S9 E4: Comprehension is not a skill, with Hugh Catts, Ph.D.

13 snips

Oct 16, 2024

Hugh Catts, Ph.D., a professor at Florida State University specializing in language sciences and language disorders, dives into the complexities of comprehension. He argues that comprehension isn't just a reading skill but a multifaceted condition shaped by prior knowledge and intention. With personal ties to dyslexia, he offers insights on the significance of background knowledge and practical strategies to enhance student understanding. Hugh emphasizes the importance of coherent text and the interplay of vocabulary for better comprehension.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Personal Dyslexia Connection

Hugh Catts discovered his personal connection to dyslexia through family experience and early reading struggles.
This motivated him to shift his career focus to studying dyslexia and language disorders.

INSIGHT

Rethinking Comprehension

Comprehension is not simply a component of reading but a condition shaped over time and by purpose.
Vocabulary and comprehension are intertwined yet distinct from skills like phonics and fluency.

INSIGHT

Comprehension is Individualized

Comprehension varies by what a reader brings to the text and their purpose for reading.
Different readers may understand the same text differently based on prior knowledge and motivation.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

In this episode Susan Lambert is joined by Hugh Catts, Ph.D., professor at Florida State University, to break down what comprehension is and bust some myths around what it isn’t. With a family history of dyslexia, he has a personal connection to the topic that led him into research in language sciences and language disorders. He discusses how his findings moved him away from viewing comprehension as simply a “component of reading” but rather something entirely separate—a condition created over time, defined by purpose, and influenced by prior knowledge. Together, Susan and Hugh address many comprehension-related contexts, such as the simple view of reading, the five pillars of reading, and comprehension’s relationship to knowledge building. Hugh also gives listeners practical advice for helping students suss out their comprehension before reading, and he clarifies why understanding the standard of coherence is important.

Show notes:

Submit your literacy questions for a chance to win!
Read: Rethinking How to Promote Reading Comprehension by Hugh Catts
Read: The Simple View of Reading: Advancements and False Impressions by Hugh Catts
Follow Hugh on X: @CattsHugh

Quotes:
“If I was going to define comprehension, it's not a single thing. I mean, that's the problem. We want it to be a single thing, but it depends upon what you're reading and why you're reading it.” –Hugh Catts, Ph.D.

“What comprehension is is the interaction of what you bring into that reading situation and what you already know about it and your motivation and purpose to comprehend it.” –Hugh Catts, Ph.D.

“There's just not enough mental reserve to be able to build that meaning that quickly. So it helps tremendously that you have some knowledge about it beforehand. That knowledge gives you a place to put information. So when you read about something, it gives you storage for the information. It's kind of like a cubby hole that you put the mail in, in an office.” ––Hugh Catts, Ph.D.

Episode timestamps*
02:00 Introduction: Who is Hugh Catts?
03:00 Personal Connection to Dyslexia
07:00 Rethinking comprehension as a component of reading
11:00 Vocabulary and comprehension
15:00 Comprehension as a condition you create
16:00 Language comprehension and the simple view of reading
19:00 Differences in types of comprehension
26:00 What comprehension is and isn’t
32:00 Thinking deeply
39:00 Background knowledge and comprehension
42:00 Automatic inferencing
50:00 Final thoughts
*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute