The Social Construction of a Reading (Dis)Ability

Abstract

This article highlights one mother–son case study that was part of a larger study, Revaluing Readers and Families (Kabuto, , ). Here the author focuses on how the mother, Terry, interpreted her 7‐year‐old son Peter's oral reading performances and how her interpretation led her to construct a label around a reading disability. Study data include interviews, observations of parent–child interactions, oral readings and retellings, and family retrospective miscue analysis. Data were analyzed using miscue analysis procedures to examine reading behaviors and also discourse analysis to study how language mediated the construction of and defended the culture of a reading disability within the family. Framed by a sociocultural‐historical theoretical foundation, the findings illustrate how Terry interpreted Peter's reading ability within a transgenerational space, which is a convergence zone so the past, present, and future come together to create a new space, or a living cultural space, that transcends the immediate moment. Results and findings from this mother–son case study question the nature and root of Peter's struggles with reading, moving it from being localized in the person to being a part of a social matrix defining a culture for the family. The author concludes by revisiting the concept of reading ability and addressing the implications of this research.

“Just Bring Me Some Books to Read”: Exploring Parental Literacy Narratives Within the Dis/ability Community

“…Postconventional perspectives focus on the multifaceted and ever-changing nature of the dis/abled ARTICLE identity and align with the goals of this research: to explore the ways parents conceptualize their children's dis/abled identities. This exploration is carried out by examining parents' literacy narratives, and, as the literature reviewed below reveals, literacy narratives can serve as a powerful means to unpack complex understandings of dis/ability, family, identity, and literacy (Compton-Lilly, 2016;Kabuto, 2016;Skinner et al, 1999;Whitehouse & Colvin, 2001).…”

How Youth and Adults With Negative Reading Histories Found a Way to Enjoy Reading

“…The labels placed on youth can influence their reading practices as they transition into adulthood (Kabuto, ). Our memories connected to reading create interpretations of our experiences that we use as a way for understanding our current contexts (Compton‐Lilly, ).…”

“Wrestling With the Politics and Ideology”: Teacher Educators’ Responses to Dyslexia Discourse and Legislation

“…Researchers have questioned the definition and even the construct of LD, describing it as “vague and imprecise” (Kavale & Forness, 1998, p. 24), “ill-defined” (Vellutino, 2010, p. 6), and socially constructed (Annamma et al, 2013; Kabuto, 2016). Identification procedures are inconsistent; practices, instruments, and interpretations are variable, even within the same city or state (Blanchett, 2010; Moats & Lyon, 1993).…”