Models of Word Reading

Computational modeling is a powerful tool for studying reading and other complex behaviors. This chapter focuses on the role of computational modeling. It begins by showing that simulations presented as supporting the dual‐route cascade (DRC) model differed from the corresponding behavioral studies. The DRC models were succeeded by a series of hybrid, “connectionist dual process” models. These models replaced the grapheme‐phoneme correspondence rules with connectionist networks, but retained a separate lexical route. The dual‐route theory remains influential in areas where computational modeling results are not well known. These include reading acquisition and instruction, where research and pedagogy still focus on learning pronunciation rules and adding sight words to the lexicon, and in some areas of cognitive neuroscience. The chapter concludes by considering the relevance of computational modeling for understanding how children learn to read.