situation model—a mental framework that organizes key elements of a narrative. Readers do not retain every detail but maintain an overarching understanding that allows them to recall and discuss a book even months later.

Becoming a proficient reader requires more than technical skill—it depends on motivation, attitude, and self-perception. The best way to develop reading proficiency is through consistent practice, but a positive reading experience is essential for fostering a habit. Attitude toward reading comprises cognitive beliefs, behavioral habits, and emotional responses. Enjoying reading creates a feedback loop where pleasure leads to more reading, which improves skills, making reading even more enjoyable. Motivation to read depends on self-efficacy—the belief in one's ability to succeed—and the perceived value of reading. Children who see themselves as "readers" are more likely to engage with books, reinforcing their skills and confidence.

Encouraging reading involves creating enjoyable experiences rather than focusing solely on skill development. Allowing children to choose books that interest them, regardless of difficulty level, fosters a love for reading. Family reading time, discussions about books, and celebrating reading milestones contribute to positive reinforcement. Modeling reading behavior by demonstrating enthusiasm for books further encourages young readers. The key to nurturing lifelong readers lies in cultivating an environment where reading is associated with enjoyment rather than obligation.

This book provides a comprehensive look at the cognitive processes behind reading, from decoding symbols to constructing meaning. It highlights how reading relies on phonological, visual, and semantic networks working in harmony. Words gain meaning through interconnected associations, and comprehension emerges from context and structure. Beyond mechanics, reading success is influenced by emotional and motivational factors. The cycle of enjoyment, practice, and confidence plays a critical role in developing skilled readers. Understanding these cognitive mechanisms helps explain why reading is such a complex yet rewarding skill, shaping how we absorb, interpret, and engage with the world of written language.

[Jon Margetts · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Reading Mind, Willingham masterfully and engagingly deconstructs the seemingly simple yet unbelievably complex task of reading into manageable and understandable processes. In doing so, he enriches the understanding of why some read and some do not.

As a teacher of English, practicable insights included the influential role of background knowledge in comprehending writing, the importance of explicitly teaching vocabulary (and how the mind constructs a 'web' of context-dependant meaning, not 'dictionary definitions', to determine how a word 'works' in text, and the role of digital technology on reading in the 21st century. This last insight was particularly useful; people have always been reluctant to read as qualitatively it is a different kind of activity (i.e. not strictly leisure) than TV, the internet, and video gaming. Reading rates actually haven't gotten any less since the dawn of the 'digital age'. It's just that they couldn't get any lower. What's more nefarious is the effect that ease of access to technologies has on our perception of 'boredom'. We're more easily distracted than we were before, more impatient with moments of boredom, and more ready to get the phone to flick through whenever we have two seconds of downtime.

Reading is the most significant indicator of future academic success. It bolsters your background knowledge (and therefore comprehension) and enhances your 'fluency' in detecting sound and spellings on the page, enabling you to more easily access textbooks. Reading is a virtuous circle; the more you read, the more you will enjoy it. Similarly, the less you read, the less likely you are to enjoy it. The rich get richer; the poor get poorer. It's our job as teachers to apply the lessons from this book in a way that contributes towards pupils' emotional enjoyment of reading. By creating opportunities to access books, by having books readily available to read, by modelling the enjoyment and enrichment of knowledge, and by limiting access to other digital materials, we enhance future academic outcomes.

Again, a highly enjoyable book. A must read for all teachers (and parents).

[Erika RS · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains an overview of cognitive models of the different tasks involved in reading. The strength of this book is its clarity. Each chapter is focused and well structured to make it easy to understand the key points. Each chapter opens with an agenda for that chapter and ends with a summary and implications. The separation of the summary and implications highlights another strength of the books: Willingham's careful separation of what we know from research and ways that can be applied, e.g., in the classroom.

On the theoretical side, the tasks involved in reading are letter recognition, translating letters to sounds, translating sounds to words, figuring out the meanings of words, connecting the meanings of words to extract the meanings of sentences, of sentences to get the meaning of passages, and extracting ideas to get an overall sense of a text. The common theme among these is that at all levels, reading is a statistical process. We see information and it activates an information network. Identification is accomplished when one option is sufficiently more strongly activated than the rest. This is especially interesting in the context of word meanings. We do not represent words with concrete meanings. Rather words/concepts are connected with each other and the strength of connections define words.

On the practical side, the most important tool for improving all of the tasks involved in reading is to do more reading, especially in ways that encourage positive emotional attitudes. This may make improving reading skills seem like a hopeless, circular task. However, Willingham presents some ways of kickstarting the cycle. We can provide opportunities to read for utility (e.g., if kids are interested in pets or cooking, encourage them to read about the topic). We can also encourage positive associations with reading, e.g., bedtime reading, books as gifts, and reading as a family value.

