The mind on paper : reading, consciousness, and rationality

"Although the importance of literacy is widely acknowledged in society and remains at the top of the political agenda, writing has been slow to establish a place in the cognitive sciences. Olson argues that to understand the cognitive implications of literacy, it is necessary to see reading and writing as providing access to and consciousness of aspects of language, such as phonemes, words and sentences, that are implicit and unconscious in speech. Reading and writing create a system of metarepresentational concepts that bring those features of language into consciousness as a subject of discourse. This consciousness of language is essential not only to acquiring literacy but also to the formation of systematic thought and rationality. The Mind on Paper is a compelling exploration of what literacy does for our speech and hence for our thought, and will be of interest to readers in developmental psychology, cognitive science, linguistics, and education." afe0db18_Cover_1 01.0_pp_i_ii_The_Mind_on_Paper 02.0_pp_iii_iii_The_Mind_on_Paper 03.0_pp_iv_iv_Copyright_page 04.0_pp_v_vi_Dedication 05.0_pp_vii_viii_Contents 06.0_pp_ix_x_Figures 07.0_pp_xi_xiv_Preface 08.0_pp_1_16_Introduction 08.1_pp_3_16_Awakening 09.0_pp_17_84_Theories_of_the_Relation_between_Writing_and_Mind 09.1_pp_19_38_Inventing_Writing 09.2_pp_39_51_Dewey_and_the_New_Pragmatists 09.3_pp_52_64_Vygotsky_and_the_Vygotskians 09.4_pp_65_84_The_Cognitive_Science_of_Metarepresentation 10.0_pp_85_170_Reading_and_the_Invention_of_Language_about_Language 10.1_pp_87_97_Phonemes_and_the_Alphabet 10.2_pp_98_114_The_Discovery_of_Words_and_Thinking_about_Words 10.3_pp_115_139_Sentences_and_Logic 10.4_pp_140_156_Prose_and_Rational_Argument 10.5_pp_157_170_The_Testing_of_Rationality_and_the_Rationality_of_Testing 11.0_pp_171_212_The_Implications_and_Uses_of_Metarepresentational_Language 11.1_pp_173_196_The_Psychology_and_Pedagogy_of_Reading 11.2_pp_197_212_The_Psychology_and_Pedagogy_of_Rationality 12.0_pp_213_243_Conclusions 12.1_pp_215_243_Reading_Consciousness_and_Rationality 13.0_pp_244_261_References 14.0_pp_262_265_Author_Index 15.0_pp_266_270_Subject_Index Awakening: Reading And Consciousness -- Inventing Writing: The History Of Writing And The Ontogeny Of Writing -- Dewey And The New Pragmatists: Reading, Writing And Mind -- Vygotsky And The Vygotskians -- The Cognitive Science Of Metarepresentation -- Phonemes And The Alphabet -- The Discovery Of Words And Thinking About Words -- Sentences And Logic -- Prose And Rational Argument -- The Testing Of Rationality And The Rationality Of Testing -- The Psychology And Pedagogy Of Reading -- The Psychology And Pedagogy Of Rationality -- Reading, Consciousness And Rationality. David R. Olson, Oise/university Of Toronto. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. This engaging book focuses on the cognitive uses of literacy for thinking and reasoning. Reading and writing provide consciousness of aspects of language that are implicit and unconscious in speech. This consciousness of language is essential not only to literacy but also to the formation of systematic thought and rationality. Shows why reading and writing are essential to developing a consciousness of language that, in turn, lies at the core of rationality