Overall, this was a good read, despite the occasional flow-impacting meta that comes from reading a book about reading. :-)

[Petter Nordal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nicely rounded, global perspective on the cognitive processes involved in reading, all of it fully based in scientific research. Like all of Willingham's writing, it is easy to follow, entertaining and useful.

As a teacher, four things stood out to me.

One: the orthographic principle in visual text translation continues to be as important as the phonetic translation throughout the life of a reader. This is great news for bilingual teachers who have cognates to teach when we are teaching children.

Two: background knowledge is a more powerful booster of reading comprehension than phonetic decoding skills. This in no way diminishes the crucial necessity of phonetic decoding skill, but it show how important it is that kids get to do a lot of different stuff. (It also shows how the Whole Language vs. Phonics circus has been able to go on for so long.)

Three: the most important factors in motivating readers are the enjoyment of reading and the emotional beliefs about reading. So we give kids lots of positive experiences, not external motivators or logical arguments.

Four: evidence regarding the effects of screen time and technology in general appear to indicate that brains are not rewired, that the internet is not destroying civilization.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Daniel Willingham's opinion piece in the New York Times earlier this year. That same day, my mother emailed me the article to read. I emailed her back telling her that I had read it and also purchased the author's book.

As a fourth grade teacher in an urban environment, this was the perfect summer professional development book. I came to education via an alternate route and so most of my understanding of the process of reading came through on-the-ground observation. This book confirmed so many of my experiences and expanded my understanding of reading.

The chapter on motivation was the most thought provoking for me. I've always puzzled how to turn students into devoted readers. From this chapter, it reinforces the importance of parent-teacher cooperation. Perhaps a parent series about how to create a reading environment at home?

I feel so inspired by this book and look forward to how it will inform my teaching this year.

[Kelli Bonin · Rating 5 out of 5]

FASCINATING. I loved every bit of it. I did not enjoy textbooks in high school or college, but now that I’m an adult with a wider background knowledge (as Daniel Willingham explains in the book) I am completely fascinated by them. This book is very much like a textbook and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A passage I found particularly interesting:
“The breadth of the network, and the particular connections in it are a product of an individual’s experiences... Someone who grows up in circumstances with less exposure to words, and to knowledge about the world, will have a network with fewer nodes, and with fewer connections among them... Word meanings are exquisitely sensitive to context; any concept connected to the word can influence how you interpret the word.”

Absolutely incredible stuff here, just read it!!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book that really assesses how our mind works and develops as we read. It covers phonics (beginner or struggling readers), digital reading, comprehension, and the pleasure we get from texts as readers. There were lots of illustrations to show how our reading mind links with knowledge, how teaching reading is important, and what strategies can encourage struggling readers to enjoy the activity of reading when so many other activities are now constantly available. Lots to think about and put to use!

[Gregory Diehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

While much of the content of The Reading Mind is quality, too much of it was focused on general aspects of language and cognition, not reading specifically. The earliest chapters were the strongest in this regard, as they actually delve into the mechanics of what's going on when we read and attempt to understand the text on a page. Much of the rest is about grammar, context, culture, and attitudes, and in particular, to things that apply only to the English language, not reading as a principle.

[Ryan Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was definitely interesting to walk through the process of reading -- there's a lot more going on in the process than most of us are aware of. It was also interesting to see some of the implications of the various scientific studies on reading. That said, this book doesn't go very far in applicability, other than to say that if we want to raise readers, we have to get kids reading, which seems a little obvious. It was worth reading, but it is a thin book that could be thicker.

[Synthia Salomon · Rating 3 out of 5]

“reading evolved from pictographs to phonetic systems, connecting visual symbols to sounds and meanings through multiple cognitive pathways. Words and sentences are understood through networks of interconnected meanings, with readers building mental models that integrate new information with existing knowledge. Beyond mechanics, skilled reading depends on emotional factors like positive attitudes and self-efficacy, creating a cycle where enjoyment drives practice and builds confidence.”

[Zoë Kimber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super interesting read!! Willingham explores the different levels of what a brain is doing when it comprehends text, in doing so exploring the immense complexity of the reading process! I really liked the inclusion of a bullet pointed summary and implications section at the end of each chapter for easy future referencing, and his chapter on reading in the digital age was surprisingly, though convincingly, optimistic.

[Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read his earlier works when working on an ed degree. He writes so clearly and has many good examples. The key to engage students to read is to share the pleasure of it, to show how useful it is in daily life like for learning how to do things, and by being a role model. This is much more interesting than a dry literacy textbook. This one is about experienced readers and describing their mind when they read, not helping novices how to read.